Marshall to Richmond Fed: Take Down The Gay Flag
By Shaun Kenney | Friday, June 3rd, 2011 | PoliticsVirginia Delegate Bob Marshall wants to know why the Richmond Federal Reserve is flying the rainbow flag, and what (if anything) that has to do with printing a boatload of paper fiat money their mission.
From the release:
Delegate Robert G. “Bob” Marshall sent the letter below to the President of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank asking him to remove the rainbow flag representing homosexual rights which is currently flying under the American Flag in recognition of Gay Pride month outside the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank.
“I do not believe that a celebration of ‘gay pride’ has anything to do with the mission of the Federal Reserve under the Federal Reserve Act passed by Congress,” said Marshall. “This is a celebration of a behavior that is still a class six felony in Virginia. How can the American people trust the judgement of the Federal Reserve as an institution when its spokesperson celebrates an attack on public morals?” he asked. Marshall urged, “Take down that flag!”
Maybe the Richmond Fed is printing off a series of the new $3 bills?
Tags:
Contribute for Conservatism!
Share this post
About the author
Shaun Kenney is the Chairman of the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors, former Communications Director for the Republican Party of Virginia, and an active blogger since 2002. Shaun lives in Thomas Jefferson's backyard with his wife, six children, and a modest attempt at a farm in Kents Store, Virginia.
Comments
25 Responses to "Marshall to Richmond Fed: Take Down The Gay Flag"
Seriously? I mean about the flag. A rainbow flag on a federal building?!? Anyone have a picture?
Anyway sounds very wrong. Take it down.
I saw this topic come up on Blue Virginia first. I am going to cross post it here. Even if it is deleted there, it will survive here:
A comment from a (insert preferred label here).
While I am a Dem, I kind of appreciate Bob Marshall’s statement.
I do not think it is the mission of the Federal Reserve to delve into social politics. The Federal Reserve has enough on their plate when it comes to the economy and fiscal solvency without them getting involved in social issues.
Now had Lowell been more reserved by asking something like: “Just why is it that homosexual sex is still a felony?” he would have found a receptive audience from those like me. But by implying that some of the facts being put forth are imaginary due to homophobia illuminates where the opinion is coming from.
The Richmond Fed should take down that rainbow flag and the request is reasonable.
JustAnne:
You can follow this link to get a picture of it:
http://www.bluevirginia.us/diary/4025/sideshow-bob-to-richmond-fed-take-down-that-rainbow-flag
Actually, I am not sure that is an actual picture or just a generic one Lowell came up with.
Anyone who validates the embarrassment we call Bob Marshall is just as bad as he is. Of all the important issues we face, he gets riled up about this? This is par for the course for Marshall, but to enable an idiot like him is just as bizarre, especially for someone who fancies himself a libertarian. Very funny joke, Shaun.
Aren’t the pro-gay marriage people getting riled up?
Isn’t this an important issue to many of us?
If the economy is the issue, the Fed should not be getting involved in social issues. If we are going to call a cease fire, then both sides need to stop pulling the trigger.
Personally, it doesn’t matter to me if the Fed flies the rainbow flag or not to celebrate “Pride Day,” but to validate Marshall’s objection to such an inconsequential event doesn’ make sense, anymore than your call for a “ceasefire.” Marshall and his ilk declare war on equal rights for gays a long time ago: supporters of gay rights need to fight back, not declare a ceasefire.
Rep Marshall only responded to the waving of a red flag in front of him much like a matador waves a red flag in front of the bull.
The Fed should declare neutrality on social issues and concentrate on what we are paying them to do.
yeah, you sort of wonder why the hell the Federal Reserve is flying any flag except the US flag.
what next? flying the Chinese flag?
@LittleDavid –
Completely, totally agree with you (and Blue Virginia?) and for precisely the same reasons.
The Fed had to know this would start a war. Why they would choose to do it dismays, and probably has less to do with gay rights than something else.
I want to read the transcripts from the board room where they agreed to this.
I’m just confused. If it’s not a choice, then why should there be “pride”? Even justifiable pride (i.e., the kind which is not a sin) should only be taken in one’s accomplishments and that for which one is responsible.
“Gay pride” is an admission: that sexual deviance is a choice, and that those who object to it are entitled to make discriminatory judgments.
Did the Fed buy the flag? Seems like a misuse of taxpayer funds. But they can just make money out of thin air, so I guess that isn’t a problem. And it is not much money, so it doesn’t matter, just like trying to save a million here and a million there is a waste of effort, at least to some people.
Bob Marshall is right. The Fed should take down the flag. It has no business doing it. In fact, it symbolically advocates homosexuality. Btw, it shouldn’t fly a pro heterosexuality flag either. It could be construed as “respecting establishments of religion” that favor homosexuality over those that don’t. Of course that amendment applies to Congress and not the Richmond Fed, but rather than take a neutral stance the advocate. That could be seen as biased against religions that view homosexuality as sinful, etc. It would add circumstantial evidence to a possible discrimination claim.
Beyond that, I disagree with many of good Delegate Marshall’s views on homosexuality. While I find Marshall to be a brilliant man in many respects, his perspective on gays is small minded and even ignores present law.
He mentions Virginia code making homosexuality a felony. As I understand it, that is only the case for certain sex acts in public or other extreme cases where other laws are violated perhaps. The FACT is the US Supreme Court overturned Virginia’s sodomy statute to a large degree. Two guys can do anything in the privacy of their own home and Virginia can do nothing about it.
Secondly, those same sex acts performed by heterosexuals before the Supreme Court Decision were also felonies. So, Del. Marshall should consider that even married couples engaging in a little consensual oral sex or sodomy in the privacy of their own homes were also unconvicted felons before the decision. NOT JUST GAYS!
I have no problem with Del. Marshall publicly stating his personal opinion on homosexuality. It is his right to attempt to change “hearts and minds”. I do take issue with his willingness to legislate people into prison or out of the military for private adult consensual acts. We’re he simply vocal with his opinion, I could more easily work with him politically. In so many ways, Del. Marshall is a voice for freedom and reason. People understandably put off by some of his stances really miss out on how he shines on other issues. That is a shame. Like the rest of us, Bob Marshall is not perfect, but does have much to offer. He is also correct that the Richmond Fed should remove that flag.
Shaun,
You might agree with me, however I do not think that means you are then in agreement with the majority of folks over on Blue Virginia.
JustAnne,
If you follow the link I provided in a previous comment, the picture showing the rainbow flag has been updated from a generic picture to an actual one showing the Rainbow flag flying just below Old Glory.
@LD –
Completely agree on that as well. Sometimes, even a blind pig can find corn… though I’ll leave it up to the reader who’s the blind pig in this instance.
Shaun,
Lowell and I come from opposite corners in the Democratic boxing ring. He is an extreme progressive and I am a Blue Dog. He has third rails on his blog that if you do not agree with him on the subject you are not welcome there.
However such intolerance of moderates is not something the left wing alone is guilty of. At least in the Democratic Party, we can join together as Blue Dogs, which is a label we can paste on our forehead with pride. In the Republican party moderates are called RINOs (Republican In Name Only) which is a label used to condemn them.
Well said, Britt. My question is, does the Richmond Fed fly flags on other ‘national’ months? If not, then this is personal political statement on a federal building. Well intentioned, but inappropriate. Marshall is right, but for all the wrong reasons.
I am going to double post.
Some people have spoken of the need for a third party in our nation and perhaps I agree. However many have voiced the need for this party with justifications given that I do not agree with.
I am going to provide a link from which I am going to lift some statistics and provide my own analysis:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/141032/2010-conservatives-outnumber-moderates-liberals.aspx
This is a Gallup poll on the ideology of Americans as they self describe themselves. The results?
conservative – 42%
moderate – 35%
liberal – 20%
I very pragmatically decided if we are going to stick with a two party system, the best party for a moderate like me to be in is the Democratic Party. If Democrats are going to win elections, maintain the presidency and win majority representation in Congress, it will only come through appealing to moderates. Moderate voters would be the majority of those voting Democrat and the party would be beholden to us and be forced to allow our voices to be heard.
Unfortunately, progressives (liberals) like lowell on Blue Virginia have not been smart enough to figure this out. They want to keep the Democratic Party to themselves even if it means wallowing in minority status in Congress. Lowell was almost as effective getting Scott Rigell’s victory over Glenn Nye as anything Scott himself did. They describe themselves as coming from the “Democratic wing of the Democratic Party” as if us moderates really do not belong.
Liberals have not figured out that they are not going to win elections by offering an uber liberal candidate to counter the uber conservative candidate. Even if the moderate, independent vote is split 50-50 the Republicans win. Liberals must ensure the Democratic party strongly represents moderates if they want liberals to have a seat at the table in national politics. With Republican victories, they will not even be allowed into the room.
This comment is going to be cross posted on VB Dems.
Little David: If you were a true moderate you would join the Republicans. Today’s Democrats aren’t the same party of JFK, Hubert Humphrey or Scoop Jackson. They are the party of John Kerry and that is far closer to Marx than the Democrats have ever been. Note: the Democrat party changed drastically in 1968. The real question is where do the 42% who are conservatives go as today’s Republicans are about the same as pre-1968 Democrats? Constitution Party?
The Fed can compromise by flying this flag: http://fotw.fivestarflags.com/images/u/us_gay1.gif
As a conservative LGBT Virginia citizen, I am all colors of the rainbow, but I am especially RED WHITE and BLUE!
I can’t believe Marshall took the bait. Maybe he thought he had to. Maybe someone challenged his creds if he did nothing about it.
The move by the Fed is an obvious attempt to garner support among voters. They chose the party who is about to become the minority in Washington in an attempt to help energize them going in to 2012. The Fed hopes to stir an incident; that much is so obvious that a three year old can see it.
As for the Fed itself, they should be flying no flags at all. The employees will be fired, the building emptied, the power and water turned off, and the doors welded shut. A historical registry placard out front will then declare the site a monument to the ridiculous notion that an economy of 300 million souls can be managed by a board of wise men.
“A monument to the stupidity of mankind.”
Should the Fed be delving into social issues? No. But we all know that’s not why Bob Marshall is going after them. Get real people.
@Jamie. As they say in German, “genau.” When I first heard about this story I thought I must have missed April Fools’ Day. Of course the reaction was predictable. The whole thing is so beyond ridiculous it is hard to even believe it is happening. I also loved the lead article by Shaun Kenney. I’m currently in St. Louis with friends (all Goldwater conservatives like myself) and there was right much howling with laughter at Shaun’s strike out text. WELL DONE!
You know what guys? I have changed my mind on this. The Fed is albeit a heavily regulated one, still a private entity and NOT a part of government. Yes, the government has say in who the governors are, but they are basically contracting with the government for their private services and are compensated for it to the tune of 6%. So, as a private entity, they can fly what ever flag they choose.
And what better way to highlight the Fed as a private entity than disagree with Bob Marshall on this voiciferously? Maybe the public would DEMAND scrutiny if the understood Fed does not = Govt!
Richmond Fed, I support your right to fly the rainbow flag or any flag you choose!
They might as well fly the red flag.. You know, the one socialist fly.. Yes, the same color that should be and in my mind still is associated with democrats.. Red, it is their color, lets take Blue back. If they can fly LGBT colors then they might as well fly the DNC color. The fed helped Obama from the inside. Am I saying the fed is a left wing Red oranization? Uh, yes.. many of the powers that be at the Fed are Red.
I agree with you on the GOP color being blue, Turbo. I still remember Reagan’s overwhelming electoral victory map described as “Reagans sea of blue”.
Leave your response
The comments section is for meaningful discussion. Readers are reminded to post comments that are germane to the article and write in a common language that steers clear of personal attacks and/or vulgarities.
Please take a moment to review our comment policy.