Posted on 05/19/2004 8:48:55 AM PDT by Laissez-faire capitalist
On May 8, at the county's "Gay Day" event in Dayton, Tennessee, police arrested two christians as they were fastening the beams of one of their ten-ffot crosses, which they often use in parades arond the nation in order to draw people to Christ. Without incident, they were arrested and charged with "disorderly conduct" and "interfering with a special event." They were both freed after posting the required $500 bond. Dayton police chief Kenneth Walker admitted to reporters "They wanted to go down to protest and we told them they couldn't" "they were arrested;that's it."
(Excerpt) Read more at reclaimamerica.org ...
Frankly, I believe that homosexuals are the angriest, most embittered group of malcontents on earth. Their souls already destined to hell, they want to take as many with them as possible. One day there will be a general backlash against this abomination, as peopel realize just how dark and twisted these homosexuals really are. Presently their filthy deeds are being veiled by the myth that they are "born that way". This myth that Sodomites are an oppressed 'minority' is perpetuated and protected by insane new-age laws that grant them special status and rights. It is no coincidence that homosexuals are enjoying their 'day in the sun' at a time when Christ is being persecuted and forced underground in our country. But when the veil is lifted and the light once again shines on our country, it will be a frightening day for the Sodomites and their friends. Where will they turn to then?
I doubt it. You see, that would mean that protesters would be able to protest those in power when they too appear in public. And that most certainly can't be permitted in "the land of the free".
It's simply giving sides equal opportunities with maximum safety. The cops got sick of being the thin blue line between hordes of people screaming at each other.
Actually - correct number to call is Frank Welch, City Manager at (432) - 775-1817.
And ther's something wrong with letting folks have their little marches without getting harrassed by the other side? Seperating waring factions goes way back, the cops just finally got sick of doing it the way that put them at the most risk, blame the KKK they're the ones that always turned these things into near riots.
So, what you're saying here is that one cannot assemble on private property near a "special" event - even if the owner has granted permission. If the two were arrested as described above (on private property and without mirandizing), this is a clear violation of freedom of speech.
If they were on public property (or private property without permission) in a town that has preexisting permit laws for protests and counter-protests (not all do), then they may be validly arrested - but still not without Mirandizing.
As far as "separation" - that only applies in the case of these gents making attempts to join or confront the paraders. In similar situations, there is a simple warning and enforcement of the separation. But, enforcement at the level of an arrest is predicated by violation of public space without a required permit (*IF* one is required) or by private property violation (with its requisite implied lack of permission).
There's not enough information in the article to decide one way or the other as to whether the pair had derogated any standing law. But if the description presented is accurate, the Police obviously did (no Miranda).
Comments?
You would get the permit before hand, much like how the gay marchers got a permit so they could shut down streets for their march.
Of course, this was the right thing to do. They should arrest those EVIL CHRISTIANS. We ALL know that Christians are rowdy, destructive people. </ sarcasm>
Just spoke to Frank Welch, Dayton TN City Manager - he referred call to City Attorney Susan Arnold - 423-775-1377. He did not have a clue about this.
The reason? Their rights are your rights. They cannot be separated. As their rights go, so go your own.
I had the same reaction. I thought for sure it would have been Massadumbsh$ts.
What evidence do you have that they didn't do that? The way it's worded suggests the request for permission to protest was before the event, but was refused.
Equal opportunities? Supporters are given front and center VIP treatment. Protesters are sent miles away and placed in a chain link enclosed parking lot surrounded by a battallion of angry riot control police with the latest and greatest innovations of crowd control devices. Yeah, that's "equal".
The cops got sick of being the thin blue line between hordes of people screaming at each other.
TS. If they find unalienable rights, and the American civic duty of free speeh and assembly in our free country inconvenient, they can seek employment elsewhere.
I already called it and declared war on Massachusetts :P
Doesn't read that way to me. I feel bad for them, but the new mentality is that nobody wants hordes of people screaming at each other so they want counter protests seperated far enough to keep it peaceful, which sucks for people that probably weren't going to be causing trouble anyway but laws need to be handled evenly. You've got to treat Christians and gays the same way you'd treat the NAACP and KKK otherwise you're playing favorites.
But they claim they were arrested on private property...
Now you're bringing in last week's argument. Stick to one at a time.
Yeah you stand between sides throwing rocks at each other for a while and comeback and say that's an unalienable right. Far too often when two sides are allowed near each other it got violent, the First Ammendment doesn't include rock throwing either. Seperating the sides further keeps it peaceful and gives them both opportunities to be heard.
Whose private property?
There is a regime, made up by the powerful elite, who not unlike other tyrannies, rule as an oligarchy by exercise of their wealth and power.
The common American senses the futility of their position and that is why most choose not to participate in the farce that is the U.S. two-party system, through not voting at all.
If the only political options that a so-called "free" people have come from two-parties corrupted and controlled by a rich upper class and their puppet political incumbants, you can expect the middle and lower classes of that "regime" to feel hopeless and out-of-touch with the political process and to be seen as a threat to the those who control the system.
The Founding Fathers established the USA for the common good of the common man under common law.
That no longer exists in America today and at best the "common man" can only hope for a benign tyranny that allows him to live in a semblance of peace and liberty.
Be prepared to show your license to law enforcement if you intend to exercise your God-given rights.
We've got a lot of claims by the guys but I'm not seeing much proof. And being on private property isn't necessarily a cure all, if this was KKK vs NAACP one side being on private property would stop things from turning violent. And the way lawyers are forcing court decisions these days if the city doesn't bust a side that won't turn violent (I doubt Christians vs gays would get violent) they'll lose legal footing the next time when the sides aren't so peacable. We're in a zero tolerance world these days where we don't want cops to make judgement calls, we've been demanding for years that all parties get treated with absolute equality at all times, "profiling" is considered bad across the board. That means either everybody has to get treated like the Christians or everybody has to get treated like the KKK, and we learned long ago that when you give the KKK the benefit of the doubt bad things happen. So now nobody gets the benefit of the doubt.
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