Students wear SpongeBob gear to show tolerance

[ruggerson]

http://www.nynews.com/newsroom/012905/b0129spongebob.html

Out of the mouth of babes:

<snip>

STONY POINT — About a half-dozen James A. Farley Middle School students sported SpongeBob SquarePants pajamas or pants yesterday in support of the cartoon character's right to be himself.

SpongeBob Support Day was the idea of seventh-grade class president Jordan Uffer, who wanted to protest opinions expressed about the character's link to homosexuality.

"He's a cartoon," the 12-year-old Uffer, attired in SpongeBob pajamas, said. "I felt there was no reason for them to say that he was homosexual, and there isn't a real difference between gay people and not-gay people. We're all human beings."

The SpongeBob issue made the news after the Rev. James Dobson spoke to about 350 people in Washington, D.C., during Inauguration Week, saying a video to be sent to 61,000 elementary schools in March had a subtext that promoted homosexuality. Dobson is founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, an organization that says it promotes Christian, Bible-based family values.

<snip>

[wolfgirl]

1. This 7th grader is

a better president than Bush!

[VegasWolf]

40. He's already smarter than 25% of the country. n/t

[theorist]

2. Good on them!

If any of them see this, we should let them know that this kind of thing does make a difference. We may not be able to make Dobson irrelevant any time soon, but this is definitely a battle that we can win.

Also, why don't they mention that Dobson made those comments at an official inauguration dinner? Do they not know this?

[RPM]

3. yay!

hope springs eternal

[Briarius]

4. Hahaha, awesome!

too bad they're all gonna burn in hell!


</sarcasm

[murray hill farm]

5. Something so wrong here!

That there can even be people who speak out against tolerance as a value for their children...what kind of country are we becomming?

[sarcasmo]

6. The 7th grader gets it, but not Dobson imagine that.

[mark414]

7. one smart 12 year old

way to go kid

[William Bloode]

8. The funny thing is....

If the dumbass who called SpongeBob gay had ever sat down and watched the show he would know SpongeBob is not gay to begin with. SpongeBob happens to have a crush on Sandy.

I always saw SpongeBob as a rethugs dream. Ya know willing to dedicate himself to a shitty job, despite his boss using and abusing him. While Squidward was more like us and questioned everything, bitches about working conditions and rights.

[MADem]

11. I had NEVER WATCHED SpongeBob

...but solely because of this idiotic, faux controversy, I actually STOPPED whilst flipping, and watched an episode.

I found it charming. SpongeBob is a nice fellow, the program is witty, and I would think that parents would be happy to have their youngsters watch it. It's clever, the characters speak clearly, in complete sentences, and the plot lines are amusing.

[antigone382]

12. WHAT?!?! Inter-species relations on a CARTOON???

That's even worse!!! Male sponges should only be involved in relationships female sponges. Nevermind that sponges are hermaphrodites, and can play either the male and female role. Oh, and I wonder what Dobson & friends think of "budding," where sponges, in effect, clone themselves. "It's against the laws of GAWD, Ah'm tellin' you!"

I'm beginning to wonder if we shouldn't start all children's shows with a scene in which the main character is engaged in wild copulation with a member of the opposite sex. Then we could all be absolutely sure that our children were not potentially being subjected to the potential horrors of potentially viewing a potentially homosexual cartoon character. Would that appease Dobson and the fundies?

[Misunderestimator]

33. I certainly would have more interesting memories of Mr. Rogers

If he had slipped off his shoes and into bed with Lady Aberlin

[antigone382]

37. LOL. Wouldn't we all?

:)

[proud2BlibKansan]

46. Next thing you know

there will be a boob exposed on that cartoon!

[Zhade]

18. The creator himself said, a while back, that SB is not gay.

Not that it should matter either way - he's a cartoon character, for crying out loud.

[okoboji]

21. besides ...

How can a sponge be gay?

should I worry about my sponges that sit on my kitchen counter top?

should I worry about other kitchen items? what about the large wooden spoon and fork that are on the wall of my kitchen - can they be gay?

turkey baster anyone?

[tk2kewl]

9. It took some pre-teens to bring some intelligence to the debate

how sad we don't have any dem leaders saying "... there isn't a real difference between gay people and not-gay people. We're all human beings."

[CatholicEdHead]

10. Through the eyes of the children

helps to put most issues into prespective.

[rodeodance]

13. they Dobson---these kids are much smarter than you!!!! yaddy yah

[jdj]

14. man, you don't mess with these kids Sponge Bob.

That would be like messing with pac-man when I was a kid.

It's a wonder these jerks didn't try to paint Pac-Man as a chinese communist back then, during the cold war.

I learned about Sponge-Bob the hard way when I was a cake decorator. We could not keep the sponge-Bob kits in stock and one day I had one less than what I needed, but one one order the people had put "either Sponge-Bob kit or Groovy 70's kit" so I made the latter for them. When the girl picked it up she threw a hissy fit that it wasn't Sponge Bob. I've never watched that show, but he must be a piece of work to inspire that kind of devotion.

[KyndCulture]

15. From the mouths of babes... GO KIDS!!! nt

[aquart]

16. What city and state are raising these fine citizens?

Because somebody has done something very right.

Amazing how the right thing isn't right wing.

[Zhade]

19. "the right thing isn't right wing" - now that's a slogan! Nicely done.

It resonates.

[ruggerson]

23. New Yori suburbs - Westchester, Putnam, Rockland counties n/t

[Zhade]

17. Awwwww! That Jordan is a sweetheart.

Good for these kids. They make me proud.

[underpants]

20. Ha! ......hahahahaha

That is great!

[pacifictiger]

22. For most kids watching cutesy cartoons

and other kid oriented shows, sex is not even remotely in their comprehension wavelength.
These holy-rollers have brought more attention to sex sujects by their statements than if they had kept their mouths shut in the first place. Closet suppressed perverts for sure!
Now kids wonder what all the fuss is about and ask - mommy, what is oral sex? (courtesy Clinton sexhunt), and, what is a homosexual? (courtesy kidtv/cartoonphobia)

[MAlibdem]

24. a half-dozen?

quite a protest.

[Divine Discontent]

25. One person can change the minds of millions

just take Georgie boy... millions of foreigners really didn't know who he was til he started his tyranny march!

[sonicx]

26. a newspaper thought it was or they wouldn't have done a story on it

[Dogmudgeon]

27. James "Spanky" Dobson is Nuckin' Futs

Have you ever read anything he's written? His parenting books read like I'd imagine S-&-M manuals to be. In one of them, he has a detailed chart of how to whip your kids -- what weapons to use, what level of pain, etc. The scenarios he presents in his books are eerily similar to some of the weirder spam I've received.

It's no surprise that he thinks Spongebob is gay. After all, this is a movement that also thought that Rainbow Brite was a satanic witch, and My Little Pony was a stand-in for the pagans' Goat of Mendes.

As the bumper sticker says, "Focus on your OWN Family!"

--p!

[Misunderestimator]

28. Wow... Great kid! "gay people and not-gay people"

LOL. I wish they'd grow up fast and replace all the homophobes.

[Bouncy Ball]

34. I chuckled at that, too

I guess I am "not-gay." I like that. Better than defining gay people by saying they're not straight. It's a refreshing change!

[ruggerson]

29. Ya Gotta Love The Freeper Thread On This:

They are honest to god out of their frigging minds.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1331297/posts

[paineinthearse]

31. Sent this to sprawl mart....

http://www.walmartstores.com/wmstore/wmstores/Container.jsp?template=OnlineForm.jsp

Let's see how they respond.

=========

See http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1331297/posts

My Free Republic brothers and sisters think that yore selling spongebobfagpants cloths is antiamerican and we demand that you stop selling it now!

========

Are there enough typos and misspelled words?

[American liberal]

32. Here's one of my favorites...

Homophobia at its most banal...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1331297/posts?q=1&&page=1
I think that a boy who grows up thinking what he does, will not be as bothered if one of the older boys puts an arm around him and tells him that he is really cute. He might even like it. He might be open to more. After all, to deny such an advance is homophobia and he has been taught to reject THAT feeling.

This is what it is all about... changing people's minds. Changing their natural instinct to be repulsed by a homosexual advance, and turning it into a learned instinct NOT to be repulsed by a homosexual advance.

[antigone382]

38. Oh my God.

There are no words for that kind of stupidity. I'm completely speechless.

[mojaverose]

41. Problems, Who's Got Problems?

Any man who has a problem with another man putting an arm around him has a Problem. Any man who doesn't know how to respond to a comment by another man that he's Cute needs to learn. A simple "Thank you" is in order. If you don't follow it up 99% of the time he won't either.

These people aren't Homophobic; they have sex on the brain, and they're scared to death of it. I heard a line once that I Love (Unfortunately, I can't remember who said it, so I can't credit it). "These men are Terrified that some other man will treat them they way They treat women." Brilliant!

[paineinthearse]

30. Forward to your local HS...

I forwarded this to my local high school's gay/straight alliance (GSA). When is Spongebob's birthday, I think we should have a national birthday party!

[anonymousdemocrat]

35. Damn, that brought tears to my eyes

That is the sweetest thing to hear a 12-year old boy say. It's something *I* would have said when I was that age, but I wasn't anywhere near class president and nobody else was ever courageous enough to speak up.

[MadisonProgressive]

36. I am really encouraged that the kids coming up today

seem to be much more tolerant - actually they are not 'tolerating' anything - you only 'tolerate' what you find to be unpleasant and they don't seem to have those biases. My own kids are like that. They express a lot of frustration and anger at the things adults do and say. I'm very proud that they feel the way they do and hope they never change!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

39. Thank you, Mr Uffer

How come at age 12, you're more grown up than the Irreverend James Dobson?

[OneBlueSky]

42. props to Stony Point! . . . that's where I live . . .

matter of fact, the Farley Middle School is my polling place . . . don't know the kid, but kudos for taking a stand against idiocy . . .

[Sabriel]

43. Where do I get my "Postcards from Buster" costume?

I'd like to see my two offspring dressed up, one of each.

[msongs]

44. Dobson believe in CORPORAL PUNISHMENT on kids does he not?

and you listen to his radio commentaries he sounds so reasonable. hey even Adolf Hitler liked children and dogs.

Msongs
www.msongs.com

[BrendaStarr]

45. Remember that a r-w Christian group protested Fred Roger's funeral

saying he was gay.

It was very disturbing to his widow and kids who were in attendence.

But this is how the right wing Christians get more money.

By working up a big paranoid to do about something or another that is attacting our families.

Taking on a big name just increases the exposure of their blather.

Feed the paranoia to grow right wing power. If a million scared Christians won't send you donations to "help you fight it", then you will certainly get a few mil from corporations or the Moon, Falwell, Scaife, and Coors right wing funding groups.

Dang, Net 54 search is down or I would take you directly to a post with link about some of the right wing funding groups.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/341201

[twaddler01]

47. Spongebob is not gay

What is this world coming to?

I've seen a bunch of episodes and love the cartoon. It almost fits everyone of all ages (including college students like me). I think the guy who wrote the cartoon did an excellent job. Too bad this crap going around might get parents "afraid" to watch the cartoon due to these stupid people...

I suppose you could find a "gay" trait with ANYTHING. Hell, I bet a everyone is "gay" to the Bushies.

Maybe this will help out the network that airs Spongebob. Afterall, the cartoon is getting a lot of attention these days.