A Nuclear Bomb.

When Scott Lively came back from Uganda in March 2009, he wrote this on his website. 

“On the positive side, my host and ministry partner in Kampala, Stephen Langa, was overjoyed with the results of our efforts and predicted confidently that the coming weeks would see significant improvement in the moral climate of the nation, and a massive increase in pro-family activism in every social sphere. He said that a respected observer of society in Kampala had told him that our campaign was like a nuclear bomb against the "gay" agenda in Uganda. I pray that this, and the predictions, are true.”

Scott Lively’s prayers were answered. Within a month of his return to his country, back in Uganda, a legislator named David Bahati had drawn up a ‘nice piece of legislation’ (his words) with the bold intention to ‘wipe out homosexuality from Uganda’ The text of that legislation is here. 

It is truly a nuclear bomb. To do what Hitler tried to do. Wipe out homosexuality. For the homosexual Uganda who is arrested, charged and convicted, there are only two possibilities. Life imprisonment, or death. Once, the Mufti, leader of Muslims in Uganda suggested marooning all Uganda’s homosexuals on an island in Lake Victoria till we had died out naturally. Since we don’t reproduce. The good Christians of Uganda had a better idea. This bill.

I would feel sorry for Lively, except for the fact that his prayers are actually being answered in full. And, he is reaping exactly what he sowed.

He feels he was duped? No. He wasn’t duped. He is reaping exactly what he sowed. A whirlwind that is affecting him. 

Lively is practicing, for lack of a more appropriate term, "pink-baiting" and I  wonder just how many other countries he has gone to spouting his mess.

It's relatively easy to do. Just pad up the  prospective country as a bastion of morality, throw out some allusions about the gay menace, sprinkle a little lie here and there of gays "recruiting" children (or raping children, whichever would scare people more) and what you have is a moral panic that only serves to enhance the reputation of the person spewing the lies.

The scariest thing is that while, in spite his claim in November about the new hate crimes legislation, Lively is relatively safe to spout his nonsense, those who have to deal with the repercussions of his lies aren't so lucky.

And, he is unrepentant. Just check this comment here. 

One silver lining I see to this is that there is an ongoing honest examination of the anti-gay rhetoric in America. Because it is where this came from. It is the root of this genocidal bill. And, my poor countrymates believe the ‘threat to the family’ which in America is taken as mere political talk. Yes, it is good that that kind of hate speech is coming under the microscope. The New York Jewish Week takes a hard look here.

Uganda is taking another beating in the international press. Rightfully so. I think that ‘stupid is as stupid does’ [was that Forrest Gump…?], and, I am ready to admit that we are being stupid.

Ha!

I am Ugandan. I reserve for myself the right to say that of MY country.

In Uganda, we don’t like to be reminded of Amin’s buffoonery. But, that is what is happening. And, the current president, a man who came in power, (by the gun of course) determined to rid the country of the stupid label after the days of political buffoonery, to be compared to Idi Amin Dada, CBE (Conqueror of the British Empire), that might be the ultimate straw. Wish I could whisper it in his ear. But that is something that might be paid for in my blood. Here is the article.

To many non-Ugandans, Uganda conjures up two sustaining images; One, a small, beautiful, landlocked east African nation, once called the “Pearl of Africa” by her British colonizers. The other, a country ruled by African strongman Idi Amin, recently immortalized by the 2006 Oscar-winning performance of Forest Whitaker in, “The Last King of Scotland.”

A new image could be emerging for Uganda. One that would eclipse any other notion and one that Ugandans are hotly debating: one of the few countries in the world to implement the death penalty for gays and lesbians.

That article is worth reading.

I love this quote, which is repeated on another blog. These are the words of our leaders. Notice, one is one of the leaders of the opposition in Uganda’s parliament. Another is the estimable Minister of Ethics and Integrity. The one who says, ‘Killing them (gays) may not be ok.’

Gettleman quotes a member of parliament, Kassiano E. Wadri, who says that he detests gays and when he encounters a gay person, he thinks, “You need to break him.” Wadri’s sentiments are echoed by Uganda’s minister of ethics and integrity, James Nsaba Buturo, whom Gettleman quotes in yesterday’s article. Buturo’s stance on gay human beings and human rights: “Homosexuals can forget about human rights.”

Sadly, killing us gay Ugandans, breaking us, exiling us, marooning us on an island in the lake. Those are sentiments which fellow Ugandans express, right in our faces. They don’t know us. But, they are very willing to say they will kill us, right in our faces.

It is sad. But, has the world really waken up to the seeds of this kind of vile hate speech? 

Indeed, Hate begets Hate. As the NYT follows up in an editorial. 

“You cant preach hate and not accept responsibility for the way that hate is manifested.”

I like this summary, more because it doesn’t absolve my countrymates of their responsibilities to logic and thought. Yes, the Americans are culpable, because of their stupidity. But, the Ugandans are also culpable. Because of their continuing stupidity.

Set the fire they can't quench. And, at best, their defense is: "We didn't know!" At best, they were totally ignorant of the culture, and just saw speaking in Uganda as another opportunity to make money and get notoriety back home. I mean, hey—it's not like they wanted anyone killed; they just wanted to be able to crow to the rubes back home about what great anti-gay missionaries they are and justify holding out the coffers once more. "Your dollars will help stop the gay agenda in its tracks all over the world!" But they didn't want anyone dead. Heavens, no! Geez, we didn't expect the Ugandans to take us so seriously.

At best, they colluded with murderous bigots because they were too uninformed, cavalier, daft, hasty, greedy, eager, selfish, irresponsible, ignorant. Too something to understand what the fuck they were doing.

At worst, they colluded with murderous bigots because deep in their hard, dark little hearts, in places they never reveal in press releases, they don't much care if gay people die, as long as their names aren't anywhere near the death warrant.

And it is still good to examine Uganda in a broader context. Whither the Christian faith? What trends. Get that thoughtful opinion here. Of course, Christian scholars will be studying this for years to come, I think. Glad to know I am living history. But, I really hate being in the middle of it! 

Andrew Sullivan calls it ‘American Christianism’. It is too long that this has not been examined, been under the radar. I looked at the whole Anglican Schism thing as the South Bullying the North. I was amused. But this doesn’t amuse me. Not least because I am at the wrong end of the sword.

Someone reminds me that I have not yet got the 20 Million USD that Minister Nsaba-Buturo promised was on its way….! Yes, it hasn’t yet arrived. Am still waiting, Buturo. And, the holiday season is over. Waiting, waiting…! 

Well, I have to go check with my bank manager about some money which hasn’t yet graced my account.

A new day, a new year….

Have a great day. Let us see what this day will bring.

gug