This guy appointed me back in '84.
Or have you been on the line with Madam Cleo and her crystal ball?
Actually, her name is Erin and she lives in Philly. She went down to "Outfest" with a gay friend of hers. I called her earlier to get the scoop.
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.
Don't try leading me down into a briarpatch, I'm an expert.
...peaceful Christian demonstrators...
I repeat: These "peaceful Christian demonstrators" were as interested in reading Scripture as they were in reading the sports page. They went out to raise hell and, luckily for all involved, they failed to incite the riot that they wanted.
...pervert pride rally?
Are you so anti-Gay that it blinds you to right from wrong?
I'm not selling anything. My position is clear. They have 1A rights to exercise their religion and their speech on public property and you're not liking their speech or the scripture they choose to recite is neither here nor there.
Friend of mine went with a gay friend to "Outfest". I called her earlier to get the scoop.
The protesters asked for a space to demonstrate at "Outfest" and were, quite naturally, denied. So, instead of organizing a peaceful protest, they stormed the place, invaded the stage, and began preaching loudly with a megaphone. Cops kicked them out once, but they came back and tried to incite more trouble. Finally, the exasparated cops got tired of the Bravo Sierra and arrested the whole group. Now they're beatng their chests about how they've been wronged and want us to defend them.
I don't know about you, but I'm nobody's sucker.
Obviously!
I repeat: These "peaceful Christian demonstrators" were as interested in reading Scripture as they were in reading the sports page. They went out to raise hell and, luckily for all involved, they failed to incite the riot that they wanted.
So, When did you get appointed to Captain of the thought crime police? Or have you been on the line with Madam Cleo and her crystal ball?
Are you so anti-Gay that it blinds you to right from wrong?
No.
Yes. Sorry. LOL
This guy appointed me back in '84.
Or have you been on the line with Madam Cleo and her crystal ball?
Actually, her name is Erin and she lives in Philly. She went down to "Outfest" with a gay friend of hers. I called her earlier to get the scoop.
Oh, OK! Wow,that sure sheds a lot of light on the subject.
:::Wiping brow in relief while rolling eyes:::
Don't worry! We'll take her word for it scouts honor.
:::Crossing fingers behind back:::
Her account does fit in with the police account. I realize we don't know the poster from Adam, but a poster I do know and trust, Physicist, has stated that these guys have a checkered past.
You can continue to ignore the indications that there is a whole lotta hype going on here if you so desire.
Cute, you keep trying to get away from the actual subject and belittle my opinion or sources so that you don't have to listen to facts. Let's try to move this back in the right direction.
Why would these protesters be charged with three felonies if all they were doing was meekly sitting outside of the event reading Scripture? Wouldn't it make a hell of a lot more sense if things went down the way that my friend, an eyewitness, reported?
From the evidence presented here you wouldn't be offended if I decided not to vote them guilty just yet would ya?
As for the hype, "hate crimes" legislation gets all the hype the MSM can give it.
Physicist, can you point us to the article in which it is reported that they preach, "GOD HATES FAGS?"
I haven't seen much of any conclusive evidence one way or the other. But I've seen plenty of hype in my day and age, and this one sure looks like it's chock full of hype, probably on both sides.
Lynne Abraham made the same claim about the video's (there were seven) in our case too.
I agree with the rest of your post.
In this case it is possible all the involved parties are the bad guys. I've run into that scenario before on a number of occasions.
I've noted on this thread that there are two parties with serious veracity problems here, especially given what Lynn baby tried to pull with Don.
How have you been doing?
Fine and you?
Not bad. Working too darn much.
No, I was agreeing with you. You were pretty much saying, it's a mans job to please the laides..... right on... :-D
How do you get from DirtyHarry calling the event a 'pervert pride rally' to your questioning his sense of right and wrong? When homosexuals brazenly parade their perversion in the public square then it's no distortion of the truth to call it a 'pervert pride rally'.
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