The NRA, Tea Party Patriots, Koch Industries, Heritage Foundation, National Review, The Blaze, Americans For Prosperity, Facebook. All of these corporations are sponsors of CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, which kicks off today with speeches from Ted Cruz, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and John Bolton, to name but a few.
Why is Facebook among them?
I just attended a conference in D.C. for LGBT journalists this past weekend. No Facebook sponsorship there.
I just checked the list of sponsors for the upcoming Netroots Nation, the premiere progressive annual conference. No Facebook sponsorship there.
It strikes me as odd, and, frankly, offensive, that Facebook would offer support to some of the most radical, anti-gay, anti-women, anti-immigrant, anti-service member voices in American politics today.
Of course, it’s a free country, so Facebook is welcome to support whomever they choose.
But in a nation plagued by un-American undermining of the values a vast swath — if not a majority — of Americans hold dear, I’d suggest the company you keep is important.
Just remember, in 2009, Rush Limbaugh at CPAC took a perceptable swipe at gays, mocking them, calling weak men “Castratiâ€, and lisping.
In 2010, Rep. Steve King at CPAC called liberals and progressives “enemies” of America.
In 2011, Donald Trump took to the CPAC stage to denounce same-sex marriage.
Last year, a white supremacist was booked to be a panelist on the first day of CPAC.
Also last year, Marco Rubio told the audience that supporting traditional marriage does not make him a bigot.
Also last year, several CPAC attendees denounced Republican Sen. Rob Portman’s embrace of his gay son and same-sex marriage. As The New Civil Rights Movement reported (video,) one person blamed Sen. Portman for having a gay son, saying, “that’s his fault,†another called it “horrible!,†and another said she preferred it when people stayed in the closet, like in the 1950′s.
Remember, Facebook, the company you keep…