Gay Business Association Cancels Allen West Meeting

by Javier Manjarres, The Shark Tank

The sudden cancellation by the Wilton Manors Business Association of  an appearance by Congressman Allen West is nothing more than the same type of bigotry many in the gay community routinely complain they are the victims of themselves.  It’s sad to see that the gay community, at least its leftist leaders, are still living in the stone age and are quite content with the continued marginalization of their ‘community’ by standing against anyone or anything that isn’t painted over with a big fat ‘gay pride flag’.  This is the same community that refers to themselves as ‘fags’ and ‘queens’ while also referencing ‘other than gay’ (OTG) citizens as ‘breeders’.  The gay community’s actions and lingo reminds many of the racially charged vocabulary that blacks in general use to describe themselves and others in the black community. For example, blacks are fine with calling one another ‘ni@@er’, but don’t let them hear someone who is a couple shades lighter than them say it because that’s “hate” speech.

Like it or not, the gay community in Wilton Manors needs to realize that Allen West is a popular sitting Congressman that is business friendly and is a proponent of cutting taxes for small business- sexual preferences should stay out of the political discourse.  Just because he does not support homosexual marriage (many gays don’t believe in it either), doesn’t mean that he is actively working against the gay community- he certainly is working in their business interests.

Here  is a statement released by Angela West, Congressman West’s wife, regarding the cancelled event:

Tolerance: “You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.” Friedrich Nietzsche

Some business owners expressed relief Monday on learning that the Wilton Manors Business Association was canceling an appearance by U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation. Wilton Manors Mayor Gary Resnick said he, too, was “relieved that none of our businesses will suffer and that this will not become a controversial issue for our business community.” It was stated “having West, who doesn’t support social issues important to many in the gay community, speak it is an affront to gays and lesbians in Wilton Manors.” “It’s a sensitivity issue to many people in our community who feel denigrated.”

So, it is better to make sure that the Congressman does not speak. That he does not address small businesses in the area, politics and the economy? Sometimes it might be better to listen.

Perhaps it has become so important to brand people, especially in politics to make sure that you have someone to vilify and hate. It makes it easier to say and behave in certain ways. However, if tolerance were to be achieved by an evening of discussion, it would have been discovered that Congressman West’s close relative is gay and married to his partner — we love and adore them both. It might have been interesting to meet a good fellow soldier, Sgt. Tammy Barnwell and her partner Lydia. They all served together with the Congressman in the Middle East. And maybe you could have discussed, after the business meeting of course, his views on DADT.

What a novel idea, having a personal discussion with a Congressman. But no, it is far more important to vilify, de-personalize and really bar him from speaking. I suppose we as a family will also be prohibited from visiting the realtor we have been working with, eating the passion fruit gelate and our daughters banned from finding those cute , quirky little clothes at the thrift store on the main street. But that is politics , as Sally Phillips, president of the Democratic caucus, said she’s pleased about the cancellation, it is important to silence the other side — in this case the Congressman. You see in our history this silencing has been accomplished against many other groups, I guess in this case it is just repeating itself.