While Representative Frank’s announcement was a news maker, the reaction of one Tea Party organization to the Congressman’s imminent departure is attracting its share of media attention — negative attention.
In a message posted on its Twitter and Facebook accounts, the Tennessee Tea Party bid adieu to Congressman Frank with the following words: "Good riddance you perverted sodomite POS!"
Not all Tea Party Tennesseans agree with the tone and content of the Tennessee Tea Party’s social media send-off of the controversial Congressman.
"I am appalled," said the founder of the Nashville-based Tea Party Nation, Judson Phillips. "This statement does nothing to advance the goals of the Tea Party movement and goes a long way towards offending people we need to be involved. Barney Frank is the worst Congressman in the last century, but dumb comments like that tweet do not help our cause,” he continued.
When contacted by a Nashville Fox affiliate for a comment, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Tea Party stated, “If people think we've gone too far, it's Barney Frank that's gone too far."
Frank announced his homosexuality in 1987, six years after taking office as the Congressman representing the Fourth Congressional District in Massachusetts.
Although the Facebook comment has since been deleted, the malady lingers on. Responses to the message have been constant.
A Tennessee-based homosexual lobbying organization, the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), issued a stinging accusation of the Tennessee Tea Party, calling it out for its alleged “bigotry” in posting such a message. Said the TEP:
The Tennessee Equality Project condemns the comments made by the Tennessee Tea Party about Congressman Barney Frank. Name-calling and bigotry have no place in our public debates. Americans can disagree without denying one another's humanity. Attacking an accomplished public official based on sexual orientation or gender identity shows the need for an open discussion about discrimination. If adults don't set a good example, we can't expect to address issues like bullying in our schools or discrimination on the job. TEP is ready to have an adult discussion with the people of Tennessee.
Chris Sanders, also of the Tennessee Equality Project, said that what upset him most about the post is that the comment was directed at Barney Frank’s sexual orientation, rather than his policy positions.
"They chose to use terms that degrade the gay community. Can we keep the debate on policy, can we not get personal about people. Do you really have that much hate?," said Sanders.
In a response posted to Twitter, the TEP said, "No movement that claims the mantle of God and liberty can call a fellow citizen, a fellow human a "perverted sodomite POS."
The original comment was tweeted out to the 2,603 followers of the Tennessee Tea Party’s Twitter feed. Attached to the tweet was a link to a story about Frank’s decision to not seek re-election.
There has been no reply from the Tea Party on Twitter; however, the president of the Tennessee Tea Party, Tami Kilmarx, posted the following message on Facebook:
I am totally and completely responsible for anything produced by one of our staff or moderators. I am appalled by the language in the commentary. While privately and inwardly I may agree with the commentary, it is completely irresponsible for any one of us to write these kinds of commentaries. The individual who has written this commentary has been duly dealt with.
Chris Sanders of The Tennessee Equality Project believes that apologies do not go far enough and the potential harm done by the Tennessee Tea Party’s message, regardless of the author’s identity, could be devastating.
"The fact is, they've put themselves out there, they've owned this, and they have to deal with the fallout," said Sanders.
The Tennessee Tea Party, organized in 2009, will likely be forced to ferret out the author of the tweet and send him or her packing. In the United States, there is little tolerance (ironically) for those who vehemently disagree with the lifestyle practiced by homosexuals, particularly with the proliferation of that lifestyle by those who have successfully lobbied to introduce it to children in public school.
The case for the prosecution is strengthened by the inartful manner of expressing that philosophy adopted by the as yet unidentified Tennessee Tea Party Twitter feed poster.
Photo: AP Images
