The Ignorant Applause

Events in North Carolina regarding gay marriage have galvanized the bigoted fringe. I’d imagine Jackson’s was not the only “letter to the editor” on the subject, as I’m sure the ProJo isn’t the only publication fielding such correspondence. I am, however, more a little surprised to see the name signed on the bottom. Don’t get me wrong, the fact that Jackson is publically disdainful of homosexuality – while horrifying and outrageous – is hardly a shock. Over the years, the church has been as guilty of bigotry and sexual prejudice as it’s been of more well-publicized crimes like systemic molestation, and the global, top-down cover up it uses to quiet reports of same. Jackson, however, is the President of a HIGH SCHOOL, and as such, his penning of this disgusting, irrational-sounding, passive/aggressive hate tract, carries weight beyond what he himself will have to bear as its author.

The letter was sent to the region’s newspaper of record in the Journal, and disseminated using social media. That in mind, Its reasonable to assume that alumni, faculty, and – most importantly – student body at Bishop Hendriken will get a chance to give it a look, and see for themselves, just what kind of pompous scripture-fucker they’ve got speaking for them, and about them.

I’m not going on a point-by-point, graph-to-graph interpretation of this pathetic screed, but I will make one point, and only that one, because it’s the most important point and it seems to have escaped the dot-connecting capabilities of President Jackson:

This man John Jackson, as President of Bishop Hendriken School, is uniquely positioned to mold and influence the minds of young people. As regards Mr. Jackson’s continued service in that capacity, this letter is poison. Gay students will read it and think less of themselves. Gay students will read it, and they will hate their school, its administration, its president, and whatever God they themselves pray too for making them the way they are, only to then castigate, and philosophically abandon them. Gay students will read this and they will see the words “immoral” and “disordered” used with regards to the worldview they’ve shaped - most likely under a fair measure of duress, even without the interference of this doddering old crank Jackson – and they will hate. And their hatred will be entirely valid.

The Obama position which Jackson attacks, was stated in a speech. President Obama went on to say, in that very same speech, that although events in North Carolina had not pleased him, that Gay Marriage as policy, was entirely a state’s rights issue, and as such, there wasn’t much more to be done. John Jackson is a smart man. He knew that the sentiments expressed in his letter would find traction in certain Hendriken alumni. Alumni who – at BH – account for a good percentage of parents of current student body. He knew some would call him a “hero”, and “brave” and whatever else, and he knew that the school’s profile would get a bump because of it, sending droves of new potential applications to the ad office at BH. After all, how awesome for a parent’s piece of mind to knowing their children are attending a school that thinks anybody who isn’t into the opposite sex is “disordered”.

Straight students will begin to hate as well, after reading Jackson’s dreck. They’ll hate their parents for teaching them open minded-ness, or maybe their school President for embarrassing them. They’ll definitely not feel so great about any gay kids they attend school with, closeted or otherwise. The letter gives every pliable mind that reads it, the idea that choices of sexuality are condemnable if they don’t line-up with the School President’s degrading fundamentalist ramblings. There is NO defendable part of that. Yes, Jackson is allowed, by right of policy to think, write, and send his stinking, intelligence-assaulting “Letter to the Editor”. So to, am I allowed to comment, on the letter, and the school, and President Jackson. I have done that, and will do it again now:

John A. Jackson you are a disgrace and a liar. You’re gutless and mean-hearted, you embarrass me just being in the same atmosphere as you, and all the cronies who carry your water at BHC. You’re a blight on your school and your faith and your family. You need to resign. You need to apologize. You need to spend the rest of your days trying to make this thing right. You won’t do any of it, I know, because ignorance as complete as yours is always lazy, and can only ever truly go one way. Once a person’s soul is so rotten and compromised, it’s just too easy to continue churning out the blackness and calling it Piety.

So there it is. I’ll talk about all of it at length with whoever needs to, and after this I’ve got a lot of messages to sort through and post and send around. Just know, you who would argue this thing with us, send a fucking name. Already we’re fielding notes from “Facebook user”. If you have a point to make, try and subvert the natural tendency to make your ignorance a secret, and send a name as well. If you don’t, we’ll find out who you are and publish your chickenshit name anyway, this time with an amusing note about how you’re craven AND stupid.

 

 

John A. Jackson: Obama's immoral position on gay marriage

John A. Jackson: Obama's immoral position on gay marriage

Comments 41 | Recommend 0

May 11, 2012 8:24 am

President Obama's announcement that he now favors same-sex marriages is just another sign of the moral collapse of a once proud nation.

His position has "evolved"?

Perhaps a better explanation is that in an election year he has made a decision that flip-flopping on this monumental issue will help his re-election bid. Rhode Island's entire congressional delegation is now partner to this disordered, immoral attempt to redefine the sacred institution of marriage.
Men and women were created by God to complement one another, and to procreate. I have heard the argument time and time again that God does not hate, and of course that is true. We are all God's children, but homosexual activity is immoral and disordered, and cannot be accepted and celebrated. Of course, we can love people of our own sex, but to engage in sexual activity with a person of the same sex is wrong on so many levels.

Count me in on the side of those who say enough is enough. If we do not turn this immoral tide around, this nation will follow all of the other great civilizations of the past that collapsed, not through outside invasion, but from internal moral decay. It's happening right in front of our eyes, and it is up to us to stop it.

As the song goes, "God is watching us," and I can assure you he is not happy.

John A. Jackson
Warwick
The writer is president of Bishop Hendricken High School.