Rationalization, thy name is Andrew Shirvell

Quibbling over campaign tactics?

Watch this if you can stomach it. It’s extraordinary. Cooper nailed the guy with the definition of cyberbullying. If you look at Chris Armstrong Watch, a creepy website Shirvell runs, you might agree with Cooper on his analysis of the state of Michigan definition of cyberbullying. With all the caps and hyperbole, it kind of reminds me of another website. Um, it has slipped my mind, oh wait, I had it… Oh I lost it. Could it be? Oh well, I just can’t remember it right now…

Christian citizen?! Please help us…

Shirvell, who is an Assistant Attorney General with the State of Michigan, was critiqued by his boss, Mike Cox, on AC360 tonight. If cyberbullying isn’t in play here, how about harassment?

UPDATE: This is not the first time Mr. Shirvell has gotten bothered over gay. Here is a 2005 article in the University of Michigan paper where he is interviewed due to his outrage over a rainbow flag sticker at a pizza shop.

This 2008 piece in the Michigan Messenger claims that Shirvell was Mike Cox’s campaign manager during the 2006 election as Attorney General. That might help explain why AG Cox is reluctant to investigate Shirvell’s activities outside of Chris Armstrong’s dorm and college activities.

25 thoughts on “Rationalization, thy name is Andrew Shirvell”

  1. From Timothy Kincaide’s excellent Box Turtle bog (if he doesn’t mind me quoting):

    So Monaghan founded the Thomas More Law Center, an anti-gay, anti-abortion activist organization. He also funded the Ave Maria School of Law, a Catholic law school with teachings that are “in fidelity to the Catholic Faith as expressed through Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the teaching authority of the Church” and which would send out graduates “equipped for leading positions in law firms, corporate legal offices, the judiciary, and national, state, and local government.”

    So here we see the logical result of a legal education centered on an extreme religious belief instead of law. My first reaction was that Shirvell was way too obsessed with this young man not to be in love with him. That was my second and third thought too. Whether that’s true or not what seems clear is that he has an extraordinary ability to rationalize nonsense to excuse his obsessive and irrational behavior. Mr. Armstrong has tried to ignore it but now seems to be trying to protect himself from this bully. Good luck to him.

  2. Correction. Ave Maria Law Schools accreditation was under investigation by the ABA when Scott Bloch was hiring exclusively from Ave Maria.

    Still, as a fourth tier law school, I wonder how Bloch justified bypassing all candidates from higher ranking law schools.

  3. Since Ave Maria University has never had an accredited law school, how can the attorney general’s office hire from it? Surely, it’s discrimination on the basis of religion to hire a completely unqualified candidate (no degree from an accredited institution) just because said incompetent shares your religious views.

    Such practices were common in the Bush Administration when the Office of Special Counsel headed by Scott Bloch, who is currently under indictment, refused to hire anyone but graduates from Ave Maria’s Law School.

  4. While I agree Shirvell has some serious issues, there is also the possibility he is trying to “make law”, i.e. deliberately pushing the envelope in hopes of getting a favorable court ruling. I’m betting he probably figures even if he does lose his job with the AGs office, the ADF will hire him.

  5. Wow, apparently Shirvell is crazier than I thought. I wonder if anyone has looked into whether Shirvell has prosecuted cases involving GLBT victims or accused.

  6. If you get a chance to visit the site…it is overhwelmingly devaluing, demeaning, provocative.

    If you listen to the interview, the lack of warmth and humanity is alarming, it makes me think of several diagnoses.

    Chris should be careful.

  7. Just one more reason why a friend of mine left Michigan for California last year.

  8. Correction. Ave Maria Law Schools accreditation was under investigation by the ABA when Scott Bloch was hiring exclusively from Ave Maria.

    Still, as a fourth tier law school, I wonder how Bloch justified bypassing all candidates from higher ranking law schools.

  9. Since Ave Maria University has never had an accredited law school, how can the attorney general’s office hire from it? Surely, it’s discrimination on the basis of religion to hire a completely unqualified candidate (no degree from an accredited institution) just because said incompetent shares your religious views.

    Such practices were common in the Bush Administration when the Office of Special Counsel headed by Scott Bloch, who is currently under indictment, refused to hire anyone but graduates from Ave Maria’s Law School.

  10. While I agree Shirvell has some serious issues, there is also the possibility he is trying to “make law”, i.e. deliberately pushing the envelope in hopes of getting a favorable court ruling. I’m betting he probably figures even if he does lose his job with the AGs office, the ADF will hire him.

  11. From Timothy Kincaide’s excellent Box Turtle bog (if he doesn’t mind me quoting):

    So Monaghan founded the Thomas More Law Center, an anti-gay, anti-abortion activist organization. He also funded the Ave Maria School of Law, a Catholic law school with teachings that are “in fidelity to the Catholic Faith as expressed through Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the teaching authority of the Church” and which would send out graduates “equipped for leading positions in law firms, corporate legal offices, the judiciary, and national, state, and local government.”

    So here we see the logical result of a legal education centered on an extreme religious belief instead of law. My first reaction was that Shirvell was way too obsessed with this young man not to be in love with him. That was my second and third thought too. Whether that’s true or not what seems clear is that he has an extraordinary ability to rationalize nonsense to excuse his obsessive and irrational behavior. Mr. Armstrong has tried to ignore it but now seems to be trying to protect himself from this bully. Good luck to him.

  12. This guy probably has got a huge crush on the gay guy.

    The lisp, the dramatic voice and the way he moves his head sideways when he talks. He’s got some sort of a sting.

  13. This guy probably has got a huge crush on the gay guy.

    The lisp, the dramatic voice and the way he moves his head sideways when he talks. He’s got some sort of a sting.

  14. I watched the Anderson Cooper interview earlier today and was astonished how crazy Andrew Shirvell comes across. I agree with David Blakeslee that Chris needs to be careful. How in the world is someone like this allowed to remain in his current position? He is, as only my friend Delana could describe him, a Douche-Lord

  15. Just one more reason why a friend of mine left Michigan for California last year.

  16. Wow, apparently Shirvell is crazier than I thought. I wonder if anyone has looked into whether Shirvell has prosecuted cases involving GLBT victims or accused.

  17. If you get a chance to visit the site…it is overhwelmingly devaluing, demeaning, provocative.

    If you listen to the interview, the lack of warmth and humanity is alarming, it makes me think of several diagnoses.

    Chris should be careful.

  18. I watched the Anderson Cooper interview earlier today and was astonished how crazy Andrew Shirvell comes across. I agree with David Blakeslee that Chris needs to be careful. How in the world is someone like this allowed to remain in his current position? He is, as only my friend Delana could describe him, a Douche-Lord

  19. I watched the Anderson Cooper interview earlier today and was astonished how crazy Andrew Shirvell comes across. I agree with David Blakeslee that Chris needs to be careful. How in the world is someone like this allowed to remain in his current position? He is, as only my friend Delana could describe him, a Douche-Lord

  20. If you get a chance to visit the site…it is overhwelmingly devaluing, demeaning, provocative.

    If you listen to the interview, the lack of warmth and humanity is alarming, it makes me think of several diagnoses.

    Chris should be careful.

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