Posted on 06/29/2009 12:24:23 PM PDT by FromLori
The Pride Festival kicked off in Loring Park Saturday. There were live bands, food and thousands of people. It's now the third-largest gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender celebration in the country.
But there was some trouble there Saturday night.
Minneapolis Police arrested three people from Hayward, Wis. for trespassing. An amateur photographer named Aaron Bogle gave WCCO-TV video of a father, mother and son being arrested.
For 11 years, Brian and Doris Johnson have passed out free Bibles at the festival.
This year, they were not allowed to have a booth. Pride paid to rent the whole park and that gave them the right to choose which vendors they allowed in.
The Johnsons said they are born-again Christians and they believe homosexuality is a sin.
Police said they were each being held Saturday night on a $50 bail or a $300 bond.
In our Police State it is ok to have obama pushing the Koran but not for God Fearing Christians to disseminate the Word Of God!
Obamas Outreach to Muslims Prompts Mass Koran Distribution
(Excerpt) Read more at bluelori.blogspot.com ...
Moslem countries put homosexuals to death.
The idiots are so blind, they don’t even realize that the very multiculturalism they celebrate will be their downfall.
Free speech for me, but not for thee.
Pride Festival? WHAT Pride?
If they were so g-d “proud” they would include a description of exactly WHAT they are “proud” of in the actual name of the “festival”.
Also, when someone is GIVING something away, they are not a “vendor”. And what’s up with ANYONE, ANY group, being able to rent an ENTIRE public park?
Something stinks about this whole thing.
Oh, wait.
Minnesota...
Nevermind. That explains everything.
These are the same people who brought us GOVERNOR Jesse “The Body” Ventura, and SENATOR Al “Stuart Smalley” Franken.
I know I’ll catch flak for this, but they should have been arrested. They were trespassing. Your right to free speech does not extend into private property.
If they wanted to hand out Bibles, they should have stood at the entrance to the park. When they entered a private function (which the park became, by virtue of renting the entire park), they trespassed.
That reminds me, I've been thinking about getting a bird.
I’m all for free speech but trespassing is illegal. If the family was asked to leave and they refused, the people hosting the festival have every right to have them arrested, even if it does seem a little heavy-handed. Private property is private property, period.
Here's the problem for these folks handing out Bibles- this gay organization rented the park for some period of time. They have the right to decide who can and cannot hand out literature in the park during the period of their rental.
Just recently a pastor was arrested for being on neutral property. (Minister arrested for being on public sidewalk).
Justice is supposed to be blind. Gay rights activists often disrupt church services and the police do nothing about it. Christians who are non-disruptive trying to exercise their rights are often subject to disproportionate treatment.
I don’t agree with that arrest. At all. But that being a bad arrest and harassment does NOT excuse trespassing. Two wrongs do not make a right.
I don't think anyone is arguing about trespass or the illegality of disrupting peacefull assembly.
You suggested that they pass out bibles at the entrance or what is apublic access area. But even that does not prevent arrest of Christians.
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