Gov. Mike Pence's deleted gay marriage Facebook posts reveal thorny challenges

[kas125]

Sometimes, what’s civil is in the eye of the beholder — especially on Facebook.

That much became clear Thursday, as Gov. Mike Pence navigated the blowback from his staff’s deletion of hundreds of comments on his official Facebook page. They were responding to the posting Wednesday of a statement expressing his renewed support for putting a constitutional gay marriage ban before Indiana voters.

The episode underlines the difficulty faced by government officials when they set up an outpost on Facebook. Wittingly or not, they take responsibility for a forum in which supporters and detractors alike can sound off — sometimes including insults, name-calling or profanity.

Pence stood firm Thursday, saying his staff viewed the deleted comments as uncivil. And his spokeswoman pointed out many posts critical of the Republican governor’s position remained among the hundreds still visible Thursday morning.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20130627/NEWS/306270041/Gov-Mike-Pence-s-deleted-gay-marriage-Facebook-posts-reveal-thorny-challenges
===============

They are lying through their teeth, as usual. Hundreds of comments were deleted, including mine which simply said, "YOUR religion does not get to determine OUR laws. If you'd rather live in a theocracy, Iran is where you should be, not Indiana." No hate, no profanity, no threats, no anything except truth and my comment was deleted.

I am so sick of these idiots thinking they're our "leaders" instead of our representatives.

[snappyturtle]

1. I'm a native Hoosier. Left after I graduated from Indiana University in 1969.

I've lived many places since. Currently I'm in the Hill Country of Texas; six years now.
Honestly, I am amazed that TX takes so much flack when a state like IN and I'll bet
there are others, is as bigoted,self-righteous, and pompous as it is. I spent 9 months
back in IN 2010-2011 to care for my 94 year old mother and was aghast at the 'my way or the highway' attitudes of many.

The school voucher system, attacks on planned parenthood, unions and the LGBT community
has been a huge factor in my difficult decision to sell my portion of the family farm. I never
want to go back there. I did visit for many years to see my folks but now that they're
gone there's no reason left. It was a very difficult decision because I envisioned for
most of my life that when I got old, which I am now, that I'd live out my last days on our
beautiful farm. Can't believe it won't be a factor in my life any longer but life is agitating
enough and I won't become part of the intolerant culture in IN today.

Good luck kas125....you have a battle to fight.

[okwmember]

2. I'm right there with you.

My state, Florida, takes its fair share of abuse. And rightfully so. But then I see what states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, etc. are dealing with since putting Repugs in control of their state governments. Its not always about the people of a state being racist or homophobic, misogynistic or just stupid; its about the idiots that get elected. And right now, even in a purple, leaning blue state the legislative maps are gerrymandered red. Eventually the Fair District constitutional amendment will help, but those changes aren't immediate. That's why its so important to fight these idiotic policies as hard as we can until we have the ability to affect change at the polls.

[snappyturtle]

3. Sadly I've come to the conclusion that voting people out only brings in

more to be taken to the 1% side. It does slow down the process but over time things rachet downward. imho

[okwmember]

4. Sadly you may be right.

I feel like typically politicians on all sides vote for the 1% on too many economic issues. However, I do feel we need democrats and liberals in office to rollback many of the laws the GOP and conservatives are pushing through on social issues. As Rachel Maddow is fond of pointing out, despite the population becoming more liberal on many issues, as long as the GOP controls so many state legislatures they just keep pandering to the socially conservative bases.

Roe v Wade may still be the "law" of the land, but we can clearly see what states are doing to regulate clinics that provide abortions out of business.

I also see the democrats in my state anyway as being better stewards of the environment. I won't say they are all friends of the Sierra Club, but even the meager common sense regulations that were in place to help places like the Everglades have been rolled back or are not funded by the current group of republicans in charge. There's so much work to be done on all fronts and all over, not just certain regions.