As a Mormon who supports California’s Proposition 8, I was momentarily disappointed to hear that Tom Hanks thinks I am “un-American” for defining “marriage” differently than he wants me to. The disappointment quickly abated, however, as I realized that Hanks — actor that he is — earns his living by lying convincingly about himself and the world around him.
In fact, I’ve always had a high opinion of Hanks’ ability to disconnect himself and his audience from reality. He is, in essence, a professional liar and good at it. Hence, it’s easy to forgive Hanks’ distortion of Prop 8 and the Mormon Church and dismiss his pretensions to know anything substantive about the meaning of the word “discrimination” or how it relates to the Constitution. Hanks, speaking recently about the polygamy-caricature TV show “Big Love” of which he is an “executive producer,” said:
“The truth is . . . is a lot of Mormons gave a lot of money to the church to make Prop-8 happen. There are a lot of people who feel that is un-American, and I am one of them. I do not like to see any discrimination codified on any piece of paper, any of the 50 states in America, but here’s what happens now. A little bit of light can be shed, and people can see who’s responsible, and that can motivate the next go around of our self correcting Constitution, and hopefully we can move forward instead of backwards. So let’s have faith in not only the American, but Californian, constitutional process.”
Now, some of this is admittedly difficult to decipher. Like so many Hollywood hunks, Hanks is better at memorizing and regurgitating what other people write than thinking for himself. When he dares extemporize, there’s no telling what might come out of his vast intellectual void.
But let’s get a few things straight. The truth is that some Mormons live in California. While many of them voted for Prop 8 and some even contributed money to the campaign, they were only a small minority among those who made Prop 8 into California’s law. Further, no Mormon in or out of California paid a dime to the Church to support Prop 8. The Church itself donated a very small amount, in kind, to the effort.
Also true is that Tom Hanks himself doesn’t really believe in not “discriminating” in defining marriage. Just ask him what he thinks of polygamy or whether a mother should be allowed to marry her son or a father his daughter. He’s not quite as open-minded as he pretends. But pretending is what Hanks does best. It’s not discrimination that bothers Hanks — it’s discrimination by others that chaps him off.
Being an American means, in part, having the courage to speak up and take a stand on principle, to discriminate when necessary for the greater good. Many Californians of many races and religions did just that in voting for Prop 8. And many of them used their just powers of discrimination in choosing Barack Obama over John McCain or Bob Barr as President.
Being an American also means countering political opponents with facts and civil argument, not the kind of cheap name-calling, religious bigotry and demagoguery apparently favored by Hanks. Tom Hanks adds value to society by temporarily transporting audiences to his land of make-believe. He should leave the real world politics and government to real Americans who live and work here.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Just another hollywood star who’s pictures I will never spend money on again.
It really is funny that he wouldn’t say it in or about East LA.
Wouldn’t go to a Mosque and say that about them.
No, he comes to Sundance (that bastian of liberal stars) and disparages the Mormons.
Too bad we’re so civil!
Tom Hanks relies on our civility and decency to allow him to make indecent and uncivil remarks. Well, he can stuff it. I don’t need to say where.
Underscore the “in kind” donations if any from the LDS Church to the Prop 8 campaign. I was heavily involved and am confident there were no cash donations from the Church. From members, yes, but not from the organization.
But as Kurt says, LDS members’ votes were a tiny % of the total who voted for it. Evangelicals, Catholics, Hispanics and especially blacks put it over the top. This was a group effort.
No matter what the California Supreme Court does next — and it will be hard to measure “down” to the stupidity demonstrated by that court last May — the fact remains, there is a new coalition between people of faith that did not exist prior to Prop 8. We will not go to sleep again.
Usually when one mentions “discrimination”, I immediately consider what equal rights they may claim have been denied. The question of whether or not it is an offense against society could become a topic in this matter, if it can be shown that all have the right to choose who they marry.
The authority to attach an official title to the ceremonial act of a male & female committing to be with each other has sure brought about a maze of restrictions that tends to keep expanding and producing problems.
Accused polygamist to use gay-marriage laws as defence
I was hinting at this problem in my last comment.
I think it’s a fair point that a society that does not criminalize homosexuality cannot logically criminalize polygamy. I would argue, however, that the reverse is not true.
Using “logically” there is easier than using “legally”, if you need a license or permit for both!