Posted on 10/27/2006 4:35:00 PM PDT by Ellesu
NATCHITOCHES, La. (AP) The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana filed a lawsuit Friday on behalf of a man who was chased away from the front of a Wal-Mart store when he tried to protest what he believes is the company's stand on gays.
A Natchitoches police officer told Edwin Crayton to leave on or about Oct. 4 after he stood in front of Wal-Mart with a protest sign that read, "Christians: Wal-Mart Supports Gay Lifestyles And Marriage. Don't Shop There," according to a news release from the ACLU.
Crayton was told he could not return until he obtained permits from the police and the mayor, said Joe Cook, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana.
"Government violates the principles in the First Amendment when it puts an over-broad permit scheme in place to restrain free speech in a public place," Cook said. "The sweep of the ordinance is so wide that it could encompass a chance meeting on the street corner by two strangers."
Last year, Wal-Mart disclosed that it was expanding the definition of "immediate family" in its ethics policy to include an employee's same-sex partner. Efforts to increase diversity in the company work force include new groups of minority, female and gay employees that have started meeting at Wal-Mart headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., to advise the company on marketing and internal promotion.
"The right to be heard on matters of religious and political significance is at the core of our constitutional system," said Katie Schwartzmann, staff attorney for the ACLU of Louisiana.
On the net: http://www.laaclu.org/CraytonComplaint_102606.pdf
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
The article --- which is all I have to go on --- didn't say the man was on private property. It said it was "a public place."
The wedge would be to firm up the "right" to protest on private property. An, all your property is belong to us kinda thing.
Open your doors to the public, your property becomes a "public place" if the ACLU had its way. When the rainbow protestors show up at your church to speak out against the church teaching against homosexuality, how do you get them to stop their disruption, as they are now making their protest in "a public place"?
THEY ARE TRYING TO GIVE THE ACLU LOVING DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS SOME AMMUNITION TO USE TO FIGHT AGAINST THE CHANGES TO 42 USC 1988. THE LAW THAT ALLOWS THEM TO BE AWARDED ATTORNEY'S FEES!
Yup.
Would this be one of the Reverend Phelps' flock?
Hmmm... This has now gone to "Is the sky blue?" types of questions.
Let me see if I can not waste so much time and clear my thinking up for you.
Hiring the ACLU to bring civil lawsuits is a BAD thing. This is because the ACLU is a pro communist organization that will do whatever it can to destroy the U.S. Where it excels is finding liberal judges to side with them, rather than the law, in lawsuits.
Yes, there are many other law organizations who bring civil suits and are awarded victories - which normally means fees as well. Since these organizations are not trying to destroy the country, rather are defending the Constitution, is makes sense to reward them by retaining them and NOT retaining the ACLU.
If this doesn't clear it up for you you'll have to ask someone else. Or, simply support the ACLU, communism, and the destruction of the U.S. Constitution and not expect any more responses from me.
I thought at first that this was just that once-a-year PR blitz by the athiest Democrat scumbags at the ACLU but on second thought I figure they're purpose in this case is to poke Wal-Mart in the eye.
There was an injunction against congregating on the steps of the church, so when the police arrived, they would clear off everybody, including church people coming out of Mass, who were then obliged to go through the jeering homosexual throng, which was humiliating as well as dangerous. The NYC police called this "even-handed enforcement."
I think it's a matter of sheer political power. If the Mayor and the Chief of Police were determined to shield the churchgoers from noisy confrontation, they could have curbed ACT-UP; but since they were sympathetic to, or at least intimidated by, ACT-UP and its supporters, the cops allowed innocent church-goers to be obscenely harrassed on a regular basis.
If I am not mistaken, the private property of a church, residence, or business includes the sidewalk to the curb. Technically. Does anybody know?
Your question may be the issue involved in the case in the article. They are not defending his Christian beliefs, his right to worship as he sees fit. Cases like this one are never about the defendant. They are about creating precedence, which can then be used in other cases. If he was right by the front door & wins, do you think an injunction for the church steps would be legally allowed?
If you think going through jeering on your way into or out of church is bad, understand the legal goals of your opponents. They want their opinion heard in your church, getting spouted from the pulpit. Rainbow sashes have announced as much.
A sidewalk is not owned by the property owner, even if it was originally part of the owner's property. In some cases they create the sidewalk and call it an "easement" and in other cases, they simply condemn it, pay you a "pittance" for it, and then it is not yours.
In either case, whether considered an "easement" or actually state property, it is still considered a public place.
A perfect example of an easement is an electric, gas, or water meter. Also, if you have a main water line, main gas line, or some other utility coming through your property and the city needs to do work on it, you're just flat out of luck, even if it is "your" property.
This ain't about Christianity. It's about smashing Walmart.
The ACLU will take any case when there's a chance of hurting the economy or the social fabric.
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