Posted on 01/15/2005 3:49:21 AM PST by dirtboy
The October street confrontation between Philadelphia gays and the Repent America Christian group could have remained just a local affair - a tense but heart-felt standoff. Instead, this brief but ugly lapse of brotherly love is getting harsh national attention.
None of that media and Internet notoriety is good for Philadelphia's image. It does nothing to burnish the city's proud heritage as the birthplace of American freedoms.
Credit the unwanted publicity, in large part, to District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham's heavy-handed crackdown on four protesters who disrupted the annual gay-pride Outfest block party in Center City.
The absurd decision by Abraham's office to pursue felony charges - including criminal conspiracy, incitement to riot, and breaking the state's hate-crimes law - guarantees that this case won't go away soon.
By themselves, the arrests might not have generated all that much controversy. On that early-October Sunday, the protesters disobeyed directives from the police, who had reason to fear that the group's bullhorn-broadcast denunciations of homosexuality might trigger a scuffle at the block party, or worse.
No, people should not be arrested for mere exercise of free speech - but when their free speech seems on the edge of provoking possible violence, there's a case to be made for city police taking people into custody simply to calm the situation.
There seems no question that Repent America got its message out - informing gay-event participants that they faced eternal damnation, as well as carrying signs proclaiming "God Abhors You" and the like.
But when the group's leader sat down in the street, refusing to move after being warned by police of imminent arrest, it was no surprise that the cops began hauling protesters away. And probably not a disappointment to the protesters. Isn't that the point of many protests, to attract attention by getting arrested?
Here's what should have happened next: a fine for disorderly conduct or other misdemeanor for those who did the most to disobey police.
Instead, city prosecutors came up with a silly, public-enemy list of felony charges and lesser infractions. Bingo: martyrs-to-a-cause born.
Although charges were tossed out against most of the 11 protesters arrested Oct. 10, a city judge agreed there's evidence enough to warrant a trial for four remaining defendants.
Assistant District Attorney Charles Ehrlich contends that the protesters "wanted to provoke violence" - thus, the charges that carry years-long jail sentences. The charges should be reduced, or if it gets to trial, given very skeptical scrutiny.
That said, this case is being misread from afar by conservative Christian groups. They claim the city is persecuting the protesters for their religious beliefs against homosexuality.
First of all, the anti-gay group made its voice heard - and continues to do so, given the trial publicity. And what the faraway critics may not know is that Abraham's office is an equal-opportunity shop when it comes to over-the-top prosecutions of protest.
Out of the hundreds of 2000 Republican National Convention protesters charged with crimes, the overwhelming majority eventually were cleared. In fact, the last of those protesters were acquitted only a week or so after the Outfest arrests.
Even if Abraham hopes to polish her tough-on-crime image, engaging in overkill with felony charges against street protesters is no way to go.
ping
ping
That is an absolute lie. RepentAmerica carried no such signs. But, let's not let truth stand in the way of screed.
It is probably more of a fuzzy lie. Some "reliable" source and all of that rot. The FACT is that liberal reporters and officials have frequently used inaccurate statements to make their side look a little better or a little less guilty. The Inquirer should be called to task for this attempt to slant peoples view of this situation.
Even the authors obvious bias against Christians has bent
a bit at the equally or overwhelming case of the stupids
on the part of the Philly PD,PRosecutor,and Judge Meehan.
Even the words of the mere politicians who have embraced and promote the aberant and destructive lifestyle have
been used to point out how the zeal of the Christophobes
extends beyond reason.
And the author tries to obfuscate the real reason behind the attacks - the Word of God in the Holy Bible is the biggest enemy these people have. Calling good evil and evil good is one of the signs Jesus tells us to look for.
As a resident of the greater Philadelphia Region and a man who works in Philadelphia I have been exposed to this story regularly in local news sources, and have come to several interesting conclusions.
Now, "Outfest" seems to be an affair where folks are offered a public forum to proclaim their sodomy ( which may leave many of us heterosexual men feeling cheated, insofar that no one ever gave us a party for liking women ), and as such I must appreciate the emphasis on honesty. I wish everyone had an outfest where they would stand up for their true political beliefs, rather than Teddy Kennedy saying he's against water torture and John Kerry saying he's a good Catholic.
This years outfest wasn't about men coming out as gays or women coming out as lesbians, or any such trite fare. This years coming out was nothing less than Lynne Abraham and her crooked District Attorney's office coming out as fascists.
Abraham has clearly decided, as has the entire democratic party, that simple preaching of Biblical Truth is a hate crime which cannot be tolerated. This is the final nail in the coffin of free speech for Christians under her administration. Free Speech, in her mind, is a right reserved to everyone, but when Christians wish to practice it their may find that it gets them, charged with inciting a riot. Never mind that others who actually do incite riots exercising their 'free speech' actually do cause riots and the ilk of Lynne Abraham have nothing to say about it.
When I got off an airplane at Sea-Tac Airport this past June fourth for the Army's National Advanced Leadership Course, and was confronted by LaRouchist agitators and others, with signs calling me and my colleagues 'Baby Killers', I didn't press charges against them. This is because I understand that I have to tolerate the opinions of others, even uninformed or asenine opinions, if I wish to function in this society.
The implications of free speech guaranteed to us by our Constitution are not always easy to deal with. In our society everyone has the right to offend and no one has the right to not be offended. Offence is part of being an American, especially in this day and age. As a traditionalist, I am offended by most everything that the Democratic Party ( the Slavery Party ) has stood for for the past generation, but you wont find me pressing charges about it. Christians are offended by the holocaust occuring within our borders, the unscientific science being taught in science classes as evolution, the erasure of the family as a social pillar and the replacement of the Ten Commandments with the Law of Darwin. Needless to say we have much to be offended about, but we must live with our misgivings because this society functions on oppositionalism and tolerance within the public square.
And if we are so offended by this litany of assaults on the traditional sensibilities of decent people in this country, I frankly don't give a damn if some people are offended by placards with Bible Verses or anti-gay messages.
Free Speech is a two way street. If I have to live with the progressive sector of our society then they have to live with me. I refuse to care that people, especially in the media, are offended by traditionalists exercising their free speech through gospel teaching, Nativities and the such.
The most important factor being missed here is that true tolerance means tolerating the opinions of all, and also to a greater extent; true moral relativity as pioneered in academia over the last century and a half means that there are no absolutes, no good and evil. Therefore the majority may choose to inflict whatever pains it wants on the minority. According to this paradigm, Hitler, or anyone else, could never be classified as evil.
Today's morally relative American culture chooses to dispose of its undesired minority by sucking out their brains with vacuum cleaners and poking scissors through the base of their skulls. Wow, to me that makes slavery seem a preferable state, you decide for yourself what the greatest human rights abuses of all time are ( without the right to life all other rights are meaningless ).
And in the spirit of this holiday, marking the life of the visionary Revd. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. let us examine the similarities between him and the Philadelphia Four who find themselves charged with the same crimes as him, especially "inciting a riot".
King taught us, in his letter from a Birmingham Jail, that Christians have an obligation to oppose unjust laws. This is, as I remarked to much consternation on Fox News two summers ago, "in keeping with the tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas who said that a just law is one which comports with the law of God."
In the spirit of so great an obervance as Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday, I challenge you, dear reader, to ask yourself whether you are willing to champion the oppressed, however unpopular, as King and as the Philadelphia Four.
They didn't know what they were messing with. Christians are white-hot angry to begin with. Has anyone ever filed for a "Sodomy Is An Abomination" rally in Philly? I'm thinking, it might be called a 'hate crime' to hold such a rally there, and that would decimate the leftists in Philly, a brazan and utter violation of free speech and freedom of religion. And, if for some reason, the file is allowed, then you have homosexual protesters walk into a giant bear trap. The question of equal justice arises. I wonder if Mike Savage would be interested in something like this?
Move the Liberty bell . There aint no liberty in Philadelphia.
..... It does nothing to burnish the city's proud heritage as the birthplace of American freedoms....
The image has been scarred and defaced for at least a decade. Philly is a den of corruption. The heritage will be that of a third world African city where nothing is done without the graft of a political machine with tentacles into all aspects of the citizens life.
America rejects this abomination.
Interesting. Some good points.
It's stillllll a very hideous, horrid, ham-fisted happening.
I think the prosecutor still needs some sort of discipline.
She did something far worse to an anti-Clinton protestor assaulted by Teamster goons - she basically prosecuted the protestor for assaulting the fists of the Teamsters with his face. And she's gotten away with it - so far. Don and Terri Adams are trying to get some justice against her and Ed Rendell - but the power structure protects its own very well in Pennsylvania.
I had not focused on this case until I read this editorial. Before, I thought that the story was so outrageous, it must be overstated. Surely, Christians would not be facing felony charges merely for protesting what they believe is sinful. Now, I know it is clear that Christians will be trampled in any blue state where the courts let the authorities get away with it. I wouldn't be surprised to see Philly start to bulldoze Christian Churches that have the audacity to take a stand against sin.
ping
And by taking away their feeding tubes because the person has become too much trouble to take care of.
Very good post!
Elaborate on this statement? I don't think you mean it as it is do you?
Repent America about halfway down the page.
Life and Liberty Ministries is another site owned by one of the accused. There is a 17 yr old facing charges as well.
BTW, since a remark in your post implies that you are in a leadership position in the U.S. Army, I want to thank you for serving our nation in that capacity and for the security that your service helps provide for me and my family.
Great post!
Anyone who would like to send a message of encouragement and support to the Christian men being prosecuted in Philly can email them HERE
The tsunami was clear evidence of such folly and its consequences. Those on the beaches -- with the rarest of exceptions -- could have had been alarmed by the recent massive earthquake at sea and the likely follow-on tsunami. Yet the the authorities were reluctant to imfringe upon the "feelings" of the then current high tourist season.
Those on the beaches could have known -- from study and history, as one ten year girl did -- that unexpected rapid withdrawal of the tide is nature's tsunami alert system. But the "feelings" of calm and serene vacation emptiness dulled their real senses. The animals sensed the danger and reacted -- showing how animals do NOT get overwhelmed by their "feelings" for they surely have have some small sense of feeling -- I have seen it myself.
Yet we humans -- "feelings" -- are powerful in us, and both a boon and a bane. "Feelings" however are no anchor, no method, no rule of law -- if alone. They must always be restrained and trained by history, intellect marked to history or proof and by established religious guideline.
The Media -- thinking themselves Emperors of Society we now see them as they are -- naked and corpulent on parade -- that media plays this afront of liberty and law only with the lights of "feelings". Though seen naked now by many, they will still win the day if we do not respond by logic and intellect deriving from precendent, historical context and established religious guidelines.
I am uncomfortable with the militants on both sides of the debate. The gay militants are very abrasive in their tactics, and so are the militant anti-gays.
I think some of the tactics by Repent America at this rally undermine other essential rights that conservatives have fought for - namely, the right to association that the Supreme Court upheld for the Boy Scouts. If the Boy Scouts can excluded gays, IMO the gays also have the right to exclude anti-gay groups from one of their gatherings. And I don't buy the public funds argument - the fact that the gays accepted city funds negates their ability to limit what groups can attend the gathering - because that argument is used to punish the Boy Scouts by governments - by depriving the Boy Scouts of public facilities.
Repent America could have protested just outside the gathering. Instead, they barged into the gathering with a bullhorn. And refused police orders to move.
However, having said that, they should be facing at worst minor misdemeanor charges - not felonies. Some of the gays behaved in a far worse manner - blocking movement through the rally, which is a criminal act in its own right - but were not charged. And Lynne Abraham's office has a history of selective prosecution. So any offenses committed by Repent America are dwarfed by the selective and malicious prosecution being carried out by the Philly DA's office.
There was a prosecutor on PMSNbC last night, he spoke in support of the homosexuals and every time he said basically that you can not speak against any of the special protected clases. IOW those in the approved anti-discrimination list have SUPERfree speech protection. You can't say ANYTHING against them. Homosexuals can bash normal people as "breeder" or religious zelots but nobody can say homosexuality is just plain wrong.
Seriously folks, bar complaints must be filed on those homosexual attorneys of the DOJ for pushing the arrests.
There is also a video tape which shows this is not even as inciteful as this article suggests. It was a "all the public invited" event. It was noisy, and they occupied a little corner.
This little fiasco only guarantees MORE of these events will be at homosexual prance-fests.
Gays demand the right to have sex in public rest areas and restrooms. I believe it is only a matter of time before some unelected judge holds that this behavior is a constitutional right---and that expressing a contrary opinion mandates a jail term.
How many times did we aks Lynne Abraham and the courts to charge Mr. Morris and how many times did they refuse?
There is preferential treatmant of protestors on the Right and protestors on the Left in Philadlephia. Lynne Abraham is terribly biased. And everyone should be concerned!!
Thank you for the ping!~
Ping!
I think the Inky is coming out for this group because they don't have to worry about trouble from their unions this time around if they stand up for the First Amendment. Goes to show just how deep their commitment is to basic civil liberties. Don's case had to scare the crap out of the Philly establishment. And still probably gives them some agita to this day - hopefully at some point it will give them more than that.
Yes, the difference in the way the INKY and others are covering this verses our case is amazing. I supppose it is far more wrong to make your views known in the faces of Teamsters to paraphrase then Philadlephia Mayorial spokesperson, Kevin Feeley.
BTW, in many respects all the upper courts have done with OUR case is continue the same injustice and abuse. And as I told you the National Teamsters are now claiming I am responsible for starting the whole thing. Like one of our lawyers said, if a corporation had been guilty of what the Teamsters and the Philadelphia Government were guilty of, we would have won OUR case, flat out long ago.
I don't know how much our case scares them, but we are willing to take it to the Supreme Court, if and that is a big IF (though they do have a propensity for first amendment cases), the Supremes are willing to hear it. People like Lynne Abraham and Ed Rendell who abouse their power, MUST be held accountable.
In the last sentence that should be "abuse."
I refer to it that way out of simplicity of nomenclature more that anything else, especially when talking about the matter to those who aren't all that familiar with it. A lot of people are aware of it, but don't chime in because of the parties involved. But you are right, you both have borne this case on your shoulders. And it's staggering that the Teamsters can claim that you started the matter. What, there were two of you against all those poor whittle Teamsters who just had to defend themselves against your vicious assaults? They should be embarassed to even try and make that claim - but shame is a quality that left most leftists long ago.
People like Lynne Abraham and Ed Rendell who abouse their power, MUST be held accountable.
You almost have to go to the federal level. Pennsylvania is too corrupt to deal with their own power structure.
It scared them at the time enough to risk one of the most blatant abuses of prosecutorial power of the late 20th century.
Look at the leadreship of Phila.. It is as corrupt as any I have ever known.
I noticed that but didn't get a chance to comment. They absolutely should be called to task for it. What a dsigraceful lie. Time for some letters to the editor!
Particularly if you do it in the faces of the left.
What bothers me about your analogy is that the gays wanted to join the boyscouts and become one of their leaders. The people from Repent America were not attempting to join a gay group and become one of their leaders, but were attending one of their PUBLIC events on Public Property.
I think a better analogy would be the gay groups insisting on being included in St. Patrick's day parades sponsored by Hibernian groups.
I do agree what Repent America isn't on the same level as what the gays were trying to do to the Boy Scouts - but I do think Repent America was still trying to force association. Plus, the gays aren't going to listen, but others might to reasonable protests that aren't in the faces of passerby. Most protests are best when they play to media or spectators, not to the intended target of the protest - and if gays would have gotten over-the-top against Repent America when they were outside the gathering and following the rules, it would have been much, much harder for the media to follow their usual pro-gay spin.
Yes, if they had been outside the event, the leftist spin would have been much harder, absolutley. I was thinking the same thing.
Is it their thought that the protestors were trying to provoke violence against the homosexuals?
Isn't it rather the case that one could argue that they knew there might be violence against themselves?
How does that put them in the wrong? Isn't that a bit like blaming — and, indeed, prosecuting — the rape victim for wearing a short skirt?
Dan
Biblical Christianity web site
Biblical Christianity message board
Biblical Christianity BLOG
The DA is using a "fighting words" argument in charging the protestors with riot, along with calling this a hate crime under Pennsylvania statutes. The history of recent protest shows that just about all violent protest is done by the left, and that almost all violence between competing protest groups is done by leftists against conservatives.
But the authorities don't care about ground truth. In Denver, the cops videotaped the Tyranny Response team instead of the gun grabbers, even though the only two incidents of assault at gun-rights protests were gun-grabbers against TRT members. And in Philly, the cops arrested Repent America members instead of jailing those who were illegally blocking their path - but do nothing when gay activists disrupt private gatherings on private property.
Judge eases curbs on protesters
Bail condition barring the "Philadelphia Four" from gay events violated rights to free speech, ruling says.
By Larry Eichel
Inquirer Staff Writer
In a case that has received national attention, a Philadelphia judge yesterday revoked a bail condition that had kept four antigay activists away from organized gay events, calling the restriction an unreasonable restraint on free speech.
She also indicated she might be inclined to dismiss the entire case.
The decision by Common Pleas Court Judge Pamela Dembe came in the case of the so-called Philadelphia Four. They are facing a variety of charges, including felonies, in connection with their behavior at the gay and lesbian community's Outfest celebration last fall.
"We cannot restrict people's right to speak or to be near those who might not wish to hear them into the future," Dembe said. The limit had been put in place last month by Municipal Court Judge William A. Meehan against the demonstrators, who are affiliated with a local group called Repent America and who say their opposition to homosexuality is Bible-based.
After viewing a 22-minute videotape of the events leading to the defendants' arrest, Dembe said: "It all amounted to annoyance on both sides, but it did not amount to criminal behavior that I can see."
Cathie Abookire, a spokeswoman for District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham, said that the prosecution would proceed with the case. A pretrial hearing is scheduled next month, at which Dembe is to hear arguments on dismissing the charges.
The activists, led by Michael Marcavage of Lansdowne, say they are being prosecuted for preaching the Gospel, a claim that has won them considerable support among conservative Christian groups around the country.
During the hearing yesterday, Assistant District Attorney Charles Ehrlich said that the criminal charges were based not on what the defendants said at Outfest but on their conduct.
"Mr. Marcavage's conduct is to try to incite a crowd to cause a public disturbance... whether it's from the Bible or somewhere else," Ehrlich said.
Marcavage faces felony charges of criminal conspiracy, incitement to riot, and violating the state's law against hate crimes, plus five misdemeanors.
Felony charges (but not the misdemeanors) have been dismissed against the other three, though they remain in place against a 17-year-old girl who demonstrated.
The activists were arrested after refusing a police order to move to an area farther from the center of the Outfest celebration, which covered eight blocks of Center City.
Police said they were concerned about possible violence; the activists were being followed by counterprotesters using pink insulation boards and whistles to prevent the antigay words and signs from being being seen or heard.
During the hearing, the defendants' attorney, C. Scott Shields, said the bail condition preventing his clients from getting with 100 feet of any gay event had effectively "muzzled" them, "and that's unconstitutional as a prior restraint."
In addition, Shields argued that Marcavage and the other defendants were within their rights to go to Outfest with their bullhorn because the festival was a public event held on public streets. The legal situation would have been different, he said, had the event taken place in a private venue.
Ehrlich sought to defend the restriction by citing a federal case decided last summer by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. In Frye v. Kansas City, Mo., that court ruled that local police, for reasons of public safety, could restrict the whereabouts of antiabortion demonstrators on public streets.
Paraphrasing the majority opinion in that case and from several rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, Ehrlich said: "No one has the right to say whatever they want wherever they want."
Marcavage, 25, called the ruling a blessing. The other adult defendants are James Cruise, 53, of Richmond, Va.; Mark Diener, 33, of Ephrata; and Dennis Green, 38, of Petersburg, Va.
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/front/10705185.htm
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