Emmett C Burns: doesn't get how the first amendment works

[General Zod]

http://www.sportsgrid.com/nfl/local-pol ... -marriage/

Ravens linebacker Brendan Ayanbadejo is a full-time NFL player, but he pulls double duty as a full-time supporter of same-sex marriage legalization. It’s a noble, honorable cause for Ayanbadejo, who has crusaded for other causes as well, such as proper nutrition for children and environmental sustainability. Listen, you don’t have to agree with Brendan if you don’t want to. But you also don’t need to ask the Ravens to punish him if you really don’t agree with him.

Emmett C. Burns Jr. is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates and recently wrote a letter to Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti pleading for Ayanbadejo to face punishment based on his views on same-sex marriage. Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports provided some excerpts from the strongly worded letter, so you can decide for yourself whether or not Burns was way out of line or off the plane entirely

“I find it inconceivable that one of your players, Mr. Brendon Ayanbadejo would publicly endorse Same-Sex marriage, specifically as a Raven Football player,” Burns wrote in the letter first obtained by WBAL-TV. “Many of my constituents and your football supporters are appalled and aghast that a member of the Ravens Football Team would step into this controversial divide and try to sway public opinion one way or the other.

“Many of your fans are opposed to such a view and feel it has no place in a sport that is strictly for pride, entertainment and excitement,” Burns continued. “I believe Mr. Ayanbadejo should concentrate on football and steer clear of dividing the fan base.

“I am requesting that you take the necessary action, as a National Football League Owner, to inhibit such expressions from your employees and that he be ordered to cease and desist such injurious actions. I know of no other NFL player who has done what Mr. Ayanbadejo is doing.”

I don’t get it, is Ayanbadejo not allowed to be a person? A living, breathing man with individual views and beliefs all his own? It takes a resolute, stern man to make it through an NFL season, let alone 10, but that doesn’t mean he can’t have his unique viewpoints all his own, let alone the ability to use his standing as an athlete to promote them.

Let’s take the other side of the coin, say, in Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely. Feely is a smart man with a Michigan education, and often takes to Twitter to air his political views when he isn’t kicking field goals. Feely just so happens to be a Republican, with what you or I would consider to be fiscally and socially conservative beliefs. Whether or not you agree or disagree with him on any given issue, it is his right as an American individual to be able to affirm his beliefs publicly, much like it is Ayanbadejo’s.

Mr. Burns, should the Cardinals fire Feely because some Cardinals fans probably don’t agree with his views that he talks about publicly? Should the Jets fire Tim Tebow for the fact that he is notorious for wearing his faith on his sleeve?

But this isn’t a case of an NFL player stumping when he should be blocking or passing, which really renders the rest of his nonsensical rhetoric moot. It’s the case of a disillusioned local politician who wrote an asinine letter because of his own deeply disturbing homophobic train of thought.

Oh, and you know of no other NFL player who has done what Mr. Ayanbadejo is doing, Mr. Burns? This video of Michael Strahan supporting marriage equality begs to differ. He was since retired when it came out, but something tells me John Mara and Steve Tisch wouldn’t have let go of their All-World defensive end for his views, nor would local politicians have called for his firing. Plenty of people support marriage equality, and some of them just happen to be football players.

And some remarks from Ayanbadejo:

“Football is just my job it’s not who I am,” Ayanbadejo wrote on Twitter. “I am an American before anything. And just like every American I have the right to speak!!!”

So how come nobody's calling for this guy's resignation?

[Terralthra]

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo has spoken out in favor of a Maryland ballot initiative that would legalize gay marriage. Yahoo has published a letter that Maryland state delegate Emmett C. Burns Jr. wrote last week to Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, urging him to "inhibit such expressions from your employee." This is Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe's response to Burns.

Dear Emmett C. Burns Jr.,

I find it inconceivable that you are an elected official of Maryland's state government. Your vitriolic hatred and bigotry make me ashamed and disgusted to think that you are in any way responsible for shaping policy at any level. The views you espouse neglect to consider several fundamental key points, which I will outline in great detail (you may want to hire an intern to help you with the longer words):
1. As I suspect you have not read the Constitution, I would like to remind you that the very first, the VERY FIRST Amendment in this founding document deals with the freedom of speech, particularly the abridgment of said freedom. By using your position as an elected official (when referring to your constituents so as to implicitly threaten the Ravens organization) to state that the Ravens should "inhibit such expressions from your employees," more specifically Brendon Ayanbadejo, not only are you clearly violating the First Amendment, you also come across as a narcissistic fromunda stain. What on earth would possess you to be so mind-boggingly stupid? It baffles me that a man such as yourself, a man who relies on that same First Amendment to pursue your own religious studies without fear of persecution from the state, could somehow justify stifling another person's right to speech. To call that hypocritical would be to do a disservice to the word. Mindfucking obscenely hypocritical starts to approach it a little bit.

2. "Many of your fans are opposed to such a view and feel it has no place in a sport that is strictly for pride, entertainment, and excitement." Holy fucking shitballs. Did you seriously just say that, as someone who's "deeply involved in government task forces on the legacy of slavery in Maryland"? Have you not heard of Kenny Washington? Jackie Robinson? As recently as 1962 the NFL still had segregation, which was only done away with by brave athletes and coaches daring to speak their mind and do the right thing, and you're going to say that political views have "no place in a sport"? I can't even begin to fathom the cognitive dissonance that must be coursing through your rapidly addled mind right now; the mental gymnastics your brain has to tortuously contort itself through to make such a preposterous statement are surely worthy of an Olympic gold medal (the Russian judge gives you a 10 for "beautiful oppressionism").

3. This is more a personal quibble of mine, but why do you hate freedom? Why do you hate the fact that other people want a chance to live their lives and be happy, even though they may believe in something different than you, or act different than you? How does gay marriage, in any way shape or form, affect your life? If gay marriage becomes legal, are you worried that all of a sudden you'll start thinking about penis? "Oh shit. Gay marriage just passed. Gotta get me some of that hot dong action!" Will all of your friends suddenly turn gay and refuse to come to your Sunday Ticket grill-outs? (Unlikely, since gay people enjoy watching football too.)

I can assure you that gay people getting married will have zero effect on your life. They won't come into your house and steal your children. They won't magically turn you into a lustful cockmonster. They won't even overthrow the government in an orgy of hedonistic debauchery because all of a sudden they have the same legal rights as the other 90 percent of our population—rights like Social Security benefits, child care tax credits, Family and Medical Leave to take care of loved ones, and COBRA healthcare for spouses and children. You know what having these rights will make gays? Full-fledged American citizens just like everyone else, with the freedom to pursue happiness and all that entails. Do the civil-rights struggles of the past 200 years mean absolutely nothing to you?

In closing, I would like to say that I hope this letter, in some small way, causes you to reflect upon the magnitude of the colossal foot in mouth clusterfuck you so brazenly unleashed on a man whose only crime was speaking out for something he believed in. Best of luck in the next election; I'm fairly certain you might need it.

Sincerely,
Chris Kluwe

P.S. I've also been vocal as hell about the issue of gay marriage so you can take your "I know of no other NFL player who has done what Mr. Ayanbadejo is doing" and shove it in your close-minded, totally lacking in empathy piehole and choke on it. Asshole.

Chris Kluwe is a punter for the Vikings. Follow him on Twitter, @ChrisWarcraft.

[Aaron MkII]

That is a fantastic letter.

[Thanas]

Already posted in the NFL thread in OT.


Meanwhile, the Ravens organization pretty much told Burns to get screwed by putting this on the front page of their homepage:

Ravens Support Brendon Ayanbadejo's Right To Speak

The Ravens are standing behind free speech and linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo.

This week, Ayanbadejo sparked a political debate that began with same-sex marriage and has since branched into the freedom of speech.

Ayanbadejo has been a supporter of same-sex marriage for several years. He has tweeted about the issue, written a column for Huffington Post in 2009 and appeared in a pair of YouTube videos advocating for the cause, including for the organization Equality Maryland.

He most recently contributed a pair of Ravens tickets to a fundraiser for Marylanders For Marriage Equality. That upset Maryland Delegate Emmett Burns (Baltimore County), who addressed a letter to Ravens Owner Steve Bisciotti and asked him to intervene.

“Many of my constituents and your football supporters are appalled and aghast that a member of the Ravens Football Team would step into this controversial divide and try to sway public opinion one way or the other,” Burns wrote in a letter obtained by WBAL-TV.

“Many of your fans are opposed to such a view and feel it has no place in a sport that is strictly for pride, entertainment and excitement. I believe Mr. Ayanbadejo should concentrate on football and steer clear of dividing the fan base.”

Upon seeing the letter, Ayanbadejo said he was “shocked.”

“For him to be a delegate, I was kind of shocked that he would want to silence me and tell me to stick to football in a free country,” he said. “People have died to have those rights to be able to voice those opinions – no matter what their opinions are.”

After speaking with Bisciotti, President Dick Cass told BaltimoreRavens.com that they will write Burns a response.

“We support Brendon’s right to freedom of speech under the First Amendment,” Cass said.

Ayanbadejo was nervous that his actions could impact the Ravens’ fan base. That was until Cass stopped him in the hallway outside the team’s dining room Friday afternoon. Ayanbadejo recounted their exchange to a group of reporters immediately afterwards.

“[He said] we’re in support of you and it’s good that you’re able to voice your opinion and say how you feel,” Ayanbadejo said. “Dick personally told me, ‘We’re not an organization that discriminates.’”

Ayanbadejo said the two talked about the changing sentiment about same-sex marriage, both nationally and within locker rooms. The conversation left Ayanbadejo ecstatic.

“It really made my day that Dick Cass went out of his way to talk to me today and support me, and that it came down from Mr. Bisciotti,” he said. “The Ravens organization is everything that I ever thought it was. It kind of made me feel even deeper rooted in this organization.”

Ayanbadejo feels he has a personal connection to the issue same-sex marriage after feeling discrimination as a child. He has a Nigerian father and Irish mother.

“Being raised as an inter-racial child, there was always an issue of ‘Is he black? Is he white? Is he African?’” Ayanbadejo said. “I grew up and became my own self and felt like I belonged to everybody.

“So when there was a discrimination issue, I could relate and I could understand whatever the issue was. I felt like I’ve been there, I’ve been in your shoes. It might be, ‘No, I’m not gay,’ But because I’m interracial I can identify with them. It really made me empathetic to different issues, especially when it came to equality.”

[General Zod]

Already posted in the NFL thread in OT.

Eh, I don't normally care about NFL stuff so I wouldn't have seen it.

[Alyeska]

Already posted in the NFL thread in OT.

Eh, I don't normally care about NFL stuff so I wouldn't have seen it.

Ditto. Something tells me a fair number of SD.net members aren't sports fans.

[Aaron MkII]

I never would have seen it otherwise, because I have no interest in football, especially football from a foreign country.

[Cosmic Average]

I can't believe a Democrat is so against gay marriage that he'd demand a person's boss censure and punish a man just for expressing support for gay marriage.

[Block]

The guy is an idiot but it's clearly not a violation of the First Amendment since there's no government power being used to censor Ayanbadejo. This just happened within the last two days, so I'm sure the calls for his resignation are coming, as they should be.

[General Zod]

The guy is an idiot but it's clearly not a violation of the First Amendment since there's no government power being used to censor Ayanbadejo. This just happened within the last two days, so I'm sure the calls for his resignation are coming, as they should be.

Many of my constituents and your football supporters are appalled and aghast that a member of the Ravens Football Team would step into this controversial divide and try to sway public opinion one way or the other

It sounds to me like he's trying to use his position as an elected official to clamp down someone's right to speak out when he's referring to his constituents. I don't see how it gets much more clear of a first amendment abuse.

[Alyrium Denryle]

I can't believe a Democrat is so against gay marriage that he'd demand a person's boss censure and punish a man just for expressing support for gay marriage.

Some democrats are dixiecrats. Not very many after the passage of the Civil Rights Act--but some still are.

[Block]

The guy is an idiot but it's clearly not a violation of the First Amendment since there's no government power being used to censor Ayanbadejo. This just happened within the last two days, so I'm sure the calls for his resignation are coming, as they should be.

Many of my constituents and your football supporters are appalled and aghast that a member of the Ravens Football Team would step into this controversial divide and try to sway public opinion one way or the other

It sounds to me like he's trying to use his position as an elected official to clamp down someone's right to speak out when he's referring to his constituents. I don't see how it gets much more clear of a first amendment abuse.

Nope. He is allowed to do exactly what he did, because he is not making it any sort of requirement and not directly preventing speech through available government enforcement options. The Ravens owner is free to tell him to fuck off or respond "Many of my football supporters agree with Ayanbadejo, and in fact I'm going to put out an ad to that effect."

[Block]

I can't believe a Democrat is so against gay marriage that he'd demand a person's boss censure and punish a man just for expressing support for gay marriage.

Some democrats are dixiecrats.

Yeah Western Maryland especially still has strong racist roots. I think there's still a Klan compound in Frederick unless it's been removed in the last 5 years or so. Up until the latest round of Gerrymandering there was still a real piece of work named Roscoe Bartlett that was one of Maryland's reps in the House precisely because of those people.

[Soontir C'boath]

I can't believe a Democrat is so against gay marriage that he'd demand a person's boss censure and punish a man just for expressing support for gay marriage.

Read his letter:

“I find it inconceivable that one of your players, Mr. Brendon Ayanbadejo would publicly endorse Same-Sex marriage, specifically as a Raven Football player,” Burns wrote in the letter first obtained by WBAL-TV. “Many of my constituents and your football supporters are appalled and aghast that a member of the Ravens Football Team would step into this controversial divide and try to sway public opinion one way or the other.

Unlike the Republican party where they try to be lockstep on everything, Democrats come in different shades.

[A-Wing_Slash]

I can't believe a Democrat is so against gay marriage that he'd demand a person's boss censure and punish a man just for expressing support for gay marriage.

Some democrats are dixiecrats.

Yeah Western Maryland especially still has strong racist roots. I think there's still a Klan compound in Frederick unless it's been removed in the last 5 years or so. Up until the latest round of Gerrymandering there was still a real piece of work named Roscoe Bartlett that was one of Maryland's reps in the House precisely because of those people.

This guy's African-American and represents Baltimore, so I doubt he got elected by klansmen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_C._Burns,_Jr.

[Block]

This guy's African-American and represents Baltimore, so I doubt he got elected by klansmen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_C._Burns,_Jr.

Oh that's interesting. I forgot that was the other demographic that still stronly opposes gay marriage. My fault.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Grr, posted about something already posted earlier >_<

[Lagmonster]

This guy's African-American and represents Baltimore, so I doubt he got elected by klansmen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_C._Burns,_Jr.

Oh that's interesting. I forgot that was the other demographic that still strongly opposes gay marriage. My fault.

So, in the middle of a thread on bigotry, in a bid to pin down the underlying cause of his opinions, you settled on skin colour?

[Alerik the Fortunate]

I couldn't, in a few minutes of searching, find as many studies as I would like, but this article indicates that the noticeably higher rate of homophobia in the black electorate is reversed in elected black officials, at least in congress overall.