Dave Agema

Commentary: Snyder needs to take a stand

Jack Lessenberry — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:56:20 +0000

Two weeks ago, as the U.S. Supreme Court was hearing arguments about the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema posted a shocking and scurrilous article on Facebook titled “Everyone Should Know These Statistics on Homosexuals.”

The piece was a collection of hate-filled, untrue smears, such as that gays commit half the murders in large cities, are riddled with diseases, die young and have a secret agenda to recruit children.

This prompted a sudden outcry. Some young and moderate Republicans called for Agema’s resignation. But he refused, and instead asked people to sign an online petition supporting him.

The petition got hundreds of signatures, which Agema boasted about till a reporter scrutinized them. Among the signers were the names, Osama bin Laden, Adolf Hitler, Goat Killer and “I spit upon thee.” Plus someone claiming to be North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, who wrote “From one dictator to another.”

But while there was a considerable outcry, Governor Rick Snyder has remained noticeably silent. Finally, he was cornered by a reporter Monday and asked his opinion. He refused. “I‘m not going to get in the middle of all that,” he said.

Michigan governor declines to say if GOP official should resign over Facebook post

The Associated Press — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 23:33:22 +0000

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Gov. Rick Snyder won't say whether a Michigan member of the Republican National Committee should resign for posting an article critical of gay people on Facebook.

The Republican governor told reporters Monday that he's "not going to get in the middle of all that." Snyder adds that discrimination of any kind is inappropriate and "it's important we stand up for all people."

An anti-gay Facebook post that led to a request for resignation

Stateside Staff — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 20:29:32 +0000

Yesterday, a Republican National Committeeman, and former Michigan lawmaker, posted an article chock full of anti-gay slurs on Facebook.

Dave Agema, the Committeeman who posted the article with a byline of "Frank Joseph, MD," has been asked to resign by 21 Republican precinct delegates and young Republican leaders.

His response?

"Absolutely not."

Commentary: Intolerance

Jack Lessenberry — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:36:33 +0000

Did you know there is actually still a Communist Party, USA? They even have a website, so that if, in the middle of the night, you are suddenly seized with a desire to join the party of Lenin and Stalin, why, you can get on line and whip out your credit card.

For $60 a year, you can be a Communist. Not only that, my guess is that if you do sign up, you won’t even lose your job or be visited by the FBI. That’s because the Communist Party today is no threat to anybody, and is, in fact, totally irrelevant.

That isn’t true of the Republican Party. Not yet, anyway. But increasingly, the GOP is beginning to behave like a wacky fringe party. They are offering positions way outside the mainstream. More and more, what one hears from Republican spokesmen is hatred and intolerance, and we got a good example yesterday.

Supporters want the Michigan legislature to vote on a controversial bill on 'foreign laws'

Steve Carmody — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 20:42:00 +0000

Supporters of an ‘Anti-Sharia' bill plan to put pressure on Michigan lawmakers this week.

They want a vote on the bill, which would bar Michigan courts from citing ‘foreign’ laws in their decisions. The bill has sat in the State House Judiciary committee for nearly a year and a half.

Irving Ginsburg is a member of the group that supports the bill. He’s upset it could die without ever getting a vote.