Football player David Tyree embraces anti-gay marriage politics in NY
Speaking of morals, religious beliefs and “what’s right” for America, football player David Tyree stepped forward to express his point of view that gay men and lesbians do not deserve equal marriage rights. His ridiculous statement about “anarchy” being the result of same-sex marriage has caught the attention of many critics. Others, however, have defended his political maneuvering as freedom of religious speech.
In a heavily edited promotion posted June 15 by the National Organization for Marriage, the former NY Giants player let loose a flood of confused, contradictory and religiously-biased political views:
”Marriage is the only relationship that actually mirrors a relationship with God….
”[Gay marriage] says that you don’t need a mother or a father…. My father was in my life, but I was impacted severely because he wasn’t in the home. And then you have fathers who may be in the home, but it’s almost like they’re not in the home…. You can’t teach something that you don’t have. So, two men will never be able to show a woman how to be a woman….
”Not political, I approach more from an angle of prayer…. We’re doing God an injustice by not making His heart known to our country…. It’s not about establishing a theocracy, it’s about what’s right….”
“How can marriage be marriage for thousands of years and now, all of a sudden, because a minority — an influential minority has a push or an agenda and totally reshapes something that was not founded in our country, not founded in man….
”If this does come forth, this will be the beginning of our country sliding toward — it’s a strong word, but anarchy… that will be the moment that our country loses its grip with what’s right….
”Marriage is one of those things that is the backbone of our society. So, if you redefine it, it changes the way we educate our children. It changes the perception of what is good, what is right and just.”
On that last bit, let’s hope he’s absolutely right.
Tyree continued on CNN with more misinformation about what the law really is and how it can change with societal views. Host Kyra Phillips started out well in challenging his notion that gay marriage would lead to “anarchy” and “lawlessness”:
”My definition, at least I’m using ‘anarchy’ in the sense of morality. There’s no basis of a moral fiber in a community, you know — and, and we continue to strip away from that. And I believe that essentially that will lead to lawlessness. Does that mean that there will be, you know, riots running around? I don’t think — that, that’s not necessarily what I’m referring to…. I don’t want to focus on that.
”Where’s the evidence [that gay marriage has any impact on other marriages, or the sanctity of marriage, or culture or children]? I will be, uh — I’m not gonna –. I can’t necessarily get into statistics. That’s not my voice….
”We are messing with something that God has actually ordained, set in order. If we have adopted it into our government, then we should adopt it in the sense that, uh — just like you adopt a child, you don’t adopt a child and change their name.”
Huh? Maybe the tactic of NOM and people like Tyree is to make so many incoherent statements, to make so many nonsensical arguments, that everyone will just walk away from the table with a headache.
Tyree said again that he was not interested in a ”theocracy,” yet continued to mix his religious opposition with secular laws. Tyree also repeated the notion that, historically, marriage has always been between one man and one woman:
“What is a marriage? A marriage is between a man and a woman. That has always been the backbone of our society and culture.”
Really? Always? Maybe Tyree should start a historical review with those “sacred” Bible bits about figures like King Solomon and King David having polygamous marriages.
Another NOM video shows Tyree standing with NOM’s anti-gay president, Brian Brown, and other political opponents of gay and lesbian families. Tyree drew on the popularity of his famous Superbowl catch, and again, he contradicted his own words by saying:
“I’m not a political person…. I’m speaking for marriage because this is not another political issue…. I want to tell the New York senators, this is not about right and left. This is about right and wrong…. Perhaps God orchestrated that play to give me a platform to do what I’m doing here today — to urge political leaders all over our nation to reject same-sex marriage and to stand up for traditional marriage.”
An ESPN blogger quotes Tyree as complaining about the backlash he’s received. Taking a page out of NOM’s playbook, Tyree said:
”You should read some of the nasty tweets I received… I don’t hear a lot of people talking about our First Amendment rights, but how we’re bigots.”
Yesterday, his controversial views reached all the way to the ladies of The View. Co-host Elizabeth Hasselback said she knew David Tyree, and after speaking with him, defended his right to speak his religious and political beliefs:
”I know his heart. He said he has no hate. He said he loves everyone…. He doesn’t have bigotry…. And guess what, our own President defines marriage traditionally between a man and a woman…. He’s being chastised on his beliefs, and, I think, this country was founded on the principle that we can have those beliefs.”
Co-host Sheri Shepherd had a somewhat surprising moment of clarity, cautioning against Tyree’s statement that male parents could not properly teach a female child:
”I think you make a dangerous statement, when — he said he didn’t believe in two same-sex people having kids. Because he said that ‘you can’t teach what you don’t know.’ Which means that, as a single mom, I can’t teach my son how to be a man? I don’t have any choice but to do that. I don’t know how to be a man — I’ve got to teach Jeffrey how to be a man…. There’s a man who’s wife might have died who has a daughter. He’s got to teach her things he doesn’t know.”
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