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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyMay 8th, 2008
World Net Daily has now joined the alliance of racist David Duke, anti-Semite Ted Pike, and homophobe Peter LaBarbera in defending a “strapping, clean-cut, All-American looking young man” who first verbally insulted and then reportedly physically assaulted a young gay man.
Amidst WND’s usual ranting and froth, there was an interesting paragraph in which Rona Lee VanAsdlen, the mother of the assailant, was quoted.
“This would never have even been an event if this was another heterosexual male and he had a conflict with, and that’s just unfair,” she said. “I am a conservative Christian, and my son is. All we are doing is asking for prayers and support from people that may be opposed to this sort of thing happening.
Mrs. VanAsdlen is correct; if this was another heterosexual male there never would have been an event. Because her precious son would not have initiated the situation by directing homophobic comments towards another heterosexual male. VanAsdlen, Duke, Pike, LaBarbera, and WND all portray the victim, Stephen Valasquez as “the real aggressor”, conveniently ignoring that Brett VanAsdlen started the confrontation in the first place.
I’m amazed at the blatant sense of entitlement that directs this story. There’s such indignation that VanAsdlen, a white Christian heterosexual baseball star, should be called to answer for an assault on an insignificant godless homosexual with brown skin.
And all of VanAsdlen’s supporters agree that hate crimes laws unfairly stop people like him from doing what a “typical [white Christian heterosexual] 18 or 19-year-old kid” just does naturally. You know, assault those unlike himself.
Perhaps I shouldn’t be so surprised at how anti-gays alligned so quickly with racists and anti-Semites on this common cause. Hate is hate. Scratch a homophobe, find a bigot.
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L. Junius Brutus
May 8th, 2008
Exactly right. Good job in exposing these people.
Speaking of which, Scott Bloch, the anti-gay head of the OSC got nailed a few days ago. How surprising that anti-gay bigots so often turn out to be despicable people in more ways than one.
Erica B.
May 8th, 2008
Dear Mrs. VanAsdlen:
I’m opposed to your conservative Christian son beating people up whether they’re gay, straight, female, whatever. You bet your ass he’ll be mentioned in my prayers: that he gets the justice he so richly deserves.
Best Regards!
GDad
May 8th, 2008
At some point, the “boys will be boys” defense must start failing. This is just absurd.
queerunity
May 8th, 2008
This is frightening, they will go so far as to condone violence to remain anti-gay. Have they forgot everything Jesus stood for?
Scott
May 8th, 2008
I’m shocked, simply shocked that a far right Christian rag of a website would condone violence against gays. Wait, wait, oh no it would far more shocking if “Worldnutdaily” developed a sense of ethics, caring and compassion outside of their own group. Now that would be newsworthy. Unfortunately having this website side with violent, religious, homophobes is par for the course.
Bruce Garrett
May 8th, 2008
I’m amazed at the blatant sense of entitlement that directs this story.
Yeah. I’ve been looking into that face for decades now and I have to say it still…amazes me. Consider it a measure of your inner character. What sort of person thinks they have every right to walk up to someone they don’t know from Adam and start hurling insults? Someone who thinks they’re more entitled to the ground they’re standing on, then the stranger is who. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God’s face…every time they look in a mirror.
That sense of entitlement is the world bigots live in, whether they’re sexist or racist or whatever. That, and the always simmering resentment that other lesser beings are encroaching on their privileges. Thank about what a joke that makes their rhetoric about “special rights”, and try not to go to bed a little angrier every time you hear the phrase.
PW
May 9th, 2008
What kind of conservative Christian goes around verbally insulting or physically harassing people for any reason? I would have to ask Ms. VanAsdlen exactly what she’s been teaching her son. Obviously she forgot the Christian ideals of ‘turn the other cheek’ and ‘treat others as you have them treat you’. And obviously the practical notion of ‘If you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say anything at all’ is not a part of the
conservative Christianity that she’s so quick to bring up.
As for the WND article…
1. The person involve was not a teen, he is an adult. 18 is the age of majority, thus the headline is a blatant example of spin.
2. The authorities do not charge people for pushing, they charge people for assault and/or battery.
3. Obviously the authorities do not see Mr. VanAsdlen as the victim of an assault, so obviously WND’s sources are biased regarding his role, alleged or otherwise.
4. Unless WND has proof that the police are under pressure regarding quotas on hate crimes, or has proof that these quotas actually exist, it should not be so quick to make this kind of inflammatory claim.
5. The notion that the assailant would not be facing serious charges and consequences if this incident had not involved homosexuals is patently false. Aggravated battery is a felony regardless of who the victim is. And furthermore, it is reasonable to assume any criminal charge, misdemeanor or felony, would have put Mr. VanAsdlen (or any other student athlete for that matter) under the review of the college’s athletic code of conduct.
6. How is it possible for a person who was knocked out to tell his friends to call the police? Care to explain that?
7. If WND can’t assure the accuracy of the account, why is it publishing any of these comments at all? What happened to journalistic integrity?
8. Can WND explain why this article does not mention the fact that aggravated battery is in itself a felony? Why the article instead spins the news to make it sound like the hate crime was the sole charge?
9. No, Ms. VanAsdlen, your son will not have to prove his innocence, he is innocent until proven guilty, the State will have to prove his guilt.
10. No, Ms. VanAsdlen, you are not being persecuted, your son has been charged with a crime, this is not about your religion.
11. No, Mr. Lovell, this is not a typical 18-year old, typical 18-year olds do not go around assaulting their peers.
12. No, Mr. LaBarbera, this is not fundamentally unfair, the charge is aggravated battery, the hate crime charge is not the sole charge regardless of how you attempt to spin this. And as for equal protection, since you are so quick to deny that to others, spare us of the notion that you actually believe in it yourself.
Larry
May 9th, 2008
As demonstrated by his violence-prone behavior, Mr. VanAsdlen has probably not seen the last of the court system. People like this generally get into more trouble as time goes on – specifically domestic violence and other various and sundry charges related to his temper. Unless he gets some help, sooner or later incarceration is pretty much a certainty – in which case he better start stretching. Jail for young pretty boys generally turns out to be a real exercise in e l a s t i c i t y.
PMW
May 13th, 2008
I just love the picture of the “clean cut, all american looking young man.” He looks like the stereotypical, jock a-hole that tormented many effeminate school mates of mine when I was in school. I also like that fact that his mother wants to use the conservative christian stance as a get out of jail free card. My son is a Christian, he is allowed to do whatever he wants.
Chase
May 29th, 2008
This might be one of the most ridiculous cases I have ever heard of.
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