Religious Zealotry Is Fun For Everybody, Part I

Earlier this week, State Del. Robert Marshall (R-VA) responded to comments he uttered last Thursday at a press conference organized to promote the elimination of funding for the Virginia League for Planned Parenthood. Delivered in front of an audience comprised of political leaders, religious clergy and other anti-abortion advocates, Marshall has defended his remarks with less than heartfelt apologies, declaring at one point, "I regret that I was the occasion for this because this is now a huge controversy".

So what exactly did Marshall say? "The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion who have handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the firstborn of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children. In the Old Testament, the firstborn of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord. There’s a special punishment Christians would suggest." Well, that's not offensive at all. Yikes. When various disability groups objected to his statements, Marshall replied by stating that he understood how those groups could react "but they are reacting in part to words I never said, never meant and don’t believe". Really? This idiot apparently wants to be taken seriously as a politician but then uses phrases like "nature takes its vengeance?

Now we certainly shouldn't be shocked by Marshall's comments. Let's take a look at just some of the nonsense that has come out of his mouth:

• When discussing rape and abortion, Marshall stated that "the woman becomes a sin bearer of the crime because the right of a child predominates over the embarrassment of the woman".
• On contraception: "We have no business passing this garbage out and making these co-eds chemical Love Canals for these frat house playboys in Virginia."
• While Marshall was the Research Director at the American Life League, he declared that the Norplant contraceptive (implanted under the skin) is "a real tribute to women's intelligence. They feel so irresponsible they can't do something once a day?"
• Marshall takes pride in describing himself as a "right wing extremist" and Virginia’s "chief homophobe".

What I find odd about this whole situation is the glaring absence of Sarah Palin. When Rahm Emanuel, the Chief of Staff for President Obama, used the word "retarded" during a closed door meeting, Palin labeled the "slur on all God’s children with cognitive and developmental disabilities" as "unacceptable" and "heartbreaking". At the same time, Marshall uses insulting words such as "vengeance" and "punishment" in reference to disabled children and Palin is deathly silent. It's funny how that works sometimes.