Neither one of us can read minds. Neither of us knows exactly how ideological bias plays into the prosecution, but judging just from what I see on the video, your group needed to be arrested in order to avoid violence after it was evading an order to go to it’s own counter protest area..
I suspect that’s what you all felt you had to do though in order to get arrested and challenge the Ethnic Intimidation law’s new revision. You knew no one was going to arrest you under that law just for planning your own demonstration and just for speaking your mind in a civilized way, so you had to push the boundaries on other laws, creating a dangerous or at least disruptive situation in your opponents’ demonstration for a chance to have that charge include.
After that it looks like your group went over the line that separates activism from fraud and is now betraying the faith it claims to promote. You initiated a media campaign that misrepresents yourselves as victims in an attack on Christianity with press releases and website headlines like
- The Criminalization of Christianity,
- Christians Face 47 Years In Prison. Because Philly Judge Calls Bible Verses 'Fighting Words',
- Eleven Christians Arrested, Jailed, and Charged Under Hate Crimes Legislation,
- Hateful Christianity?, and
- 47 Years in Prison for Preaching? In America?
All are exaggerations or misrepresentations by omission. Truth requires “the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”. Anything less that intentionally leaves a false impression is a lie, just like Clinton’s “technically accurate” denial of sex. Your group is using tactics abhorrent to the faith for which you claim to work. Marcavage is hitting the media circuit and promoting letter writing campaigns that get good people worked up over lies.
You joined FR so that you could “bear false witness”, misleading good Freepers like almcbean and others into posting absurdities like “Those who were citing scripture were held for trial” without any reference to crashing an opposition protest or disobeying orders to return to the couterprotest area. You’ve got Sportutegrl and others claming ” these Christians may serve up to 47 years in prison” without any mention that 47 years was apparently arrived at by adding all the time of all the maximums of all the charges of all the people, probably including those that have had their charges dismissed. Something that would never be done anyway. And you in your last post to me repeat the same lie!
Only God and those much closer to you know your heart, but I can judge what you’ve put out publicly. It don’t think it measures up to what’s honorable or Christian. From all I read, I think you’re using the means to justify the ends and bearing false witness. And if you share the opinions expressed on your group leader and “good friend” Michael Marcavage’s web site, you’re using Free Republic despite having fringe politics that are no more ours than are those of the Clintons.
" This website serves as notice to Christians across this nation that President George Bush over the past few years has compromised his "Christian faith" by promoting evil and openly supporting wickedness. It is our hope and prayer that he would Repent and turn from such blatant sin. He is not our friend and cannot be trusted. "I don’t like seeing my friends jerked around with lies and led into parroting absurdities to come across as kooks by people that don’t share our goals. Your group may get the charges dismissed, but employing these dishonest tactics is building a ceiling over your growth. Michael Marcavage reminds me of flash in the pan pop stars who compromise their talents with get noticed quick sex shows that poison their future. This will backfire on you.
"without any mention that 47 years was apparently arrived at by adding all the time of all the maximums of all the charges of all the people, probably including those that have had their charges dismissed"
Here's the truth -without any "apparently" or "probably". It is not including all of them or those whose charges are dismissed. I went and looked at the PA Crimes Code. Each individual faces this risk- of up to 47 years- no one is saying they will get the 47. But it's clear that they are looking at serious jail time.
Facts are stubborn things my friend. I'm curious, what is the reason for your anti-Christian bigotry?
elfman wrote:
"I’m unimpressed with what I know of what you’re promoting. It looks you’re your friend Michael Marcavage with the help of the little know film company Enough Said Productions hoped to be arrested as part of a 1st Amendment production and challenge the expansion of the Pennsylvania’s Ethnic Intimidation law. "
My response:
No one here is trying to impress you and your assessment of what happened that day is laughable.
elfman wrote:
"That in itself would be fine, but it looks like you violated several other statutes contributing to your arrest."
My response:
No statutes were violated.
elfman wrote:
"but judging just from what I see on the video, your group needed to be arrested in order to avoid violence after it was evading an order to go to it’s own counter protest area."
My response:
There was no "counter protest" area. The police simply wanted us to leave the street where people were gathered. I am glad that you are not the final authority with regards to first amendment issues, or the jails would be filled with law abiding citizens.
elfman wrote:
"blah, blah, blah"
My response:
Not needed.