Michael Marcavage
Posted on 10/01/2004 6:27:16 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
Friday, October 1, 2004
An evangelical activist is being tried for reading the Bible at a meeting of the Lansdowne Borough Council in Pennsylvania.
According to the News of Delaware County, the president of the council called Lansdowne resident Michael Marcavage's reading "hate speech." Marcavage, who is director of the organization Repent America, faces charges for disrupting a public meeting.
Michael Marcavage |
The local paper reports Lansdowne Police Chief Daniel Kortan testified yesterday at a preliminary hearing. Kortan said Marcavage asked the council a question about comments made by recently appointed Councilman Kevin Lee, a Democrat and the first openly homosexual official in Delaware County. The chief says Marcavage then began reading from the Bible.
"I went to him and appealed to him," Kortan testified, according to the News. "'You had the microphone long enough. It's time to sit down and enjoy the meeting like the rest of the people or leave.' He refused. [President Norman Council] asked him to go back on target with a question … instead of just reading."
According to the report, the council president adjourned the meeting and council members and various members of the audience filed into the hallway area.
"I told him, 'now you're leaving.' He asked, 'are you arresting me?' I said, 'not yet, but you're getting close.' He said, 'I must exercise my right of civil disobedience,'" Kortan testified. The police chief said he removed Marcavage using "the fireman's carry."
Marcavage's attorney is Steven Shields.
"The council president, who I believe is Mr. Council, said that's hate speech. What better way to squelch the messenger or silence the message than to arrest the messenger?" Shields is quoted as saying.
Countered Assistant District Attorney Alyssa Kusturiss: "Council perceived what he was reading as hate speech. It would be homophobic today. They couldn't let him go on. You can't go up to the podium and start reading from the Bible."
Kortan verified he had not used the charge of disrupting a public meeting in 24 years of police work.
Marcavage's arraignment is set for Oct. 28. He is free on $2,000 bail. During the preliminary hearing, the judge dismissed a counter charge of disorderly conduct against Democratic Councilman Elliot Borgman, who Marcavage says "whacked" him on the arm during the hallway dispute.
Yeah! What do they think this is, a free country???
I'm secular, and I'm not afraid of "God" or "Christmas." In fact, I celebrate Christmas due to family tradition. No secular person should be afraid of "God" or "Christmas" unless he has some sort of designs on us all...
Bah humbug to those who try to ban Christmas!
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