One of the many great things about this country is our freedom of speech. It is a fundamental tenet of our Constitution and one of the foundations our founding fathers built this country on. It's also what sets us apart from fascist countries or theocracies. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule. You can't scream fire in a crowded theater if there isn't one because this creates a clear and present danger to the people in said theater. Unfortunately I think we've reached a point in this country's history where freedom of speech meets with derision and sometimes outright hostility depending on WHAT you are saying. People don't respect other's opinions anymore because they have become so self assured that theirs is the correct one. We've forgotten one of Thomas Jefferson's great quotes (and I'm paraphrasing here) "I may not agree with what you say sir but I will fight to the death to ensure you have the right to say it."
And now we come to the crux of why I went off on my free speech sidebar--the
Ender's Game debacle involving Orson Scott Card.
For those of you who don't know, this Fall audiences will finally experience the movie adaptation of the classic science fiction novel "Ender's Game." It is a novel that is not only my favorite science fiction novel but I think the best science fiction novel ever written. However, Orson Scott Card and the film itself have come under fire because of Card's stance on gay marriage. In fact various gay and lesbian organizations have called for a national boycott on the
Ender's Game film. Card is a devout Mormon who has vocalized his opposition to gay marriage in the past. He is also a member of the National Organization for Marriage, a group that opposes gay marriage.
Now I want to throw some quotes at you from Card that he's said over the years. In 1990 Card called for laws that ban consensual homosexual acts to "remain on the books, not to be indiscriminately enforced against anyone who happens to be caught violating them, but to be used when necessary to send a clear message that those who flagrantly violate society's regulation of sexual behavior cannot be permitted to remain as acceptable, equal citizens within that society." Card has since renounced that statement saying that it was said in the context of the times and the speech was to a very conservative Mormon audience. Since then he's stated, "[N]ow that the law has changed I have no interest in criminalizing homosexual acts and would never call for such a thing, any more than I wanted such laws enforced back when they were still on the books." Now for those who think that that's a rather convenient retraction given the current political climate, may I remind you that changing your mind is also a freedom granted to Americans. Just ask my wife. HEYOOOO! Just kidding hon.
Also in 2008 Card wrote, "[t]here is no branch of government with the authority to redefine marriage and Because when government is the enemy of marriage, then the people who are actually creating successful marriages have no choice but to change governments, by whatever means is made possible or necessary. . . .How long before married people answer the dictators thus: Regardless of law, marriage has only one definition, and any government that attempts to change it is my mortal enemy. I will act to destroy that government and bring it down, so it can be replaced with a government that will respect and support marriage, and help me raise my children in a society where they will expect to marry in their turn."
I want to give you one more quote from Card and this is his response to the those groups calling to ban his movie:
"Ender’s Game is set more than a century in the future and has nothing to do with
political issues that did not exist when the book was written in
1984.
With the recent Supreme Court ruling, the gay marriage issue
becomes moot. The Full Faith and Credit clause of the Constitution will, sooner
or later, give legal force in every state to any marriage contract recognized by
any other state.
Now it will be interesting to see whether the victorious
proponents of gay marriage will show tolerance toward those who disagreed with
them when the issue was still in dispute."
Now let me be clear in stating that I think Card is misguided and somewhat ignorant when it comes to his opinions on gay marriage. No one is threatening to prevent his kids to marry. Also his ideas of throwing over the government based on the marriage issue alone is pretty far fetched. And the fact that he says gay marriage is a political issue that didn't exist in 1984 is very naive. It certainly wasn't as much to forefront as it is now but it was present in 1984.
I for one have no problem with gay marriage. I don't consider being a gay a sin. I know a few people who are gay, one of them a close friend who sank into such a deep depression that he cut off all contact with his friends and family for over a month. He struggled to come to terms with who he was and how other people would react to him. I can't imagine how lonely and isolated he must have felt. But I've had my own experiences with the depression demons so I can empathize.
But I digress.
Getting back to Card I don't agree with his opinions on gay marriage and I don't have to because I live in the United States. Card is also afforded that right. And at the end of the day banning his movie because of his personal views is ludicrous to the point of absurdity. Let me give you some other famous authors who were known bigots in one way or another: T.S. Eliot, Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss, Edith Wharton, Scott Adams, and Ezra Pound. Somehow I don't think there is going to be ban on "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" or "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" or that college English departments are going to stop teaching the works of T.S. Eliot. In addition people are not going to stop listening to Wagner and AMC is not going to stop airing
Braveheart because those two jackwagons are anti-Semites.
Also what exactly are these groups hoping to accomplish? Decreased revenue for a production company that's already championed gay films like
Gods and Monsters and
The Perks of Being a Wallflower? It seems to me their time would be better spent promoting their own agenda of tolerance. I'm not saying these groups have to agree with Card or even respect his opinions, but they should at least respect the fact that he has the right to say them. Punishing the production company is worthless. Card has already been paid. He's not getting a percentage of the film's box office receipts. So in the end the only people these groups are ultimately hurting are the employees of Lionsgate, many of whom probably support the stance of these activist groups! Furthermore, I think they are missing out on an excellent novel and movie, both of which do not bash gays in any way, shape, or form. It makes me wonder how many of those who denigrated Card actually ever read the book.
Unfortunately this sad escapade will probably continue especially as we get closer to November 1st. Is it going to stop me from seeing
Ender's Game come November 1st? To quote Martin Lawrence, "Heaallll naw!"
