Ascendancy
The Courier-Mail and Queensland Pride newspapers have recently reported some unpleasant news regarding a Gympie politician. (Gympie is a smallish country town a few hours' drive north of Brisbane.) The unpleasantness comes in the form of Cooloola Shire councillor Ron Owen, a pro-gun wanker, former president of the National Firearm Owners of Australia, and former editor of what the Courier-Mail yesterday referred to as "the ultra right-wing, pro-militia magazine Lock Stock & Barrel". I suppose there's no surprise, then, that he also hates gays.
Owen has previously printed and sold bumper stickers with slogans like "Register poofters, not guns" and "Gay rights. The only rights gays have is to die (Lev 20:13)" (note the highly convincing Biblical reference). In a council meeting a month ago, Owen was asked how he could claim to be a champion of the underdog when he expressed views such as this.
"That's because I probably don't class gays as human," he said. "I don't think gays are downtrodden. In fact, they are in the ascendancy in our community. It's an illness, isn't it?"
Some good soul in Gympie has started a petition that will ultimately be sent to the Anti-Discrimination Commission. In this situation, I personally doubt that much can be done. And I wonder if, when a person expresses views as extreme as these, the public outrage it causes is enough. That said, though, I am writing from the relatively comfortable position of my metropolitan home. But I imagine that any attempt to reprimand him via official channels would give him extra cause to promote himself as a victim, and as the outspoken voice of the underdog. It's a tricky situation.
And Owen obviously does see himself as an underdog (now that's perverse). It's telling that he states that gays and lesbians "are in the ascendancy"; he obviously feels highly threatened, otherwise he wouldn't use a term like this. The poor old thing knows that idiots like himself will all be dead soon from old age and the artery-clogging effects of mean spirits. There will be ever-fewer people of his ilk to carry on his legacy of hate. Ron Owen can see his own obsolescence fast approaching. And that must really hurt.
Owen has previously printed and sold bumper stickers with slogans like "Register poofters, not guns" and "Gay rights. The only rights gays have is to die (Lev 20:13)" (note the highly convincing Biblical reference). In a council meeting a month ago, Owen was asked how he could claim to be a champion of the underdog when he expressed views such as this.
"That's because I probably don't class gays as human," he said. "I don't think gays are downtrodden. In fact, they are in the ascendancy in our community. It's an illness, isn't it?"
Some good soul in Gympie has started a petition that will ultimately be sent to the Anti-Discrimination Commission. In this situation, I personally doubt that much can be done. And I wonder if, when a person expresses views as extreme as these, the public outrage it causes is enough. That said, though, I am writing from the relatively comfortable position of my metropolitan home. But I imagine that any attempt to reprimand him via official channels would give him extra cause to promote himself as a victim, and as the outspoken voice of the underdog. It's a tricky situation.
And Owen obviously does see himself as an underdog (now that's perverse). It's telling that he states that gays and lesbians "are in the ascendancy"; he obviously feels highly threatened, otherwise he wouldn't use a term like this. The poor old thing knows that idiots like himself will all be dead soon from old age and the artery-clogging effects of mean spirits. There will be ever-fewer people of his ilk to carry on his legacy of hate. Ron Owen can see his own obsolescence fast approaching. And that must really hurt.
posted by Michelle | 3:41 pm
1 Comments:
Well put, Michelle. A quick google just revealed to me the extent of this guy's nut-baggery. Apparently, even John Howard isn't right-wing enough for him! What a loser.
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