Pat Robertson: Confederate General Would Be Unhappy About Same-Sex Union At West Point

[DavidDvorkin]

Well. You certainly can't argue with this!

Televangelist and failed 1988 Republican presidential candidate Pat Robertson lamented on his 700 Club broadcast Monday that dead military figures would not have approved of the first same-sex weddings held at United States Military Academy at West Point. Among those who would be most upset, he suggested, was Gen. Robert E. Lee, whose status as an alum was arguably overshadowed in history books by his stint as commander of the Confederate Army.

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/12/03/1274341/pat-robertson-confederate-general-would-be-unhappy-about-same-sex-union-at-west-point/

[OldDem2012]

1. Robertson's a loon. nt.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Well, I suppose he would. But why should we care?

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

3. Probably not thrilled with all of those minorities and women in attendance...

But you know what? You lose a war, and you don't get to bitch about the results.

[DavidDvorkin]

10. Good point.

[1StrongBlackMan]

4. Pat ...

Lee wasn't exactly pleased that Henry O. Flipper attended West Point, either. Your point?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Of course, homosexuality hadn't yet been invented when Lee was around.

I guess God "The author of all things" hadn't got around to it yet.

[Bigmack]

6. Couple of things...

Lee was a traitor to his oath at the Point.... and the US Army. Who gives a shit what a traitor thinks/would think?

Second, the military.. and their opinions.. are secondary to civilian laws.
We don't have the pre-eminence of the military in this country. Yet.

[HockeyMom]

7. West Point, NEW YORK

was not part of the Confederacy!!!! My Great-Grandpa graduated from the Cold Spring Foundry School (Great-Great-Grandpa worked at the Foundry) and joined the UNION Army.

[Enrique]

8. if Robert E. Lee were alive

his head would have exploded when he found out Obama was president.

[DavidDvorkin]

11. Sadly, even Lincoln might have been troubled by that.

[customerserviceguy]

31. I'm deeply disappointed

that didn't happen to Pat Robertson on that day.

[NoPasaran]

9. I'm pretty sure Marse Roberts would havefound a way to endure it

With a lot less whining than radical cleric Pat Robertson.

[dawg]

12. But William T. Sherman would be totally up for it.

He'd send them rations.

[VOX]

14. "Uncle Billy" would be proud to serve rotgut liquor...

And maybe throw in some smallpox-infected blankets as well.

[Initech]

13. The civil war was a long time ago. The North won. Get over it, Pat.

[rurallib]

15. jayzus, Pat, way to put 2 things together

that make absolutely no fucking sense.
You have topped yourself on the dumb fuck ladder with this one.
but don't quit. You are a great source of hilarity.

[struggle4progress]

16. "I babble about God a lot, but I'm mostly worried about what Robert E Lee would think"

[SQUEE]

17. Und Friedrich von Steuben?

I am sure the author/ creator of the "Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States" supports this action.

[theHandpuppet]

28. Thanks for mentioning von Steuben

To think that a gay man transformed the Continental Army from a collection of ragtag militiamen into fighting force that created a nation -- that really would make Pat's head explode. But then, I guess that's why most Americans haven't a clue who Von Steuben was.

[exboyfil]

29. I know who Von Steuben was but I did not know that he was gay

Thanks for informing me. Von Steuben was essential to Washington's ultimate victory. The fact that his manual became the basis for our miltary procedures is a testament to his influence. This should be a panel in any U.S. history textbook.

[jmowreader]

18. Ask him how he thinks Custer would feel about it

Custer is the clearest proof imaginable that the most dangerous thing in the Army is an officer with a map.

[DavidDvorkin]

19. And political ambitions.

[gollygee]

20. WWBFD

"What Would Bedford Forrest Do?" must have replaced "What Would Jesus Do?" for him.

[closeupready]

21. Who cares.

[libdem4life]

22. Here's the thing...he admittedly didn't hear his god right on the nod for Romney, so apparently

he is now attempting to channel lesser, deceased beings, but ones with at least a bit more historical credibility.

[Javaman]

23. robertson does a great job of channeling stupidity. nt

[liberal_at_heart]

24. who gives a f*** what Robert E Lee would have thought about same sex weddings at West Point?

[Tabasco_Dave]

25. I'm sure the interracial marriages at west point would have pissed him off too

but who gives a shit, he's a loser.

[Summer Hathaway]

26. And Jesus Christ continues to be

unhappy about Pat Robertson. So it all evens out in the end.

[Selatius]

27. Yes, and I'm sure some of them wouldn't be happy with Negroes in the student body at West Point. nt

[jberryhill]

30. Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel is appalled

No word yet from Admiral Yamamoto.

And I'm pretty sure I saw a video of Hitler being very angry about it.

[Shankapotomus]

32. Well, you can't please everybody

Especially dead people from a hundred plus years ago. Perhaps you'd be more comfortable in the 1860's, Pat?

[hatrack]

33. Well, I guess Dead Bob and Brain-Dead Pat just better get over it, then . . .

Too bad, so sad.

[LibertyLover]

34. Maybe yes and maybe no -

Robert E. Lee was a complex man. Pat Robertson can no more know how he would have reacted than he can hear his deity speak. Nor can we know what Lee would have thought (although I suspect from some of my reading on Lee that Robertson might be disappointed were he to speak with the General). Many US generals now dead and gone may have disapproved of marriage equality, but each one was first and foremost a soldier and if the Army said it was ok, they would have saluted and said yes sir. It makes no difference that some historical figures may not have approved marriage equality - what matters now is that we realize that all US citizens, no matter what, have civil rights that are inalienable, the right to marry the person you choose among them.