Cohen is a complete tool. He contends that homosexuality is a choice and one can "choose" to be heterosexual. He's written a couple of books on the subject as well. Maddow has a good time taking him and his weak-ass arguments apart, and quite rightfully notes that he's not a licensed anything, and in fact was kicked out of The American Counseling Association for multiple ethics violations, and THIS is what ignorant, backwards, frightened, idiots want us to believe is the way to rid the world of homosexuality.
Uganda is considering a law that would criminalize homosexuality. Those identified as homosexual would be imprisoned, and possibly executed as a result of their "crimes." This idiot is, however unwittingly, being used by the proponents of this bill to argue the need for it.
Maddow, though she makes light in some ways, of Cohen and his idiocy, takes him to task for the sheer irresponsibility of putting human lives at risk.
Now, we cannot stop this legislation, and I do think it will become law, but we need to make every effort to put pressure on the Ugandan government to make it unenforceable.
People will die because of who they love, and this in the 21st century. We know about this, beforehand, we know it's possible, and we know that if the law is enacted it will be enforced.
Our government, despite it's protestations that it's our friend, remains suspiciously silent on the subject.
Stand up Mr. President. People are going to die if you don't. They'll die because of ignorance and hatred and you'll have blood on your hands just like the Ugandan government.
Cohen for his part, talks of love and states his belief that his writings are being take out of context to support this bill. However, Maddow quotes him as as saying that "..Divorce, death of a parent, race, and the need for the love of a mother or father can be contributing factors to homosexuality. All quotes directly cited in a speech to the Anti-Homosexuality Conference in Uganda.
Seriously? I miss my mommy so I like guys? Sheer ignorance. Maddow notes on more than one occasion that Cohen is irresponsible for the title "Gay Children, Straight Parents" in that there is no representation to the person who purchases this book that he's tacitly suggesting that homosexuality can be "cured."
This guys is a charlatan, he's using people's desperation and fear to make money, he's nothing new. Maddow, is doing exactly what we all should be doing, confronting the source and support of the ignorance that allows us to be kept second-class citizens.
Would that we all had the courage.
And so it goes:
Love
