John Rocker: A Psychological Evaluation?

Fifty years ago his racist comments would have hardly raised an eyebrow. I'm glad people react with disgust and anger toward bigoted statements. It's much better than silence. I wonder, however, would the public reaction be the same, were his comments only directed at homosexuals?

Reggie White, Alan Keyes, Pat Buchanan, Jesse Helms, Dick Armey, Dick Clark, David Duke etc,.. have made stupid homophobic remarks and no one is asking them to undergo psychological evaluation. Makes me kinda sick thinking about it.

It is a free speech issue and also an issue of responsibility. Are public figures liable for what they say in a public forum? Why are they liable? How are they liable?

Willem

I appreciated your article on George Michael. My fiancé is a great fan of Michael, to the point of having every single CD he ever released, including Five Live (w/Queen) and the Greatest Hits compilation and the works with Wham.

I showed her your article, and she enjoyed it as well (obviously more than I).

I never paid much attention to George Michael until he virtually stole the show on the Freddie Mercury Tribute, back in 1992. I am a big fan of Queen, and I thought that his performance of those three songs were probably the best in the whole show (there WAS Gary Cherone of Extreme...) , and listening to the recording (Somebody to Love, 39 and Those Were The Days of Our Lives) on disc you can hardly tell it is not Queen with Freddie on vocals...

Once I met my girlfriend, I started to listen to his works more attentively, and noticed that he does have a great talent. There is even a funny story: At the beach a few years back she wondered how she could be a fan of a pop idol like Michael whilst crazy for Bossa Nova. The next day, I walked into a CD store (one of my ongoing vices) and saw the Red Hot + Rio Collection (I had previously enjoyed the Red,Hot + Blue)which included a version of Desafinado, the first hit of that era, performed by Astrud Gilberto and George Michael. I immediately purchased the album and showed it to her. "There's your answer", I said.

Ernest

When Clinton tried to live up to HIS campaign promise, his Secretary of Defense & the Joint Chiefs mutionously ran to Congress to try to make stronger the UCMJ codification of criminalizing homosexuality, hence the birth of the stupid Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue (anybody ever remember the mysterious 3d tenant of this original policy?)

This is going to take more than a President who will make good policy, but it will take that. It will also take a Congress who will back him up. And that means mostly politicians with D's after their names. Yes there are some few R's that vote with us, and nobody should vote strictly along party lines because there ARE abberations on both sides, but we need to keep in mind in the upcoming election season which candidates consider us whole, equal citizens, and which ones think you and I are less than that. Ellipse The Forums

Related Stories from the GayToday Archive: Off His Stupid Rocker George Michael: Songs from the Last Century Hysterical Republican Candidates Denounce Equality Related Sites: Vote.com GayToday does not endorse related sites.

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Ferrell