Radiofree West Hartford - A TRIBUTE TO ANITA by Tim Siggia

A TRIBUTE TO ANITA

By Tim Siggia

February 17, 2005

There is a radio station serving the Hartford, Connecticut area that is, well, different. Owned and operated by the Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford and broadcasting from Saint Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield, WJMJ at 88.9 on the FM dial, makes its services available to all denominations to air their common-denominator messages of faith. But it is not all hymns and spirituals, as one might expect. The majority of what one hears on this station is simply good music: the kind you now have to be over fifty to remember, which is becoming increasingly rare in this age of hip-hop, rap (there is a difference, I'm told, but I can't figure out what it is supposed to be), and "songs" with lyrics that are screamed rather than sung.

One of those songs is a favorite from either 1959 or 1960, called, "I Wish You Love." I heard this song for the first time in years the other day while driving to work. I do not know who was singing it, as WJMJ does not I-D its selections. All I know is who was NOT singing it: namely, the one who made it famous. The one who later sang to us about the "Florida Sunshine Tree." The one whose talented voice will never be heard on the air ever again.

Anita Bryant never intended to become a moral crusader. She was a singer, but moreover, she was a wife, a mother, and a child of God. For Anita, God always came first, then her family -- and then her career. And what a career it was! After a string of hits, one of which was the aforementioned song, hers became the voice of the Florida orange growers. Indeed, during the late Sixties and early Seventies, one could hardly drink a glass of orange juice without thinking of Anita Bryant. But then it all came crashing down, when Anita committed an unpardonable sin with regard to the newly-emerging phenomenon of political correctness: she spoke up against homosexuality.

It was during this time that, thanks to the efforts of gay activists and their liberal sympathizers, we began learning that homosexuality was not perversion, as most of us had heretofore been taught. It was an "alternative lifestyle." Even the lexicon was changed. The term "gay" was pronounced acceptable, but "queer" was not (unless one was talking about an organization called "Queer Nation"). There was even talk of gay parenting.

It was all too much for Anita Bryant. She may not have been up on "alternative lifestyles", but she knew her Bible. The Bible, specifically, the Book of Leviticus, stated in no uncertain terms that homosexuality was wrong. Therefore, God said it was wrong -- and that was enough for Anita, who could no longer remain silent on the issue. She stood up and spoke her mind and her heart -- and paid for it dearly.

The gay activists quickly trained its cross-hairs on Anita Bryant, and, even as they were demanding tolerance from the greater "straight" community, attacked her viciously and without mercy. They were joined by liberal pundits and power groups, all outraged at this committed Christian woman who dared to challenge their orthodoxy.

The consequences of Anita's courage came swiftly and pitilessly. Her records were withdrawn from the airwaves. The Florida orange growers refused to renew her contract. Within less than a year, Anita Bryant went from being a star to a has-been -- and an entire generation now has grown to maturity never having heard of her. For them, Anita Bryant simply never existed.

But for those of us old enough to know differently, Anita Bryant will always be remembered as one of the first victims of the gay community and political correctness. Wherever she is now, Anita's family is with her, still supporting her, offering no apologies for what Anita spoke from her heart. And whatever her statements might have cost her in terms of fame and fortune, she knows first and foremost that she is right with God. And for Anita, that's all that really matters.