At first, I thought it was Darth Vader’s light saber. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was only the red dislike bar under Rick Perry’s new campaign ad. With 654,113 dislikes and growing, it has become one of the most disliked videos in YouTube history.
“Strong,” the name of the ad, is an ironic title. The ad’s content highlights how weak and twisted Perry’s views really are.
“I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a Christian,” Perry says, “but you don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school. As President, I’ll end Obama’s war on religion. And I’ll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.”
One doesn’t need to have much common sense to glimpse the world of fallacies contained within this brief statement.
The first thing that’s striking about this ad is the courage it must take for Perry to admit that he’s a Christian in a country where Christianity is the dominant belief system. What a victim Perry is. God-willing, maybe this country will one day elect a Christian president. Or 44 of them. Consecutively.
Obama does not have a war on religion. Part of being a liberal is believing that everyone should have the right to religious freedom. This should be a belief that every American holds dear, since it is one of the foundations of this country.
Sadly, Perry doesn’t endorse freedom. Instead, he wants to reinstate “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” an act which has unjustly punished thousands of soldiers for being who they are. This is a disservice to people who have risked more than Perry ever has for their country.
Perry’s ad also sends out a horrendous message to LGBT children. It’s not surprising that so many think that suicide is the only option when they see their own political leaders telling them that they don’t deserve equality.
Homophobia is much more of a choice than homosexuality is. Tell me, Mr. Perry, were you born a bigot, or did you choose to become one?
It is also misleading for Perry to imply that, because one is Christian, one must automatically be against human rights for homosexuals. There are many Christians who openly advocate for equal rights and respect for all.
Furthermore, children can openly celebrate Christmas and pray anytime they like. At my sister’s public school winter concert, songs from a variety of backgrounds were performed, including “Silent Night” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” Christmas is being celebrated, along with lots of other religious holidays.
Perry’s real issue is not that his religion is receiving unequal treatment. It’s that his religion is not getting the privileged treatment he thinks it’s entitled to. He’s upset that the church and state should be separate entities.
Anyone who thinks in such a totalitarian manner is not fit to run for president in a democracy. The president of the United States must remember that he represents his entire country, not just the people who share his same beliefs. Unfortunately, if all candidates like Perry were removed from the race, there’d be no GOP candidates left.
Though it is depressing to consider that Perry is running for president and not for a spot on Comedy Central, there is some ironic humor to be gained from this ad. The numerous YouTube parodies, or “Perrodies,” of the ad, including one of Voldemort endorsing Perry, have made his bigoted comments almost worth it.
Best of all, the music that plays in the background of the ad was inspired by Aaron Copland. Copland was Jewish and openly gay. If only Perry had done further research before releasing the ad.
But then again, being educated doesn’t seem to be something Perry’s particularly concerned with.
Scott Novak is an Opinion Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.