"Repugnant"

The kerfuffle continues.

We’ve gotten a ton of comments and e-mails from readers who are upset that Katie used the word “repugnant” in connection with Brian Rohrbough’s now infamous “freeSpeech” segment. Evidently, a certain television personality known for his tightly-knotted neckties (initials B.O’R) quoted the blog last night and expressed some displeasure that this word was used in connection with the segment.

Let’s set the record straight.

This is what Katie said on the blog:

We knew when we decided to put on this segment that a lot of people would disagree with it. We also knew some might even find it repugnant. (Some of you made that point loud and clear!)

Well, thousands wrote in, and many did indeed say they found Rohrbough’s views, in effect, “repugnant” (which Webster’s defines as “distasteful” and “offensive.”)

These are people who went beyond merely disagreeing with Rohrbough. They are people who wrote in with comments like this:

I was appalled by your recent “free speech” segment giving voice to an anti-evolution nutjob…

Or this:

I could scarcely believe the utter nonsense that Mr. Rohrbough was broadcasting.

And then there was this:

I take great umbrage with Mr. Rohrbough’s “free speech” comments…there must be a rebuttal to his absurd and, yes, repugnant comments.

Well, as Katie indicated, we sort of expected that. We expected that not because we personally think his ideas are repugnant (we don’t) but because they are uncompromising, and unequivocal – he’s anti-abortion, anti-evolution and pro-prayer in schools. A sizable number of people take issue with those positions—and some of the more strident members of the populace wrote in to tell us, among other things, that they’ll never watch CBS again because we let Rohrbough speak his mind.

Of course, many do agree with Rohrbough’s views, and we’ve been hearing more and more from that side of the debate. (A lot of folks didn’t know he was on until they saw other reports about it, so they’re just joining the debate now.) Many expressed gratitude that the “real America” was being heard. Some endorsed Rohrbough’s opinions, a few passionately.

I whole-heartedly support Mr. Rohrbough. We don't live in a vaccum no matter how much some would like to believe we do. What you do affects me, what I do affects you. We are becoming a morally "repugnant" country with what we allow and what we say is "truth."

I am in agreement with Mr. Rohrbaugh 100%. Liberal elitists can't seem to understand why the teaching of evolution (which, by the way, is a theory and has not been proven, and cannot be proven, because it is false) would have a bearing on the tragic school shootings. That is because they thumb their nose at the Creator of the universe.

Lets face the facts: a majority of Americans are Christians and what Rohrbaugh said reflects most of our values and beliefs. After all it is the Christian faith that promotes tolerance,equality, and understanding.

So there you have it.

Katie never said his views were repugnant. She said, rather, that we knew some might find them repugnant. And some – many – did.