Friday, January 23, 2009
Fox News
Tom Hanks says he's sorry he told FOXNews.com that Mormons who supported California's constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage were "un-American.""Last week, I labeled members of the Mormon church who supported California's Proposition 8 as 'un-American,'" the actor said in a statement through his publicist. "I believe Proposition 8 is counter to the promise of our Constitution; it is codified discrimination."
"But everyone has a right to vote their conscience; nothing could be more American," the statement continues. "To say members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who contributed to Proposition 8 are 'un-American' creates more division when the time calls for respectful disagreement. No one should use 'un- American' lightly or in haste. I did. I should not have."
The "Big Love" producer made his original remarks at the Los Angeles premiere of the HBO series last week.
“The truth is a lot of Mormons gave a lot of money to the church to make Prop-8 happen,” he told FOXNews.com. “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.”
Kim Farah, a spokeswoman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, responded that "expressing an opinion in a free and democratic society is as American as it gets."
Bill McKeever, a rep for the Mormonism Research Ministry, added, "Personally, I find it un-American to tell people that they shouldn’t vote their conscience."
3 comments:
Oh, Tom, how could you! I am a big Tom Hanks fan and wish he hadn't said it. Even though he took it back, it didn't sound very sincere. You are so into the issues, Keriann! I wish I was more like you. I can't wait until Saturday!
He still got his facts wrong! No one donated money TO the church for prop 8. I love Tom Hanks, but I think I am falling out of love :(
You know what's funny to me is that people can donate any amount of money to no-integrity immoral senators, like Obama, so they can become president and they are embraced, but others are ridiculed for giving money to an information-providing campaign that upholds traditional values! Gay rights activists are so very "open minded" aren't they? I'm so disappointed in Tom Hanks!
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