Date sent:        Mon, 17 Feb 1997 22:20:07 -0800
To:               arthurhu@halcyon.com
From:             Bob Larimer <blarimer@e-z.net>
Subject:          Re: [PNEWS_FORUM] The Culture War In Washington State


We at WTV had state workers contact us regarding mandatory "diversity
training" which was very coercive.  More interesting to me though, was how
the material included the teaching that:  "Jesus never said anything about
homosexuality.  If it were so bad, wouldn't He have said something?"
Remember, this is state government doing the teaching, and the same
left-wing looney toon types who go ballistic over the mention of G_d during
a commencement ceremony had no problem with this religious teaching, as
long as it was used to help folks move beyond tolerance and into
affirmation and admiration of "alternative lifestyles."


Think the above was just a fluke?


Besides being contacted by city employees, also regarding forced "diversity
training" which they found patronizing and offensive, I was contacted by an
IRS agent who was distressed at the "diversity training" he was forced to
attend.  He showed us the materials used, and how the federal government
was teaching its employees that no one would ever have become a homophobe
if it wasn't for 'fundamentalist religious leaders' inciting people to
hatred.  So we have a little federal government attack on people of faith
as well.


The IRS agent was so stoked about how he'd been treated that he agreed to
go to the media with it.  So in Seattle, Washington, we had the big three
television stations, radio and print media present, and he told the whole
story.  Guess what?  A total news blackout by the dominant media culture!
Isn't that special?  And I thought that American journalistic tradition was
to have a healthy skepticism of government.  Instead, the media helped keep
the story buried.  Of course, this was at a time a few years back when the
IRS was under attack for inaccuracy, etc..  I guess no one wanted to be too
hard on them, or really get taxpayers riled.


Whether city, state or federal, government workers we talked to really
objected to being forced off their jobs and sent to training sessions where
they felt like so many waste-baskets with their lids up, being forced to

accept whatever politically correct scraps the government-hired
minder-benders happened to feel like tossing in.


As I learned more and more about this advocacy for a group defined by its
behavior, I thought how great it would be if, say, pro-lifers, hunters and
gun-owners were represented and pampered in this manner, using taxpayer
dollars.  What?  You don't think that would be allowed?  Maybe not.


Best Regards,


Bob Larimer
WTV