Two 'Shame on...' protestors arrested on sex offender registry violations

Knoxville News Sentinel ^ | 5/18/12 | Lance Coleman

[SmithL]

Since February, workers hired by a union to picket First Baptist Church of Dandridge have held up a sign reading, "Shame on Pastor Brown," to protest nonunion workers building a new addition at the church.

Each day the church's pastor, Dr. Robert Brown, waved at the men and waved off the criticism they leveled at him and the church.

On Friday, Jefferson County Sheriff G.W. "Bud" McCoig arrested the two men and charged them with violating the sex offender registry act.

"It's hard to miss the irony, isn't it?" Brown said. "I've said to several folks that I've done a lot of things I'm ashamed of and this project wasn't one of them. It is also a bit ironic that these guys the union hired are not union workers."

The Mid-South Carpenters Regional Council could not be reached for comment regarding the arrests. According to the union website, they represent 6,000 workers in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee, as well as Western North Carolina, Northern Georgia, Eastern Arkansas, and the Florida panhandle.

McCoig said he received a tip that one of the men was a convicted sex offender and when he spoke with the men in front of the church, he learned both were registered sex offenders and that they were 20 feet from the church's day care property.

"By law, a convicted sex offender cannot be within 1,000 feet of property where a child is," the sheriff said.

[sarasmom]

Wow!

[MrEdd]

Typical union types.

[HiTech RedNeck]

The story says the protestors the union hired were non union people. How the heck does this happen. Does the union place a classified ad saying “non union protestors wanted to protest on behalf of a union”?

[NoCmpromiz]

protestors the union hired were non union people. How the heck does this happen.

So they wouldn't have to pay them union scale, of course... < /sarc>

[HangThemHigh]

I wonder if those are the same two guys that sit beside Pellissippi Pkwy just outside Knoxville with a big sign “Shame on Covenant Health”?

I don’t pass there everyday, but I don’t think they are out there very often.

Like this church protest, the Mid-South Carpenters Union is responsible for that protest, too.

[csvset]

Union halls, or Rent-a-thug. The unions probably don’t pay the rent-a-thug union wages or provide them with a fat benefits package either.

[Joe 6-pack]

LOL...looks like the unions are now outsourcing their protesters.

[cva66snipe]

I wonder if those are the same two guys that sit beside Pellissippi Pkwy just outside Knoxville with a big sign “Shame on Covenant Health”? I don’t pass there everyday, but I don’t think they are out there very often. Like this church protest, the Mid-South Carpenters Union is responsible for that protest, too.

Yea I've seen that myself on Pellissippi before and wondered what the heck it was about.

Protesting construction at a church in Jefferson County was not a very smart idea nor a good way too gain any union support or sympathy. Lot's of folk up that way have a strong work ethic. Good number also go to church. I used to drive up to White Pine about once a month to visit a family friend with my dad. I can understand why they had to hire outsiders to protest LOL.