Posted on 12/17/2004 9:38:12 AM PST by DirtyHarryY2K
Four people who were arrested during a confrontation at an annual homosexual pride event in Philadelphia could spend up to 47 years in prison for public reading of Scripture, an attorney for a pro-family organization said on Thursday.
Brian Fahling, senior trial attorney for the American Family Association (AFA) Center for Law and Policy, is representing the group in court. He claims the Christian activists are being persecuted simply for exercising their constitutional rights.
"They were exercising their First Amendment rights in a public forum, and we have videotape that demonstrates that," Fahling said.
The case began on Oct. 10, when Repent America Director Michael Marcavage and 10 other persons preached and read verses from the Bible during an annual "gay pride" event known as "Outfest" in Philadelphia.
Fahling said that a video of the confrontation showed Marcavage speaking through a bullhorn while he and his supporters were "being shouted down by irate gay activists."
However, city officials told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the video did not show the start of the confrontation, when they said Marcavage tried to interrupt an onstage performance with his preaching and then disobeyed a police order to move to the perimeter of the "block party" to avoid the potential for violence.
"They were not prohibited from preaching," said Karen Brancheau, a lawyer for the district attorney's office. "A reasonable request was made to prevent a situation from becoming dangerous to their own safety, as well as the safety of the participants."
Charges were later dropped against seven people in the "Philadelphia 11" because they were not seen quoting Scripture on a videotape of the incident.
However, the remaining four individuals have been ordered to stand trial on three felony counts -- criminal conspiracy, ethnic intimidation and riot -- and five misdemeanor charges. If convicted, Fahling said, they could face up to 47 years in prison.
Charles Ehrlich, the city prosecutor in the case, has called the Christian protestors "hateful" and referred to preaching the Bible as using "fighting words."
Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge William Austin Meehan has banned the protestors from doing any type of evangelism within 100 yards of any "gay and lesbian event."
This past week, U.S. District Judge Petrese B. Tucker denied emergency relief from prosecution despite video footage Fahling calls "undisputed evidence" that the group cooperated with police and were continually harassed by members of a homosexual organization called the Pink Angels.
Then on Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit turned down a similar appeal.
Since the federal courts did not intervene, the last route for the group to avoid trial would be an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, Fahling said
"First, symbols of Christianity are removed from the public square; now, Christians are facing 47 years in prison because they preached the gospel in the public square. Stalin would be proud," Fahling concluded.
What bothers me wasn't that they protested the event, but that they acted like jackasses and now expect us to defend them. The point of their civil disobedience was not to spread the gospel, but to provoke the crowd into a violent reaction that they had their cronies there to tape.
There is an ugly side of anti-gay activism that fills me with duisgust. They say the rudest possible things, then heap scorn on opponents who dare to say rude things back. They get rowdy in public, holding anti-homosexual rallies and burning books and picketing gay funerals, and then they sanctimoniously decry public outbursts of passion by their opponents. It's a bully act, designed to reinforce the idea that only they can legitimize any act of protest; only they can frame the terms of the debate. They try to pretend that anyone who dares to disagree with them has to jump through their arbitrary hoops to do so, while they can engage in or condone the most vulgar acts of public incivility.
I hope the cops throw the book at them.
Even if you're correct about everything, 47 years? You can't tell me you support that.
Wow. I sure glad I'm not on trial with my life hanging in the balance and you on the jury. This isn't all that complicated really. They should get the same punishment that everyone else gets for breaking the law. nothing more nothing less. And when did quoting the Bible in public become a federal crime?
It's a collective 47 years split between 11 protestors, who were acting like complete idiots. They will plead to lesser charges and likely be given community service and fines.
If they were Greenpeace you'd be laughing your ass off.
See #103 nuff said!
Hell yeah! See, I told you. It's our DUTY to please that bootie!!!
Female bootie that is
I'd be your best friend. If the facts fail to convict you beyond a reasonable doubt, I vote to acquit. And if the law is dead wrong, I might exercise jury nullification. And I'm also good at seeing through B.S.
This isn't all that complicated really. They should get the same punishment that everyone else gets for breaking the law. nothing more nothing less. And when did quoting the Bible in public become a federal crime?
Once again, there are a few muddied facts mixed in with a lot of hype all around here.
The 47 years are split between those charged, so it's actually more like 12 years. But they won't get 12 years, they won't get 1 year, they won't get 1 month. They're going to be fined and given suspended sentences and probation and community service. They were acting like bullies and morons and could very easily have started a riot. It's less than they deserve
Oh, quit being so disingenuous. These idiots got arrested for an act of civil disobedience that could very easily have turned into a bloodbath. Reading the Bibles were so secondary to their goals that they might as well have left them at home.
But what about the *fact* that (speaking populations here) 2% (more or less) of the population commit around one third or more of the molestation of children? No one is saying 100% of homosexuals are pederasts; but it is obvious that a higher percentage of them are, and this is corroborated by research, including homosexual researchers.
These are two comments from another thread:
Tens of thousands of former homosexuals testify to the fact that the root cause behind homosexuality is environment. It is not inherited.
Gotta make this brief:
Recently I purchased a video on the real-life story of Bob Blackford. Bob's story is of a boy who grew up with an older brother who was more athletic than he was. Bob was confused growing up as he watched his brother get more of his fathers attention and he longed to be loved in the same way.
Eventually, Bob married and had two daughters, but while married he found himself thinking homosexual thoughts and eventually entered into a 3-year homosexual relationship. About the time Bob broke off his relationshop with his homosexual partner, he noticed his ex-partner was slowing getting sick. It turns out his ex-partner had AIDS and died shortly after that. This was in the mid 1980s.
Unfortunately Bob got AIDS, too, and had to tell his wife and family how he got AIDS. Of course, and I'm sure you can imagine, this devastasted his family.
Still, they stayed together and their love for each other has grown beyond anything they've ever experienced. And Bob no longer has any homosexual thoughts.
There are many sad parts to the story, which offers insights and perspectives into the homosexual lifestyle never seen on TV or movies. The movie reminded me of our much needed compassion for homosexuals and how we have to reach them with the truth.
Bob is one of the tens of thousands of former homosexuals.
367 posted on 12/17/2004 10:28:31 AM PST by scripter
To: scripter
Thank you for that story, and your reminder of what is the essential points.
Homosexuals can change; there's a way out, and those of us who abhor the promotion of homosexuality as normal and natural wish that those promoting "gay" life would allow this truth to be told, so that more lives can be saved. In more ways than one.
Where did you get this video?
371 posted on 12/17/2004 12:48:28 PM PST by little jeremiah
Being gay is a ethnic thing. What country of origin do they come from? Well Everywhere.
You obviously have not read anything about this case, you are creating a straw man by equating these people with Phelps "GodHatesFags" who is likely a leftist plant anyway. You are saying a peaceful protest is the equivalent of a known nutcase psycho.
The protesters were not on a stage, there were on a sidewalk and from people who have seen the video, they moved when cops told them to.
What's wrong with you?
So you're saying you're a sodomite?
Me?? You are fine with the fact that leftists can act like they did at the RNC and get less time in jail than peaceful Christian demonstrators at a pervert pride rally?
I agree with you.
Pleas tell me you forgot the /sarcasm tag.
Did you see the same video that I saw? Or is this simply conjured from a fertile imagination? Or were you an eyewitness?
My guess is B.
Homosexual Agenda Ping.
(I'm a little slow today...)
Welcome to wade into the mudbath if you like. There apparently is some background info about one of the Christians who was arrested at the Outfest, and if anyone knows more about this it would be valuable let everyone know.
If anyone knows about the "storming the stage" and whether it is a false accusation or not, I'd want to know.
But the most important point is that the people who "quoted Bible verses" are the ones who are getting the book thrown at them; the ones who "did not quote Bible verses" are being let off.
Let me know if anyone wants on/off this pinglist.
A little more information than contained in this article and I acknowledge it is information from their attorneys, a press release in fact.
Contact: Brian Fahling, Esq.
American Family Association
P.O. Drawer 2440
Tupelo, MS 38803
1-662-680-3886
For Immediate Release: 10/12/2004
Philadelphia, PA - Today, the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy (CLP) announced that Michael Marcavage and ten other Christians were arrested on Sunday, October 10th while exercising their First Amendment rights at a homosexual event dubbed “Outfest.” The event was held on the public streets and sidewalks of Philadelphia and was open to the public.
Just two days earlier, the CLP filed a lawsuit on behalf of Mr. Marcavage, founder of Repent America, a Christian organization that calls sinners to repentance. The suit alleges that the City of Philadelphia has a policy and practice of continually denying Marcavage his constitutionally protected rights to free speech and free exercise of religion. The lawsuit also alleges that the City of Philadelphia constantly threatened, intimidated, and, as evidenced by Sunday’s actions, arrested him merely for proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the public ways.
While exercising their rights on the streets of Philadelphia, Marcavage and the other Christians were surrounded by a group of radical homosexual activists dubbed the “Pink Angels.” The Pink Angels, who exist only to silence outspoken Christians, hooted and whistled to drown out the Christians’ message, and even refused to let an elderly lady pass to reach her home. Rather than arrest the Pink Angels, however, the Philadelphia police arrested and jailed the Christians. After 21 hours in prison, they were released and charged with 8 crimes, including three felonies.
“For too long, the City of Philadelphia has operated under the false pretense that they arbitrarily can write their own rules and force Michael Marcavage to live by them,” stated Joseph Murray, a Staff Attorney for the CLP. “It is high time the City of Brotherly Love learned that the Liberty Bell rings for Christians, too.”
Brian Fahling, Senior Trial Attorney for the CLP, pointed out that “Philadelphia has only proven the very allegations spelled out in Marcavage’s civil suit—if you are a Christian on the streets of Philadelphia and dare to publicly express a biblical viewpoint, a jail cell awaits you.”
The Center for Law & Policy is a division of the American Family Association, Inc. The CLP restricts its practice to constitutional litigation in state and federal courts.
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