Google “Arlene Elshinnawy” and you will pull up 9 pages of results from Christian news sites which tell you that this sweet little 75 year old grandmother was arrested for preaching against homosexuality on a Philadelphia sidewalk. She has become the poster grandma of the Christian’s victimization at the hands of hate crime laws, appearing on every right-wing show from Bill O’Reilly to Focus on the Family.
From my favorite, World Net Daily:
“Arrested for sharing the Gospel? An expected outcome in North Korea, China or any Muslim country on the globe. But in Pennsylvania? Yep. Arlene Elshinnawy, a 75-year-old grandmother of three ... (along with nine others), were arrested for sharing their faith on the public sidewalk in Philadelphia, Pa., USA. They faced 47 years (the rest of their lives) in jail for spreading the Gospel because of a Pennsylvania "hate crimes" law ...”
In order to find the real story, I had to Google Philly Pride and Arlene Elshinnawy together. Which returned the actual court documents for this case, always the best source for the truth. Which is this:
On October 10, 2004, the gay rights organization Philly Pride held a festival known as OutFest which covered several streets in the gay neighborhood of Philadelphia, for which they had obtained all the legal permits. Streets were blocked off from traffic, vendors were set up, stages assembled for presentations, etc.
It was well-publicized in the news that the Christian anti-gay group Repent America planned to disrupt the event, which they had done at several other similar events across the nation. Philly Pride asked the city to step in and prevent the protesters from coming into the festival area, since they had obtained a legal permit to hold a private, non-publicly funded event, and wanted to avoid any confrontation.
The city declined the request. As the court document shows, however, Repent America “did not seek or obtain a permit to conduct any expressive activities at the OutFest location.”
Philly Pride knew they would be there, though, and they decided to recruit volunteers to form a “human buffer” against Repent America’s protestors.
On the day of the festival, members of Repent America, including the grannies, illegally entered the area, complete with signage, bullhorns, and a documentary film crew (see court document).
What ensued was a face-off between the gays and the anti-gays, with much yelling and screaming for hours, drawing crowds in the thousands. As the court document shows, the anti-gays (do I really have to call them Christian?) were menacing and taunting, calling a member of Philly Pride “she man” repeatedly, making school-yard jokes about 5 O’clock shadow, etc.
The Philly police officers who, god love them, were overseeing the festival, allowed this to continue for quite some time as it is within both parties’ First Amendment rights to try to out-scream each other. It was only when officers asked members of Repent America to move to a different location, as they were blocking access to a stage presentation, that trouble erupted. The anti-gays threw themselves to the ground and began screaming about their First Amendment rights. They were subsequently arrested for “disorderly conduct, disobeying the order of a police officer, and related charges.”
They turned around and sued the city for violation of their civil rights, and the judge threw the case out of court. But four years later, the Christian myth machine is still milking this one for all it's worth, spreading the lie that grandmas who were singing and praying on a public sidewalk were handcuffed and hauled off to jail for Jesus' sake.
I do, in fact, believe Ms. Elshinawwy is a victim. But not of any hate crimes law.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
What Colorado SB 200 REALLY says
Leaders of the Christian media are whipping its adherents into a frenzy over Colorado SB 200, which is a bill to amend the state’s anti-discrimination laws to include homosexuals. The purpose of the bill is to make it illegal to ban homosexuals from public places, or from benefiting from the goods and services of public places, including restaurants, hotels, amusement parks, schools, health clinics, etc.
Christian leaders are leading their flocks to believe that a section of the bill outlaws the publication or distribution of any written material that condemns homosexuality, with the obvious implication that this includes the Bible. Here is what that section of the bill actually says:
24-34-701. Publishing of discriminative matter forbidden.
No person, being the owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, superintendent, agent, or employee of any place of public accommodation, resort, or amusement, directly or indirectly, by himself or herself or through another person shall publish, issue, circulate, send, distribute, give away, or display in any way, manner, or shape or by any means or method, except as provided in this section, any communication, paper, poster, folder, manuscript, book, pamphlet, writing, print, letter, notice, or advertisement of any kind, nature, or description that is intended or calculated to discriminate or actually discriminates against any disability, race, creed, color, RELIGION, sex, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, marital status, national origin, or ancestry or against any of the members thereof in the matter of furnishing or neglecting or refusing to furnish to them or any one of them any lodging, housing, schooling, or tuition or any accommodation, right, privilege, advantage, or convenience offered to or enjoyed by the general public or which states that any of the accommodations, rights, privileges, advantages, or conveniences of any such place of public accommodation, resort, or amusement shall or will be refused, withheld from, or denied to any person or class of persons on account of disability, race, creed, color, RELIGION, sex, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, marital status, national origin, or ancestry or that the patronage, custom, presence, frequenting, dwelling, staying, or lodging at such place by any person or class of persons belonging to or purporting to be of any particular disability, race, creed, color, RELIGION, sex, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, marital status, national origin, or ancestry is unwelcome or objectionable or not acceptable, desired, or solicited.
http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2008A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/BD7A295EB6F4460E872573F5005D0148?Open&file=200_01.pdf
The only written material that would be outlawed under this bill is material that says or implies homosexuals will or should be denied access to public places or the services of public places. Christians are free to continue printing, preaching, distributing, and posting Bible verses that condemn homosexuality, as long as they aren’t trying to ban homosexuals from a public place.
And just so there is no confusion, the bill makes this clear distinction:
"PLACE OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION" SHALL NOT INCLUDE A CHURCH, SYNAGOGUE, MOSQUE, OR OTHER PLACE THAT IS PRINCIPALLY USED FOR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES.
Despite the very clear wording of CO SB 200, however, there are many in the Christian community who are under the impression that the bill will wreak mortal havoc on our society. Consider this snippet from Citizen Link:
“All 'public accommodations,' including restrooms, would be opened to men, women, bisexuals, transsexuals and transgendered individuals…The next time you visit Colorado, you may run into members of the opposite sex when you use a public restroom.”
Or from World Net Daily:
“In Colorado, cross-dressers and people with, shall we say, idiosyncratic concepts of sexual orientation and expression are now free to cross gender lines in their use of public facilities such as restrooms. A male pervert or child predator can no longer be arrested for using the ladies' room, as he may claim to be a woman trapped in a man's body when confronted by law enforcement.”
Fear-mongering at its best.
In an email communication, I tried to communicate the facts of this bill to a very concerned Christian family member, who replied “of course you would interpret it that way, because you are not a Christian.”
Apparently you must be saved in order to read Senate bills correctly. Who knew?
She further informed me that there are literally hundreds of cases all across the country in which pastors are being sued for preaching against homosexuality because of bills like this. I asked for links to court records or newspaper articles detailing these cases, but I haven’t received any yet. I won’t hold my breath.
What say you?
Christian leaders are leading their flocks to believe that a section of the bill outlaws the publication or distribution of any written material that condemns homosexuality, with the obvious implication that this includes the Bible. Here is what that section of the bill actually says:
24-34-701. Publishing of discriminative matter forbidden.
No person, being the owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, superintendent, agent, or employee of any place of public accommodation, resort, or amusement, directly or indirectly, by himself or herself or through another person shall publish, issue, circulate, send, distribute, give away, or display in any way, manner, or shape or by any means or method, except as provided in this section, any communication, paper, poster, folder, manuscript, book, pamphlet, writing, print, letter, notice, or advertisement of any kind, nature, or description that is intended or calculated to discriminate or actually discriminates against any disability, race, creed, color, RELIGION, sex, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, marital status, national origin, or ancestry or against any of the members thereof in the matter of furnishing or neglecting or refusing to furnish to them or any one of them any lodging, housing, schooling, or tuition or any accommodation, right, privilege, advantage, or convenience offered to or enjoyed by the general public or which states that any of the accommodations, rights, privileges, advantages, or conveniences of any such place of public accommodation, resort, or amusement shall or will be refused, withheld from, or denied to any person or class of persons on account of disability, race, creed, color, RELIGION, sex, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, marital status, national origin, or ancestry or that the patronage, custom, presence, frequenting, dwelling, staying, or lodging at such place by any person or class of persons belonging to or purporting to be of any particular disability, race, creed, color, RELIGION, sex, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, marital status, national origin, or ancestry is unwelcome or objectionable or not acceptable, desired, or solicited.
http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2008A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/BD7A295EB6F4460E872573F5005D0148?Open&file=200_01.pdf
The only written material that would be outlawed under this bill is material that says or implies homosexuals will or should be denied access to public places or the services of public places. Christians are free to continue printing, preaching, distributing, and posting Bible verses that condemn homosexuality, as long as they aren’t trying to ban homosexuals from a public place.
And just so there is no confusion, the bill makes this clear distinction:
"PLACE OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION" SHALL NOT INCLUDE A CHURCH, SYNAGOGUE, MOSQUE, OR OTHER PLACE THAT IS PRINCIPALLY USED FOR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES.
Despite the very clear wording of CO SB 200, however, there are many in the Christian community who are under the impression that the bill will wreak mortal havoc on our society. Consider this snippet from Citizen Link:
“All 'public accommodations,' including restrooms, would be opened to men, women, bisexuals, transsexuals and transgendered individuals…The next time you visit Colorado, you may run into members of the opposite sex when you use a public restroom.”
Or from World Net Daily:
“In Colorado, cross-dressers and people with, shall we say, idiosyncratic concepts of sexual orientation and expression are now free to cross gender lines in their use of public facilities such as restrooms. A male pervert or child predator can no longer be arrested for using the ladies' room, as he may claim to be a woman trapped in a man's body when confronted by law enforcement.”
Fear-mongering at its best.
In an email communication, I tried to communicate the facts of this bill to a very concerned Christian family member, who replied “of course you would interpret it that way, because you are not a Christian.”
Apparently you must be saved in order to read Senate bills correctly. Who knew?
She further informed me that there are literally hundreds of cases all across the country in which pastors are being sued for preaching against homosexuality because of bills like this. I asked for links to court records or newspaper articles detailing these cases, but I haven’t received any yet. I won’t hold my breath.
What say you?
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Ohio Teacher Who Branded Student Claims Persectuion
Mount Vernon, OH middle school teacher John Freshwater says his religious beliefs are under attack after he was fired from his position for refusing to remove a Bible from his desk.
The reality:
“A Mount Vernon teacher undermined science instruction in the public school district by discrediting evolution in his classroom and focusing on creationism and intelligent design, an investigation has found.
Eighth-graders who were taught by John Freshwater frequently had to be re-taught in high school what they were supposed to have learned in Freshwater's class, according to outside investigators hired by the district.
For 11 years, other teachers in the school district and people in the community complained about Freshwater preaching his Christian beliefs in class and slamming scientific theories, a school administrator told investigators.” 1
In April of last year, the school board sent Freshwater a letter in which he was told that he could keep the Bible in his desk and read it on his lunch hour, but it cannot be sitting on his desk during instruction time. 2 Freshwater responded that this violated his civil rights. 3
This violation has set off a firestorm in the Christian community, both in Mount Vernon and across the country, with hundreds of people demonstrating outside the school board offices and filing online petitions on his behalf. 4
But Mr. Freshwater apparently believes it is within his civil rights to brand crosses onto his students’ arms:
"The parents of a Mount Vernon boy who says his science teacher branded a cross on his arm have sued the teacher and the school board, saying the teacher violated the boy's civil rights."
"The suit alleges that Freshwater burned a cross on the student's arm on Dec. 6, using an electric device that puts out a high voltage. The device is used in science classrooms to teach the characteristics of different gases. The boy's parents complained to school administrators, who say they told Freshwater not to do it again." 5
“Freshwater told investigators the marks were X's, not crosses. But all of the students interviewed in the investigation reported being branded with crosses. The investigation report includes a photo of one student's arm with a long vertical line and a short horizontal line running through it.” 6 (Because it’s okay to brand a child with X’s, just not crosses....)
Here is a picture of the X:
Methinks Mr. Freshwater bears false witness.
The bottom line is, the school board should have taken action long before now, and not for having a Bible on the desk. When students actually require supplemental education in order to complete graduation because of a teacher's failure to teach the curriculum, that’s a problem! It should not have been allowed to go on for 11 years. And he should have been fired, arrested, and stripped of his teaching license the day he decided to brand children like cattle.
What say you?
The reality:
“A Mount Vernon teacher undermined science instruction in the public school district by discrediting evolution in his classroom and focusing on creationism and intelligent design, an investigation has found.
Eighth-graders who were taught by John Freshwater frequently had to be re-taught in high school what they were supposed to have learned in Freshwater's class, according to outside investigators hired by the district.
For 11 years, other teachers in the school district and people in the community complained about Freshwater preaching his Christian beliefs in class and slamming scientific theories, a school administrator told investigators.” 1
In April of last year, the school board sent Freshwater a letter in which he was told that he could keep the Bible in his desk and read it on his lunch hour, but it cannot be sitting on his desk during instruction time. 2 Freshwater responded that this violated his civil rights. 3
This violation has set off a firestorm in the Christian community, both in Mount Vernon and across the country, with hundreds of people demonstrating outside the school board offices and filing online petitions on his behalf. 4
But Mr. Freshwater apparently believes it is within his civil rights to brand crosses onto his students’ arms:
"The parents of a Mount Vernon boy who says his science teacher branded a cross on his arm have sued the teacher and the school board, saying the teacher violated the boy's civil rights."
"The suit alleges that Freshwater burned a cross on the student's arm on Dec. 6, using an electric device that puts out a high voltage. The device is used in science classrooms to teach the characteristics of different gases. The boy's parents complained to school administrators, who say they told Freshwater not to do it again." 5
“Freshwater told investigators the marks were X's, not crosses. But all of the students interviewed in the investigation reported being branded with crosses. The investigation report includes a photo of one student's arm with a long vertical line and a short horizontal line running through it.” 6 (Because it’s okay to brand a child with X’s, just not crosses....)
Here is a picture of the X:
Methinks Mr. Freshwater bears false witness.
The bottom line is, the school board should have taken action long before now, and not for having a Bible on the desk. When students actually require supplemental education in order to complete graduation because of a teacher's failure to teach the curriculum, that’s a problem! It should not have been allowed to go on for 11 years. And he should have been fired, arrested, and stripped of his teaching license the day he decided to brand children like cattle.
What say you?
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