The religious right would have you believe that it’s only trying to give socially conservative Americans a place at the table. However, this is a sham. Whenever they think they’re in unguarded moments, their true extremism comes out. They don’t want you to know that, though. Whenever they actually get called on it, they scream and wail that those calling them out are the real bigots.
We got a lovely example of this from the leader of a very exclusive club–social conservatives in Massachusetts. Brian Camenker of MassResistance is none too happy that the Southern Poverty Law Center has branded his group a hate group since 2008.
Camenker accuses the SPLC of engaging in a campaign of “demonization and disinformation” against groups and individuals that espouse “conservative and Judeo-Christian values.” In the process, Camenker claims that the SPLC glosses over “actual hate groups” on the left.
Who are these odious groups? Black Lives Matter, for one; Camenker claims it has “advocated murdering police.” Never mind that BLM has unequivocally condemned violence against police. He also repeats the right-wing shibboleth that Floyd Lee Corkins’ shooting spree at the headquarters of the Family Research Council in 2012 was triggered by SPLC branding it a hate group. He forgets that the shooting was roundly condemned by the LGBT community.
A closer look at MassResistance’s work reveals that Camenker’s online tirade is classic deflection. For instance, take this pearl-clutching video MassResistance put together of the 2016 Massachusetts Youth Pride rally.
All the ominous music can’t change the fact that this march was peaceful, and the kids on the streets were acting perfectly normally. In other words–classic agitprop.
But the most damning evidence of all comes from 2015, when Camenker appeared on American Family Radio alongside morning drive-time host Sandy Rios. Camenker justified bans on same-sex marriage by arguing that bans on interracial marriage were constitutional. Any group who would even try to find a way to defend one of the greatest evils of the Jim Crow era is a hate group. Period, full stop.
All things considered, it sounds like Camenker just can’t handle having the hot lights turned on him.
(featured image courtesy Susan Smith’s blog)
