A gay time at J.C. Penney Co.
Every Halloween, New York City residents are greeted by homosexual parade marchers dressed to impress bystanders with a message that “gay is good.” Some folks take the parade in stride, some are offended by more than a few outrageous displays, and others simply could not care less.
That parade is a microcosm of how Americans, in general, feel about the gay movement. And those who oppose the in-your-face tactics of some homosexuals do have a legitimate gripe. They simply want to be left alone. They don’t want to see explicit displays in public that offend their moral or religious point of view.
Enter Ellen DeGeneres and J.C. Penney Co. The Texas-based department store has hired DeGeneres as a spokeswoman, and that is royally teeing off a conservative group called “One Million Moms.” On their website, they are calling for J.C. Penney Co. to “replace Ellen DeGeneres as their new spokesperson immediately and remain neutral in the culture war.”
The Moms go on to say DeGeneres is not a “true representative” of the type of families that shop at J.C. Penney Co.
While I sympathize with folks not wanting to deal with homosexuality, I think the Moms are wrong. DeGeneres is an American citizen. She has committed no crime. If she wants to promote equality for gays or gay marriage, that is her constitutional right. She should not be dismissed from anything.
But the Moms have rights, too. They don’t have to shop at J.C. Penney Co. if they believe the company does not hold their values, and they are doing nothing wrong by making their disenchantment known. As long as they don’t try to hurt DeGeneres or any other individual, I have no problem with the Moms.
In the 1950s, Sen. Joseph McCarthy got a whole bunch of Americans fired from jobs because he said they were communists. There was even a blacklist in Hollywood that banished perceived left-wing job seekers from employment in the entertainment industry. That was awful and flat-out un-American. In this country, you have a right to be a communist, and nobody should punish anyone for their political beliefs.
In my opinion, Kim Kardashian is a far worse role model than Ellen, and the Million Moms might want to check that out. Kardashian is all over the media peddling an aggressively self-involved image that is anything but healthy for teenage girls. In fact, there are scores of media people who are celebrated for bad behavior. If the Moms want to be consistent in their outrage about dubious behavior, they are going to be very busy.
So let’s leave Ellen alone and allow the marketplace to dictate exactly what Americans believe is worthy. That is the American way. Witch-hunting against certain people and groups is not.
Bill O’Reilly is host of the Fox News Show, “The O’Reilly Factor” and author of the book “Pinheads and Patriots: Where You Stand in the Age of Obama.”
Short URL: http://www.dailyrepublic.com/?p=134703
Posted by Bill O'Reilly
on Feb 13 2012.
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First, mentioning Kardashian and Ellen in the same sentence is ridiculous. Ellen is highly respected, supports many social causes and JC Penney has scored a bonanza by ignoring the Million Moms nonsense. The MM’s organization is a typical example of the Conservative right and they are just one more reason why the Republican Party will lose seats and a real chance at the presidency. Wow, I actually agree with BillO!
CD..Bill never spins..he just presents the facts..has and gives his opinions but doesn’t use the paradigm as an empty vessel for his views alone..He’ll give both sides and let his audience give the feedback..or many times the blow back..his mention of Khardashian was right on..I think from your post you see that..anyone that spends 13,000,000.00 on a wedding then publishes the fact just shows the tip of their shallow character iceberg
The Million Moms is a subgroup of the American Family Association, which has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. That tells you all you need to know about them.
Gary, I have no problem with BO’s comments about Kardashian, I am no K family fan. The cool thing about Ellen is she has never taken a step back from who she is. She is funny, cute and her show is a perfect place for her to display her talent and hi-jinks! Anybody wanting to take her on in a negative way will take a beating, she is far too popular.
Jason, exactly! They stepped in it in a big way and now have been exposed. Bye-bye to them! BTW, my wife has been to JCP twice since the issue aired, and the place has been packed, hope it continues. Great job JCP!
And they even have clothes for the, ahem, “ample-sized gentleman” which means they will be getting business from moi.
No BIG and TALL shops out your way?
Of course there are, plus I have the internet. But, JC Penney also earned by business by taking a stand for what is right. I will always support businesses that do that.
And their clothes support you..win..win..just thought there would be a wider selection at specialty stores or the web..Of course can’t remember the last time I was at Penny’s…
Is that “wider selection” crack an indictment of my size?
CD..And I believe Mr O’Reilly was fair to Degeneres too.
Sure it does Knowles..now who’s gonna tell us about the Southern Poverty Law Center…When somebody says ” and that’s all you need to know about them”..I say who are you to tell me what I should or should not know?..And of course I want to know a lot more.
Sure, Gary. The SPLC has been fighting for American civil rights for 4 decades. They also help to insure that children are not exploited through their work. If you want to know a lot more, then please do the work to learn more. “Needs” and “shoulds” are two different spices.
Mr Obama will be presenting his budget in a few minutes..what the left hates to be reminded of is that his last budget was defeated in his own Democrat controlled Senate 97-0….The Republican minority leader had to presents the president’s budget cause no Democrat had one of it’s own or would touch the presidents..unbeatable..It’s the law of the land that a budget must be presented in a timely fashion..Democrats have not obeyed the law for over a thousand days..and as for left lies..this budget should be jammed backed with them.
Knowles I swear it was not..just got it myself LOL..my line “the clothes support you” was the crack on your “size”..I feel entitled. Because though I’ve never seen you..I’m fat!..
Fat or just short for your weight?
I’m thinking just short for my weight..my wife Dr. And everyone else says fat.