LEFTY'S LUNCHBOX - BACHMANN VERSUS GAYS

A CUP HALF FULL

If you follow politics at all, then you are aware, or at least have heard, of the issue involving Michelle Bachmann and her husband and the counseling clinic they own in Minnesota.

Briefly, Ms. Bachmann is a homophobic, Fundamentalist-Christian, Tea Party, Republican congresswoman from Minnesota who is one of the frontrunners in the Republican presidential race for 2012.  Ms. Bachmann’s husband runs the family business, a Christian counseling center, which has come under scrutiny for providing “reparative therapy” for homosexuals.

Simply put, this “therapy” involves religious counseling, bible study, and praying to Jesus to rid a patient of their homosexual tendencies and desires. In common parlance, this treatment approach is known as “pray away the gay.”  Despite the fact that there is no scientific evidence or acceptance in the professional psychology community for the use of this “therapy,” the Bachmann clinic utilizes it. 

In historical context, the general position of the Bachmanns pertaining to homosexuality was previously brought to the public’s attention when Mr. Bachmann (actually Dr. Bachmann – he has a Ph.D. in psychology) gave a media interview and referred to homosexuals (gays) as “barbarians who need to be educated and disciplined.”  The next important chapter in this matter recently came to light when a representative of a group called Truth Wins Out visited the Bachmann clinic as a patient purporting to need assistance in dealing with his homosexuality.  The representative videotaped the session. SEE VIDEOTAPE BELOW.

To me, this is a great story.  However, given the guidance from the Bachmann counselor documented in the videotape, I wonder why the following photo wasn’t used as part of the “therapy,” or maybe it was and could not be shown for patient confidentiality reasons.

Yet, notwithstanding my initial interest in this story, I am disappointed that this story represents a cup that is half full.  Not one news anchor, pundit, investigator or comedian has alluded to that other half: that is, what happens when a lesbian undercover representative goes to the clinic for treatment? No video was produced for this encounter (much to my chagrin) leaving my proverbial cup half empty.

I can only surmise that the female homosexual patient, consistent with the “therapy” approach of the clinic for the male homosexual patient, would be informed that God gave men “packages” to be viewed and messed with, and the clinic counselor would reveal his or, at least, show the following as an example of Jesus’ intention for females to only be attracted to males.

Better yet, and this is certainly no endorsement of the Bachmann approach, the clinic should show their patients videos of Jesus with a couple of hot belly dancers at a Bethlehem club or walking on water with a Cleopatra look-alike.  Such videos would certainly be more convincing than the guidance given by the counselor on the video, as well as being more convincing than showing a painting of a bunch of guys at supper.

LEFTY'S LUNCHBOX #4

GINGRICH: A MENU CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN

As an interested voter, I was pleased that Newt Gingrich added himself to the menu of Republican and Tea Party candidates (Carnival Party) running for president.  Needless to say, I was very disappointed in the treatment Newt has recently received from his right wing colleagues, both the politicos and the pundits.

 

Having subscribed to the 2008 Obama campaign mantra of  “change we can believe in,” I was fascinated and encouraged that Mr. Gingrich has himself demonstrated, even more than President Obama, a commitment to that mantra.  Without even considering his politically hazardous “change” of positions on US involvement in Libya or the Republican House plan to abolish Medicare and give millionaires an additional tax cut, Mr. Gingrich’s historical track record on “change you can believe in” should be embraced by all, especially his right wing, family values cohorts.

Consider the following. The earliest demonstration of Newt’s commitment to “change,” although unknown to most voters, occurred when he was very young and his mother remarried.  Newt changed his name from Newton Leroy McPherson to Newton Leroy Gingrich.  I can believe in that.  Additionally, shortening Newton to Newt instead of using his middle name of Leroy would also seem to be a reasonable change.

 

A more commonly known fact is Newton’s propensity to “change” wives.

Without going into the sordid details of who, how and why, three marriages certainly constitutes “change” in anybody’s book.  Certainly, this easily outscores Obama’s pledge of  “change you can believe in.”

Last, but not least, in this short vignette, is the fact that Mr. Gingrich, formerly McPherson, also changed his religion.  WOW, if he made a mistake in this change he could be in a lot of trouble, even more trouble than that caused by his changes of positions on political issues such as abolishing Medicare.

The foregoing may be bothersome to some, but not to me.  As I previously stated, I subscribe to the mantra of “change you can believe in.”  Consequently, I hope that Mr. Gingrich will be the Republican presidential nominee.  Only in that way will I have a real choice between “change” candidates that I can believe in.