Idaho Republican Candidates Suggest Violence to Stop Bullying

In this audio, Pastor Sean Harris of Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC tells congregants to break the limp wrists of effeminate boys and essentially "beat the gay away" from their kids.

The violent admonition is pretty extreme for a man of the cloth whose profession is to spread the word of the Prince of Peace. It makes for an odd juxtaposition to the popular national anti-bullying movement, most notably from the LBGT activists in the It Gets Better Project. And lest you think such violent advocacy is isolated to some redneck preacher in North Carolina, Idahoans need to take a hard look at what Republican candidates are saying in our primaries right now.

On Tuesday, April 24, 2012, Senator Patti Ann Lodge (R-Homophobia) basically agreed with Pastor John Harris.

Sen. Patti Anne Lodge of District 11 said boys could be allowed to settle their differences in a boxing ring like they did when she was a teacher, and that they are no longer taught to protect themselves.

“In the old days when I was teaching just 12 years ago we knew how to take care of it,” Lodge said about bullying. “We’d get those kids in a ring and let them box it out and they came out friends.

“I think our males are being feminized.”

Let's count the ways on why this is a messed up view of modern cultural mores. There's the complete discounting of girls being victims of bullying. And if one looks further, she argues that violent conflict is essential for men becoming men. Indeed, she states that peaceful resolution is a feminizing quality that is somehow bad. It's difficult to gloss over her perpetuating the negative stereotype that all gay men are nancy boys prone to wearing thigh highs and lots of garrulous make up. Further Senator Lodge thinks the proper response to that is physical violence. Makes one grateful she is no longer teaching until your reminded that she's a former teacher responsible for de-professionalizing educators. But using "feminize" as a negative pejorative should help explain why Senator was a vocal advocate for the last session's egregiously invasive ultrasound legislation.

And Senator Lodge wasn't the only one at the forum with these opinions.

[District 11 candidate for the House] Ronalee Linsenmann of Nampa, said human nature can’t be changed and there is always going to be a “pecking order” in schools.

While she said victims of bullying need to be soothed, bullying can have benefits.

“Being bullied can actually nurture you into being a better adult,” Linsenmann said. “And I do believe that that happened in my life.”

This nurturer had her car towed away after she drove it onto a State owned lawn and parked it adjacent to the Occupy Boise Tents as a publicity stunt when filing her candidacy papers demonstrating how she has become a better adult.

Opposing equal rights for gays is a national mantra for Republicans which even extends to opposing legislation designed to help protect all our children from bullying based upon the insipid notion that it is part of the gay agenda. And even though presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney purports to be a moderate, he's already demonstrated he will do what his base tells him. And he is beholden to some pretty major anti-gay forces.

But the fact is, bullying isn't isolated to the gay community, although proportionally more so.

• 1 out of 4 teens are Bullied.
• 9 out of 10 LGBT students experienced harassment at school and online.
• As many as 160,000 students stay home on any given day because they're afraid of being bullied.
• 1 out of 5 kids admits to being a bully, or doing some "Bullying."
• 43% fear harassment in the bathroom at school.
• A poll of teens ages 12-17 proved that they think violence increased at their schools.
• 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month.
• More youth violence occurs on school grounds as opposed to on the way to school.
• 80% of the time, an argument with a bully will end up in a physical fight.
• 1/3 of students surveyed said they heard another student threaten to kill someone.
• 2 out of 3 say they know how to make a bomb, or know where to get the information to do it.
• Playground statistics - Every 7 minutes a child is bullied. Adult intervention -4% Peer intervention - 11%. No intervention - 85%.

Republicans need to get the facts.