BOOK REVIEW: The Stoning of Sally Kern
By Steve Byas
The first time I heard of Sally Kern was when she was elected to replace Bill Graves in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Rated by the Oklahoma Constitution's Conservative Index as the highest-ranking conservative in the history of the Index, Graves was often controversial and courageous. I assumed that, compared to Graves, Kern would serve with little public notice.I was wrong. A high school government teacher, and the wife of a Southern Baptist preacher in Oklahoma City, Sally Kern has certainly not escaped public notice.
Her comments about what she called "the homosexual agenda" to a Republican grass-roots club in Oklahoma City led to her overnight celebrity status.
Someone secretly recorded her talk, and placed edited segments up on You Tube. This led to thousands of hate e-mails, and her being named as the runner-up for "Homophobe of the year" by a pro-homosexual website.
In her book, Kern addressed the word homophobe. She calls it a "clever tactic," affixing the label of neurosis or mental illness to a person who does not believe homosexuality is a normal lifestyle. "Homophobe" means a person who hates or fears homosexuals.
"I don't hate or fear homosexuals," Kern explains in her book.
So, how did this quiet grandmother become such a target for destruction that she aptly titled her book The Stoning of Sally Kern?
In October of 2007, Kern attended a Profamily Legislator's Conference, where she learned that a group of very wealthy homosexual activists had launched an effort to target conservative political officials, defeating them in state and local elections.
So, she passed this information onto a local Republican group, alerting them that there was a "homosexual agenda" to defeat conservative Christian politicians. This would make sense because a major purpose of the group she spoke to was to elected conservatives and Republicans to state and local office.
After her secretly taped speech was sent out across the Internet, she began to receive literally thousands of hateful e-mails and phone calls. Not only did she come under attack, but postings appeared on the Internet claiming, "Sally Kern has a gay son," and that she and her husband, Dr. Steve Kern, pastor of Olivet Baptist Church, had "disowned him." Both statements are false.
"I find it sort of ironic that those who were consistently most vocal in calling for hate crime laws and in preaching tolerance were the very people send me thousands of e-mails filled with some of the most obscene words and vicious sentiments I'd ever seen," Kern wrote.
Kern wrote in her book that she believes a person "has the right to practice" the homosexual lifestyle "if he chooses," but she said, in speaking of a teacher, "he does not have the right to indoctrinate his classes."
Tim Gill is a software tycoon who donated $30 million in 70 local and states races in 13 states, to change the face of politics in favor of same-sex marriage. Kern quotes Gill as saying, "You have to create an environment of fear and respect."
So what did Kern actually say in that famous speech? She includes the speech, word for word, in the book, so the reader can judge for himself. "I was attempting to deal with the homosexual activists' political agenda," Kern explained. Kern was not addressing any effort by government to lock up gays and lesbians, discriminate against them, or bully them in any way. She was simply speaking of the political agenda, the goal of defeating conservative Republicans in local and state races in 13 states, and imposing so-called Hate Crime legislation.
"Law should be dealing with our actions, not with what we are thinking," Kern wrote.
Kern relates details of the first few days and weeks after the controversy began, and writes of the blessing it was when thousands of average Oklahomans showed up at the state Capitol to show their support for her in the Rally for Sally. She also discusses her general political philosophy, which can be mainly described as for free enterprise, small government, and lower taxes. She even touches on foreign policy, arguing that, "All foreign policy should work to protect America's sovereignty."
The book is an easy read, and an entertaining one. It will both alarm you, and encourage you. Perhaps those who have judged Sally Kern so harshly should read the book, and find out what she really believes, and not some distorted version of her views.
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