Rich Swier's War Against Clean Water

I have written before about the bizarre rantings of Sarasota resident and tea party activist Rich Swier. Among the conspiracy theories floated by Swier are that the Muslim Brotherhood have infiltrated the Boy Scouts of America and the Broward County Republican Executive Committee. Perhaps Swier's most despicable moment was publicly advocating for the bullying of gay teens.

This is not bullying. It is peer pressure and is healthy. There are many bad behaviors such as smoking, under age drinking and drug abuse that are behaviors that cannot be condoned. Homosexuality falls into this category. Homosexuality is simply bad behavior that youth see as such and rightly pressure their peers to stop it. In Sarasota County over 70% of all HIV/AIDS cases are due to male sex with males.

I agree with Gulf Coast Gives that "LGBT youth are up to five times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight counterparts". Homosexuality, like drugs, harms young people if they experement with it. That is the greatest tragedy.

The greatest tragedy is people like Swier actively working to make the lives of gay teenagers a living hell.

Swier's latest crusade is against clean water.

For example, government can bestow clean water to the individual and take it away if it wishes but there is no right to clean water. Clean water is something that anyone can obtain simply by doing it themselves or paying someone else for it. You may dig a well, buy a filter system for your home, purify your own water by boiling it, buy bottled water from your local super market or have it provided from either a privately owned or government run centralized water treatment facility. These solutions are available and exist in one form or another everywhere. However, many citizens believe clean water is a right bestowed by government and must not be taken away. Apply this same narrative to health insurance or Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid.

Actually, clean water is a right bestowed on citizens. Swier would be wise to brush up on the law known as the Clean Water Act.

The objective of this Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters. In order to achieve this objective it is hereby declared that, consistent with provisions of this Act

Tea party activist claim to worship the constitution. The Constitution gives Congress the power to make laws.

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by the Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Water is shared between the states. Unsanitary water would create mass health hazards and place a burden on the health care system. If Swier doesn't believe unsanitary water is a problem then I dare him to drink contaminated water in Africa. The World Health Organisation estimates that 700,000 deaths are caused by contaminated food and water.

If Swier really believes that government can't give rights then he should have no problem with the Defense of Marriage Act being revoked by Congress and the President. I don't believe someone as homophobic as Swier would want to put his theory about how the government can't give rigjhts to the test.

Richard Swier's Xenophobic Worldview

Sarasota resident Rich Swier is one of the most vile members of the tea party movement. Swier has publicly advocated for the bullying of gay teens. Swier has pushed the conspiracy theory that the Muslim Brotherhood have infiltrated the Boy Scouts and the Broward REC.

I talked to two conservative bloggers that covered the Broward REC meeting. The Broward Republican Party voted Hamze's proposal to form a Republican club for Muslims. Both bloggers told me they heard no mention of the Muslim Brotherhood and had no idea what Swier was talking about.


This isn't the first time Swier has made things up. Blogger Erin Nanasi fact-checked Swier's claim that "over 70% of all HIV/AIDS cases are due to male sex with males."

I didn’t believe Swier’s math on that, so I called HANS, The HIV/AIDS Network of Southwest Florida, and spoke with Dianne Shipley. I gave her Swier’s statistic and she very kindly tore it apart. In 2010, there were 848 cases of HIV/AIDS in males and females. Of that number, 638 were male. Of THAT number, 70% self identified as either gay or bisexual. So, Swier did not include women in his 70% claim, and unless he’s psychic, he has no idea how those 447 men contracted HIV or AIDS. Oops.

You will be surprised to read that Swier is dismayed by the lack of tolerance.

In the nearly four years since that statement President Obama, his administration and his supporters have demonstrated their ability to get bitter, cling to their secularist/Islamic cults, condoms and gay agenda or show antipathy to people who aren't like them or implement their pro-illegal immigrant policies or negotiate with our enemies as a way to demonstrate their hate for the American people.

Swier wonders why the Left doesn't show him more love. It might be because Swier views Hispanics, gays, Muslims, liberals, and anyone that uses contraception with utter contempt. The title of the quoted Swier post is "President Obama's followers are bitter and cling to their condoms and gay agenda." Anyone who complains that other people are bitter by showing absolute bitterness over losing his arguments is projecting his own bitterness onto others. Swier wants to see a bitter person, all he has to do is look at his reflection. Only a bitter man would support violence against gay teens.

Wingnut of the Day: Rich Swier

Rich Swier is a Sarasota native that blogs at Red County and theTea Party Nation. Swier is also a conspirary theorist. Which makes him perfect for Judson Phillips Tea Party Nation blog. Swier's latest blog post is so over the top it is hard to believe he is serious. The headline is hysterical.

Muslim Brotherhood Infiltrates Boy Scouts of America

Swier has a history writing blog posts about Muslims secretly infiltrating America. Swier's blog posts smack xenophobia and McCarthyism. His proof of the Muslim Brotherhood's fiendish agenda to take kids camping is a link the National Islamic Committee on Scouting. The NICS is so secret that they have their own web site. Nowhere in the description of the organization is the Muslim Brotherhood mentioned. This may come as a surprise to Swier but the Boy and Girl Scouts have many differnt religions in their organizations.

Swier doesn't seem to understand what the Muslim Brotherhood is. There is debate about the Brotherhood's actual agenda. What most people can agree on is toasting marshmellows with kids isn't part of their master plan. The protests and toppling the government of Hosni Mubarak was done largely by students not motivated by religion. Members of the Muslim Brotherhood have held elected government positions in Mubarek's government. The Muslim Brotherhood are concerned about gaining political power in Egypt. Only a paranoid maniac like Swier would believe the Muslim Brotherhood cares about the Boy Scouts.

Support Gulf Coast Gives

Gulf Coast Gives is a Florida-based organization that gives educational scholarships and helps the uninsured get medical treatment. Manatee County has been hard hit by unemployment during the economic downturn. The charity work provided by Gulf Coast Gives is much needed. Which makes me wonder what gives Tea Party Nation member Rich Swier the right to say that Gulf Coast Gives has a radical agenda.

Is it radical for Gulf Coast Gives to provide baby strollers to poor families that has Swier so upset? Perhaps helping the elderly receive medical treatment to relief pain has Mr. Swier so worked up. Maybe when Swier was in school he hated band geeks and wants to deny Saint Stephen's Episcopal School a new baritone horn. Surely this this kind of radical agenda should not be allowed to continue.

This is what Swier deems radical.

77% of all bullying victims are picked on due to sexual orientation, gender identity, or the perception of either. LGBT youth are up to five times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight counterparts. ALSO Out Youth is the only LGBT youth organization serving both Sarasota and Manatee Counties, providing advocacy, leadership, support, and outreach since 1992. Please support ALSO in bringing Hudson Taylor to Sarasota. Hudson, an outstanding athlete, is a committed LGBT advocate and founder of Athlete Ally. This resource encourages athletes, coaches, parents, fans, and other members of the sports community, to respect all individuals involved in sports, regardless of perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. Hudson hopes to encourage more effective sports education programs and help put an end to anti-gay bullying in and out of sports. Please support ALSO's campaign to bring Hudson Taylor to our area high schools and colleges. His message of stamping out bullying would be a tremendous benefit to our community!

Don't Ask, Don't Tell has been repealed. Gay marriage is no legal in New York. Apparenmtly, Swier thinks it is mainstream to encourage teens to pick on gay teens. Actually, it isn't mainstream. It is just mainstream and bigoted.

This is not bullying. It is peer pressure and is healthy. There are many bad behaviors such as smoking, under age drinking and drug abuse that are behaviors that cannot be condoned. Homosexuality falls into this category. Homosexuality is simply bad behavior that youth see as such and rightly pressure their peers to stop it. In Sarasota County over 70% of all HIV/AIDS cases are due to male sex with males.

I agree with Gulf Coast Gives that "LGBT youth are up to five times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight counterparts". Homosexuality, like drugs, harms young people if they experement with it. That is the greatest tragedy.

Swier floats the scientifically unfounded myth that homosexuality is a sickness. It is pure B.S.

You can support Gulf Coast Gives by buying a give card.