While James Dobson–founder of Focus on the Family–is factually correct in his assessment of presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama (D-IL), he makes an incredibly-poor choice of words:
[Dobson] said Obama, who supports abortion rights, is trying to govern by the “lowest common denominator of morality,” labeling it “a fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution.”
“Am I required in a democracy to conform my efforts in the political arena to his bloody notion of what is right with regard to the lives of tiny babies?” Dobson said. “What he’s trying to say here is unless everybody agrees, we have no right to fight for what we believe.”
For the record, I agree with Dobson’s views on abortion and homosexuality (although his political views on the latter tend to differ from mine).
On the other hand, for Dobson to refer to Obama’s wrongheaded approach to the Constitution using an anti-gay epithet, is only going to foster the attitude among gays that Christians hate homosexuals and not just homosexuality.
I wouldn’nt have identified “fruitcake” as a specifically anti-homosexual slur……. I thought a “fruitcake” was just a nut, a dis-attached lunatic, or a crazy person.
Just how many slurs do the homosexual community feel they’re entitled to? I mean, there are only so many slurs out there; it seems they shouldn’t hog them all- that’s just greedy!
Russ: I hear ya, but Dobson oughtta know better. He could have called it “lunatic”, and it would have been more indicative of reality.
When I was in high school, everyone was “fruitcake” if they were suspected of being gay.
I wouldn’nt have identified “fruitcake” as a specifically anti-homosexual slur……. I thought a “fruitcake” was just a nut, a dis-attached lunatic, or a crazy person.
I was just about to say exactly the same thing. *shrug*
I think it must be a regional thing or something. I was in my twenties before I ever heard of “fruitcake” meaning a homosexual rather than just a crazy person.
I’ve heard just plain “fruit” in that context, of course. Does anyone have an OED? It would be interesting to see which is older, and if it differs from region to region like soda and pop.