Arkansas Blog

I, for one, would love to see this list. If you're a bigot, come clean. Thanks, Max, this put a smile on my face:)

Awesome!! Please update with the link when it comes online!

I hate to say it, but what a lot of wasted effort. In this state, there's no shame associated
with signing that petition. In fact, many will be proud to see their names in that
database.

Hah! Me and my OCD can hardly wait. I gained 10 pounds and had to get a new prescription for eyeglasses after a solid week of perusing the Primary Voter database. Then there was the gun-nut roll-call. I love these things! Perhaps there's a Ted Haggard around here who has publicly squawked about the homos (but who has his own private practice, if you know what I mean.) *wink*

It's already up. Click on my name to go there. (You had to click "national," then follow the link to AR)

It's already up. Click on my name to go there. (You had to click "national," then follow the link to AR)

Whoops, wrong field.

This was not a waste of effort. Three points to KnowThyNeighbor for making easy access knowledge to the clowns that propagated the ballot initiative.
As times passes there will be more and more people who are sorry that they were taken in by this campaign's deceit.

I disagree, JoJo. The homosexual community in LR is not small and we do rally around a cause (especially if it's against bigoted businesseses or business people). And, I think there are enough progressive-thinking, straight people out there who will be repulsed by those people who signed this list. This will be a block of people who have lots of disposable income - and it won't be going to the bigots of Arkansas. Yes, we have the power to bite these bigots in the financial butt.

I am just amazed at the people who signed this petition in my small town. I counted 53 that I know personally, but nobody on the list shocked me, because it is obvious that this petition was passed around in church.
But, I'm still gonna give them hell about it and banish the 10 or 12 haters from my party list.
Oh, yeah,
I noticed that at least 5 people who signed on have gay sons.
WTF???

Thanks for the Arkansas link, Eukarvote. Searched by zip code and only one of my immediate neighbors signed the friggin' thing. That's the good news. The disappointing news is that my favorite LR TV weatherman signed.

WELL.........looks like my dance card for tomorrow is suddenly full. This is gonna be fun.

Excellent work Eukaryote. I noted there's ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN PAGES
of signatures in Washington County.

Just browsing the first 6 pages I saw two Sr Demos on the list I know. They're over 70 and
Catholic so I'll give them a pass.

U.S. Rep. Mike Ross held a poll on his website asking:

"Do you support climate change legislation to reduce carbon dioxide emissions?"

Looks as if the YEAS have it by 95%

clicky

Oh, my!
Doc???
The former sheriff and his lovely wife?
P....???!!!!?? And I thought you were so broadminded . . .
Yep. Passed around at church. No doubt about it.

I'm so full of burrito casserole I can hardly read the screen, but am I seeing that tomorrow I'll be able to read the names of everyone in Arkansas whose anti-gay? bludabludabludabluda.....By god that's what it says on the jump!

Whoopie! I never bothered check out who is carrying a gun under their coat...screw that...I don't really care, but I will read every name on this list of misguided Arkansans. And since life has devolved into one big game...I will be on the lookout for signers that I know to be gay....or pretty damn gay-ish when no one is looking. You don't spend years working at night on Garrison Avenue without learning some pretty interesting tid bits. Amazing things happen in the middle of the night fueled by stresses of work, bad relationships and lots of alcohol. Witnessing all this searching for happiness made me more tolerant of others. OH BOY THE LIST IS UP!

Well,
Arkansas has it coming. I've said all along these idiots who support the passage of this bill would damage the state nationally and internationally. Good luck on bringing good jobs here in the future. Hope your kids enjoy living in house trailers.

Next we should cross reference the concealed carry list to this one.

No, eLwood. Please don't.

"They're over 70 and Catholic so I'll give them a pass."

That's saying "age" is an excuse for prejudice. What. We're supposed to be taught religious hatred from day one (our baptism, if Christian), then live 80-odd years NEVER questioning it, never learning anything, never growing -- just perpetuating it -- hurting people because we're "Catholic" and hide behind that?

Honey, if you haven't learned anything by the time you're 80 you may as well have been dead all those years.

TELL me you wouldn't "give a pass" to 80-year old anti-Semitic Nazis, darling. Would you?

Not that you actually have any in your family . . . but what's the fucking difference, blue-eyes?

Bigots are bigots no matter their age. The older they are the sadder they are. They COULD have learned something but chose not to.

At what age, exactly, do you think their Learning Curve tanked and they morphed into the Living Dead?

Not my kind of people.

Age regardless.

No free passes to bigots.

P.S.

Don't you ADORE the list?

Nothing drives bigots crazier than exposure.

This is going to alter LR's party lists, I'm thinking.

One of my neighbors signed the list. Doesn't surprise me, they seem like bigots anyway.
In any case, who was this weather dude so I can be sure to stop watching that channel for good?
I hope it wasn't 7 because I like seven..despite them being at the "victory" party when act 1 passed. WTF?

Spoke too soon, make that 5 neighbors in all.
::insert profanity::

Methinks many people will be upset by this! I can't wait. I have many family members on the list. I think the next family gathering will be VERY interesting!

I also want to know who the weather guy is. The only way we can make a difference with this list is to do things with it. Talk to people and engage them.

Many studies show that homophobic people become less homophobic with contact with gay/lesbian individuals. I know it sounds disgusting to engage these people, but we should at least make an effort!

Well.....wasn't that fun! I know plenty of them on the Fort Baptist list. Only 3 surprises. One was our best friend and his wife. I knew she was nuts, but I'm surprised at him.....shows the power of the bzzzzzt, if you ask me. He was just a normal guy who liked to pork married women until he met his wife and then after the honeymoon was over...the Baptist creep started up and now he regularly tells me he's praying for me. Uh huh. (Alaskan accent) Thinks but no thinks!

The other big surprise was a guy who tried to pick me up in 1980. He was polite about it, after a few beers he said he had something he wanted to talk to me about and I said, uh huh, and he said....I'm gay and I hope you're gay. I was halfway expecting it cause he acted and talked like a gay man and his profession sorta gave it away too...anyway, I said (Arkansas accent) Thanks but no thanks. And he said he was sure sorry and then said good day and that was the end of that.

Now...just a month or two after he signed this petition he was busted in the local park trying to luv up on an undercover cop and because of his profession and mucho church work....his arrest was spread all over the paper. I really felt sorry for him because he's out of a job and trust me...he'll stay out of a job....and a man's gotta eat. Now I feel less sorry for him because by signing this petition he stuck a knife in the back of everyone whose like him.......and that kinda crap has never made any sense to me.

The rest of the people on the list are your run of the mill church people who I'd expect to sign such a thing. But I will use this handy list to make sure I never do any business or hang with them ever again in the future. Don't really know what to do with our best friend.....as churched up as he is these days.....this shouldn't have been a shock...it's just that he was once so open minded and actually could have been called an AIDS activist at one time. I guess he's just got Churcheimer's disease.....

But I am of good cheer! Gay hating is already out of style, it's just got to have some more time to trickle down to the masses. In the not too distant future this kind of crap will be behind us. Iowa.....my god....Iowa.....if those corn fed Christ critters can see the light...so can Arkansas.

And I bet 62 pages worth of folks in Fort Smith will think a 2nd time before they sign another anti-gay petition.....hate that light of day, don't they! So keep up the slow grind and one of these days Arkansas will come over from the dark side.

I see the mayor of Jonesboro, Harold Perrin, signed.

Barry Brandt doesn't really surprise me---he's been part of that Fellowship cult for years.
Other than a quick scan of 72205 and 07, there weren't many other surprises. The Pentecostal decorator? Of course.
At least in Pulaski County, it seems like wingnuts, plus really old black and white people.

I like to think I'm fairly smart and intuitive, DBI. But I've been convincingly misled so often in the past.

How do you do it? How do you know?

"I was halfway expecting it cause he acted and talked like a gay man . . . "

For God's sake SHARE!

What are the signs and signals?

God. The church I was raised in is plastered all over those pages.

Good riddance, forever.

Excuse me Norma for painting with a broad brush.....I know plenty of gay people who don't "act gay" but I know plenty that do. My old friend was a tall fairly good looking man but when he opened his mouth he talked very feminine. And he was rather swishy.

Now....I also know a number of men around here who make Richard Simmons look straight and they're dreadfully straight. So....I understand your point, point taken and all.....but I was 24 years old and enlightenment about homosexuality hadn't come to anyone in Fort Baptist then...so I was just typing what I thought at the time. One of my favorite Bible verses is that one about not judging a book by its cover.

Who's "judging," sweetheart? I'm just asking for tips.

Re: "Good luck on bringing good jobs here in the future."

Jobs are the last thing Arkansas should be worried about. Click.

First it was the elections that revealed GOP'rs and some deep rooted/life long and hardened democrats that just couldn't overcome their racism to vote for America and for a black man; second was the list of many of the same that just felt unsafe anymore to go to church unarmed; and third this list that confirmed how bigoted some Arkansas's are -- three strikes you're out, soles lost,, so to speak....
Now if someone could just come up with a KKK membership list........

I'm surprised that only that small amount in Star City actually signed. The "Landmark Baptist" preacher neighbor didn't, but FOUR of my neighbors down the road DID SIGN which is pretty sad. Nearly all of the proprietors of the Country Village (operated by members of the "Church At Star City") signed off to the petition. Needless to say, I'll never step foot there again, nor subscribe to their "Newspaper".

Folks I would suspect *would* sign didn't, but those that did sign were bad enough.

Sad to see the name of our former Governor/US Senator on the list.

Before you decide to punish petition signers with hate mail just remember that you may be asking for signatures yourself someday. Don't kill the goose.

I'm a believer in mob rule. It's the vote that counts.

I don't recall signing this petition but it appears I did. It wouldn't be difficult to forge signatures from another petition. I did sign a petition to allow a friend to run for re election without paying a filing fee. I certainly didn't vote for Act 1.

Oh, well. I'll file that away in my memory banks. I won't be signing your petitions or any others in the future.

My DAD signed the list. Strangely, my stepmother did not. Still, I think it's time that we all had a talk about the thing we don't talk about.

Just so you all know, weatherman is a profession that gay men tend to gravitate towards, like interior decorator or music minister. I don't think ANY of Little Rock's weather men are straight. I have two gay male friends at church who have each dated a different local weatherman, one of whom is an active (albeit closeted) member of a local homo-hating church

Sweet Tea?

Shame on you, Jay Grelen.

I was hoping it wasn't the channel 7 weather guy....
Now I have to decide if I want to change the channel when he comes on or do I stop watching all together. Comments...suggestions?

I'm sure we could all go through the list and entertain each other by calling people out. If you really want change, how about instead choosing a few targets we each think we might be able to persuade to change their minds? A three or four day gossip-fest isn't going to do that. I can only pity the closeted. They're signing on with their oppressors.

Tomorrow the House votes on The Matthew Sheppard Act. Be sure to call your hose representative.
The "right" has been flooding the House with lies and we need all kinds of people to call in SUPPORT of the Matthew Sheppard Act.

I suppose I could follow the page from the playbook of the opponents of Act 1 and impute the "real" motives of those publicizing this list, contrary to what they are saying. I could say that "generating the dialogue between both sides of this issue" is just a smokescreen - that really this publication is meant to disseminate a hit list of people and organizations to boycott for their public stance on the issue. Would I be wrong to say that?

Instead, this list stands as a reminder how important it is to exercise your right to publicly stand up for your convictions, even if there is a cost. Surely the LGBT community understands this as well as anyone.

I respect those on both sides of this issue that state their views publicly and without any threats of physical or economic coercion. But threats and coercion don't change minds; they merely galvanize and polarize the sides.

Publicizing this list as a form of coercion just validates a concern that many have - that the LGBT community believes that the end justifies the means - and that the LGBT community has earned the same hate-monger label that the LGBT community plasters on anyone opposing them.

Okay, I'm not going to drift the thread here, but I already refuse to watch KATV due to their holding AETN's (KETS-DT) over the air service hostage in Central Arkansas until the final day of analog broadcasting (June 12), and their other stunts over the years.

Is that the same "Bitter Tea" Grelen????

"Publicizing this list as a form of coercion just validates a concern that many have - that the LGBT community believes that the end justifies the means - and that the LGBT community has earned the same hate-monger label that the LGBT community plasters on anyone opposing them."

Bollacks

MysteryShopper, what "former governor/US Senator"? I think you're confusing people of the same names.

Now it's NH up to bat. Click on Cato

Remember that list published of ALL lawful Arkansas citizens who had Conceal/Carry liscenses .. names, address, telephone numbe, etc ...

Max Brantly stated that it was public information .... Well .... kinda sorta ...

Arkansas Code 5-73-307 states, "The Department of Arkansas State Police shall maintain an automated listing of license holders and this information shall be available on-line, upon request, at anytime, to any LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY through the Arkansas Crime Information Center."

Well, Mr Brantley is HARDLY a law enforcement officer BUT ... his wife can call herself that, and she is the only person who could LEGALLY give that information off the database directly to old Max.

His wife?? Yes ... she is: Ellen Brantley, Pulaski County Circuit Court -- you can GOOGLE her and max - get street side photo's of his house - directions on how to gwet there - his and her telephone numbers an office addresses.

Where was our infamous out-of-state resident Attorney General when this crime was committed??

Now we have the homosexual radicals pulling the same stunt --- do they actually think that they can use marxist tactics and intimidate a legal, lawful, moral, American citizen ? It didn't work with Arkansas citizens before .. why do you think it will work this time?

Do you, and your progressive socialist democrat comrades really want to play this game ?

One would assume that the petition signers proudly grabbed the pen and signed away, self-assured that they were doing the right thing and honoring their God. Perhaps now that the list is viewable in front of God and everybody, they may think twice about how proud they were in such an act.

Anybody who dissagrees with these signers has a right to boycott their business and tell others in the process. If the signers are still proud, they can take a hit from the loss of business. It's always good to know who your friends are.

As to the weatherman...I remember him saying once " I think everyone would agree that Ronald Reagan was a great president." Cluelessness seems to be par for the course in local TV.

Larry Jegley makes the list....hmmmm.

An even more fun party game is this: search for the names of prominent Arkansas GOP officials and see who did NOT sign. Naturally, I commend them for not signing, but I'm wondering hard about some of 'em. How did they get away with not signing this?

I'm trying hard to find the following folks. Maybe they're using different first names? My unscientific results so far have failed to turn up:

*GOP Chair Doyle Webb
*U.S. Congressman John Boozman
*Sen. Gilbert Baker
*Rep. Bryan King (of the anti-Eureka Springs domestic partner registry bill)
*Rep. Beverly Pyle ("they're like animals!")
*Sen. Denny Altes
*Sen. Cecile Bledsoe
*Sen. Kim Hendren (running for U.S. Senate in 2010)
*Sen. Johnny Key
*Sen. Bill Pritchard
*Sen. Sharon Trusty
*Sen. Ruth Whitaker

Give the database a try with YOUR favorite Arkansas Republican.

Prosecutor Lawrence Jegley
Jerry Maulden

Will this technology make it easier or harder to get a medicinal marijuana act on the ballot? Discuss.

I've heard it said that, while a great majority of Americans favor it, no one wants to publicly be called a drug user. The idea is that, if you can get it on the ballot where people can vote in secret, it will be approved.

It's popular to use databases for liberal causes right now, but they're a sword that can cut both ways. I'm all for legal marijuana, but would I want my name out there in public, maybe sent to my boss?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, got to stand up and not be afraid, yadda yadda yadda.

Anyway, re: gay marriage, I wouldn't worry as much about the few thousand people who signed the petition as the tens of thousands who voted for the Act.

There's one person from my neighborhood in this database but I bet 25 or 30 voted the wrong way. And it will be far easier to change their minds than the minds of those who feel strongly enough to sign a petition. I don't know that this database does anything but make you feel good. Temporarily. But God bless you and more power to you.

LOL@Spadata. Someone made the list.

On a personal level, I find the Human Resources Rep I've reported homophobic behavior to is on the list. No wonder she ignored me.

A couple of my distant relatives made it but am not surprised as they fit the little or no education, religious nut, gun nut, homophobe nut mold as easily as 123.

The question is, is the name of our former governor/senator on the list one in the same? If true I be mighty sad, I thought better of him. But it also says a lot about the nut who fell from his tree.

Jerry Maulden??? He received a national brotherhood award back in the 80's. I guess it didn't cover that kind of "brotherhood"?

The search is kinda buggy. I searched several names last night. Sometimes a name would return results, the next time it might not. If you click on a name, sometimes it brings up a scan of the petition they signed, sometimes their name wasn't on it. Signatures that were rejected show-up. I've also noticed petitions from a county that has accepted signers from other counties (those shouldn't count) How close was the number to qualify for the ballot? I we were to find enough unqualified signatures now, would there be a case to overturn the election?

I see at least one person on this thread who signed the list but doesn't remember it and didn't vote for Act One. Probably not the case for most of the signees, but for crying out loud...these petition signature gatherers stake out your local Walmart, catch you coming out with a load of groceries and two kids tugging at you and offer an explanation that sounds pretty good at the time for why you should help let the people vote on this issue or that issue. What sounds even better is being able to say on every future occasion when you are approached "Sorry, I already signed it." Of course you should always know and understand what you sign, but not all of your neighbors are homophobic fools. Some just wanted to stop being bothered and get home before the ice cream melted.

If the signers are still proud, they can take a hit from the loss of business. Posted by: pollen
********
Pollen:
Many of the signers are probably quite comfortable with "taking a hit" for what they believe in. If their stand is related to their religious beliefs, they already know that this is an ecpected consequence so they take it in stride.

But they also are burdened with the same concern that abortionists have unfortunately labored under - that the more militant of the opposition will wrongly target their family, children, etc. with their foul invective and actions.

I can see this list's occupants being used as a basis of disqualification as a juror in certain cases huh? Any lawyers here? Not that it matters that much, but it is interesting to see and I will be anxious to hear how many will say-- "I guess I signed it but really didn't know what it was." Any bets? Sort of like nobody voted for Frank White but he won anyway.

The light of day is the best disinfectant going. We need more lists, not less. We need more people to be rewarded or punished for their public stands. And I'm not talking about killing their dogs or burning crosses in their yards. Adults don't use bully tactics.

And to be fair this list is of people who signed petitions against gays serving as foster parents. It isn't about gay marriage. Still it is very useful to know how my friends and neighbors think on this subject and I applaud the release of these names.

Signing a petition is a statement that the signor supports placing a measure on the ballot. Any further characterizations of signors are merely assumptions.

I agree with BELF. Signing might mean you are pro-democracy rather than anti-gay.

I would think if you sign to get it on the ballot, you're going to vote YES for it.
In any case, I don't have any problems signing a medicinal marijuana petition. I'll even sign one for decriminalizing marijuana. I'll never smoke it but I won't infringe on someone's right to do so. It's not hurting me.

I doubt that very much. The only reason to put something like the right to adopt or the right to marriage up to a vote is because you agree with the position of the petition, which in each of these cases sought to LIMIT the scope of those rights. Being "pro-democracy" does not necessarily mean letting every asinine idea onto the ballot so every uninformed yahoo one can vote on it. On the surface, it doesn't sound bigoted to say only married couples can foster or adopt children. But it doesn't take more than just a cursory glance at the issue to realize that not enough married couples are signing up to do so for this initiative to be in the best interest of children who find themselves in the care of the state. If Jerry Cox's homo-hating outfit could have gotten legal cover to prevent all unmarried persons from fostering or adopting, they would have. They don't believe in single parents. They have defended restriction of custody and parental rights in divorce proceedings if one of the parents has come out as gay. The whole point of this exercise was to punish gays, especially those that managed to form a stable family unit. Unmarried heterosexual couples (who, according to Cox's worldview, are living in sin, anyway) and children in need of loving families are the expendable collateral damage in this campaign. Act 1 was not sound public policy, and despite the votes cast, it was a perversion of democracy. It was about bigotry and slamming gays into their "place." No one's civil rights should be put up to a public vote. And vulnerable children should not be further victimized to codify religious bigotry.

EL, you raise a strong point about not infringing on the rights of others. Adoption and marriage rights for same-sex couples affect "opposite marriage" couples not at all. But they're happy to vote against them just the same.

EL, while it's not a bad bet, it's still an assumption.

Mr. Cole: WTF?

"Being "pro-democracy" does not necessarily mean letting every asinine idea onto the ballot so every uninformed yahoo one can vote on it. "

I'm pretty sure it does. I'm not doubting the assininity of Act 1, just my right to sign a petition. Gay rights supporters really should chill out because if they ever want to pass anything they will need voters to feel free to sign their petition. You should be celebrating the courage of voters who sign petitions...even stupid ones they later regret....if they in fact signed it at all.

I checked with a friend who appeared on the list who also doesn't recall ever seeing the petition. Who knows, maybe someone will uncover a vast conspiracy and our fraudulent signatures will be their damning evidence. Of course there is the possibility that we both signed it because some cute little gal asked us to. That's democracy!

I'm just glad no wingnut circulated a petition to see who supports torture in black site prisons. In theory Democracy works best if someone who wants our dogs and cats to be shaved to prevent the spread of Swine Flu is able to circulate a petition to get cat shaving on the ballot.

But I'm glad it's my right to see whose crazy enough to sign his petition so I can avoid them in the future. Life is too short to suffer fools who support hate legislation.

It pains me to see that many of my childhood church friends and neighbors signed this petition. I'm sure it pains many of their gay, closted children even more. Today, some of those sons and daughters are retreating farther into the closet after seeing their mom or dad's name on that list. How sad.

I hope this day teaches us to make sure we understand and support a cause if we are to attach our names to it.

Fundamental liberties such as the right to have input about decisions on who will care for your children if you die tomorrow don't disappear no matter how many yahoos voted in favor of stripping the right away. There are limits to majority rule in this country known as civil rights and liberties that can never be taken away by the majority - THAT is democracy and the key to us ever having a FREE nation.

I re-read my pocket constitution and did not see a carve out that says "except gay people." Is something wrong with my copy?

How is it that Michael Duke the CEO of Walmart Stores Inc. has signed this petition? See for yourself by checking out the list. He lives in his million dollar mansion on 16 Pinnacle Drive in the elite gated community of Rogers, AR. Why someone of this visibility would be dumb enough to sign a public petition is absurd. Does he realize that unmarried couples represent a VERY large portion of his customers? Not to mention his employees. Does he have no compassion for the thousands of children needing a good home in AR? It is time to start a grass root squeeze on Walmart for him to explain his actions!

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO CALL 1-800-WM ETHIC (1-800-963-8442) or go to the Walmart website to e-mail your thoughts at: ttp://walmartstores.com/contactus/feedback.aspx

I believe Robert McCaslin is the Mayor of Bentonville, AR. He has signed the petition. Maybe the Walton Arts Center and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art should reconsider development in Bentonville. Obviously, the creative LGBT community is not respected in Bentonville. Maybe that is why they still have the prominent statue of a anti african american symbol of the confederate soldier on the Square. Hate mongers.

I believe Robert McCaslin is the Mayor of Bentonville, AR. He has signed the petition. Maybe the Walton Arts Center and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art should reconsider development in Bentonville. Obviously, the creative LGBT community is not respected in Bentonville. Maybe that is why they still have the prominent statue of a anti african american symbol of the confederate soldier on the Square. Hate mongers.