Clemson’s Dabo Swinney Capitulates to Bullies, Will Not Attend Palmetto Event in His Honor

Clemson’s Dabo Swinney Capitulates to Bullies, Will Not Attend Palmetto Event in His Honor May 28, 2015

Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney.  (Photo from Palmetto Family Foundation Facebook page)
Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney.
(Photo from Palmetto Family Foundation Facebook page)

Dabo Swinney, coach of Clemson University’s football team, will not attend an award ceremony next week honoring him for his support of religious freedom.

The Palmetto Family Council, a South Carolina nonprofit organization, planned to honor Swinney as a “defender of religious liberty” in the “Celebrating Families 2015” event at the beautiful Seibels House and Garden in Columbia, SC, on June 2.  In choosing Coach Swinney as this year’s recipient, the Palmetto Family Council praised his accomplishments, specifically the great work of his foundation, serving as a great role model, and the strong testimony of his personal relationship with Christ.

But the left-wing, LGBT activists are having none of it.

First, a Clemson student initiated an on-line survey asking the coach to refuse the award.

(Last time I checked, on Wednesday afternoon, the survey had backfired–with only 22% of respondents agreeing that Swinney should reject the honor, and a strong 78% expressing their belief that he should accept the award and attend the event.)

Then, South Carolina House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, a Democrat from Richland, stepped up to insist that Swinney’s potential involvement with the traditional marriage advocacy group is “highly inappropriate.”  According to Rutherford, who has publicly advocated for state-wide marriage “reform” (aka same-sex marriage), the Palmetto Family Council’s opposition to same-sex marriage is “openly discriminatory and politically motivated.” According to the Greenville News, Rutherford said,

“I cannot fathom why Coach Swinney or anyone else would knowingly assist a group whose mission is to fight against equal rights and equal treatment of others. As a state employee, national figure and role model to kids all over the state, Coach Swinney should send a message that he has zero tolerance for discrimination and cancel his appearance.”

(An aside here: One would think that Minority Leader Rutherford, with his considerable legislative experience, would know that employment by the State does not deprive one of one’s constitutionally protected rights to free speech and religious liberty–the same rights which the State is charged with upholding for all of its citizenry.)

But there’s more: Zeke Stokes, vice president of programs for GLAAD (the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination), called on gay rights activists to join with Clemson students in opposing Swinney’s award.

And the mainstream media--from the Huffington Post to USA Today to The State, to Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports–have unquestioningly repeated the “hate” mantra they learned from GLAAD, calling the Palmetto Family Foundation a “hate group” and an “anti-gay” or “anti-LGBT” group.

In the face of criticism from a small but vocal minority, Coach Swinney has decided not to participate in the Celebrating Families event.  In a statement, the coach explained:

“After much thought, in order to avoid a distraction for the team and the entire football program, I’ve decided it is in the best interests of all involved that I not attend the event on June 2.” 

In response to the criticisms and Coach Swinney’s regrettable withdrawal from the Celebrating Families event, Palmetto Family Foundation has issued a statement citing many different social issues which the agency addresses.  The statement reads, in part:

“Palmetto Family Council is a pro-family organization dedicated to helping make South Carolina a great place to live and raise a family. We are committed to defending religious liberty and constitutional freedoms, and we honor others that stand up for those same liberties. 

“We have worked tirelessly in the Palmetto State promoting South Carolina values for over 21 years. In fact, we have fought for tougher human trafficking laws, tax credits for marriage counseling and to ban sexual predators from Facebook and allowing public officials to pray in their meetings. We care about South Carolina families and we honor those that also work to promote families.

“It was our intent to recognize Coach Dabo Swinney’s accomplishments, specifically the great work of his foundation, serving as a great role model, and for the strong testimony of his personal relationship with Christ. We understand Coach Swinney’s reluctance to engage in, or respond to, petty political attacks, and we certainly appreciate his principled leadership on and off the field. We will continue to promote his good work and recognize others that do the same. 

“Palmetto Family Council’s summer event ‘Celebrating Families 2015’ will go on as scheduled with an exciting agenda honoring some terrific state leaders who defend religious liberties and freedom everyday in South Carolina. It is a strange twist of irony that our opponents have unwittingly made our point, that the religious freedoms and liberties of all South Carolinians are under attack. As we have done in the past, Palmetto Family Council will continue to fight for South Carolina families, and for our religious freedom and liberty, for many years to come.

Here is Coach Dabo Swinney’s statement in its entirety:

I was recently selected by the Palmetto Family Council, an organization with which I have no association, as their “South Carolina Family Champion of 2015” and was invited to receive this recognition at an event sponsored by the group on June 2. I had no idea that I was being invited into a political controversy. It was my understanding that the nomination and selection for this award was based on the work done by our All In Foundation and the difference it is making in our community. My acceptance of this award was to be on behalf of all the volunteers that make our foundation a success. The work of our foundation is intended to build a better community and be a positive influence.

Recently, my scheduled participation in this event has been perceived incorrectly as an endorsement of certain viewpoints and has entered the political arena. I have been out of town since last Thursday and am disappointed that this has become a distraction for me, my team and many others. I have been and continue to be very open about my personal beliefs. However, I do not inject those beliefs or the work of the foundation into the political process.

I appreciate the recognition of my and the foundation’s efforts. However, after much thought, in order to avoid a distraction for the team and the entire football program, I’ve decided it is in the best interests of all involved that I not attend the event on June 2.

*     *     *     *     *

AND A QUICK BONUS REPORT FROM THE LEFT COAST:

The College Fix reports that rowdy protesters disrupted an address by renowned sociologist Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, president of the Ruth Institute, at the University of California-Santa Barbara.  According to The College Fix:

The demonstrators – who wore black shirts with pink balloons stating “Queer” – stood up as soon as the talk began and continually chanted “ain’t no power like the power of people ‘cuz the power of people don’t stop.”

The row of protestors blocked the view of the stage as they continued their demonstration. Several students held signs that offered phrases such as “Anal is the most inclusive form of f*cking,” “There is a Future in Sodomy,” “God Loves Fags,” and more.

The talk by Dr. Morse was sponsored by the newly formed UCSB Anscombe Society, which aims to promote sexual purity and the traditional family on campus. In a widely distributed and courteous invitation distributed via campus emails and flyers, the Anscombe Society said,

“Whatever one’s views on this very important and contested question may be, we invite and encourage all to attend to critically interact with the speaker’s arguments and to ask tough questions during the Q&A in the interest of encouraging intellectual engagement on this issue.”

The demonstrators proved once again that while the Constitution guarantees the right to free speech, some speech is more free than others. Defending family values and traditional morality on a college campus will simply not be tolerated.

 


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