Or, a bunch of guys, many of them head and shoulders taller than 69-year-old Phyllis Burgess, knocked a Styrofoam cross out of her hand, stomped on it, and threatened her.
It all depends on how you look at it.
I suppose the crowd at the 'No on Proposition 8 rally' in Palm Springs might have felt threatened. Although any one of them had about a 2-to-1 weight advantage, she was outnumbered, about 1 to 500. That's 2 to 500, if you include the reporter who was interviewing her.
Besides, they were protesting a ban on gay marriage in California: she was reminding them of Christian teachings about homosexuality. From one point of view, at least, she's 'obviously' the aggressor, and homophobic to boot.
Peaceful Demonstrations, Tolerance, and Videotape
KPSP / CBS 2 Palm Springs devoted over three minutes of a newscast to the incident. I don't think that Phyllis Burgess and her cross constituted a real and present danger to the protesters, but I could be wrong.Before seeing the video, I thought it was possible that the old woman with the cross was trying to cause an incident. That is possible. After all, between her bright yellow clothing, white hair, and that cross, she was as hard to ignore as a bee in a nudist colony.
Besides, she had what looks like a camera slung on her neck: an 'obviously' provocative move. Again, 'obviously' from some points of view. Further, there was word that two men were with her. Which would make the odds 4 to 500. I didn't notice her alleged companions, myself.
For someone who was trying to cause trouble, though, she was quite low-key when on-camera. And, under the circumstances, quite calm. A short sample of the interview, between Phyllis Burgess and KPSP reporter Kimberly Cheng:
- Old woman Phyllis Burgess:
"...call the police..." - KPSP reporter Kimberly Cheng: "...we are being attacked..."
- "...there's a lot of anger and a lot of hate going obviously on both sides."
"A Lot of Anger and ... Hate Going Obviously on Both Sides"
Maybe Mr. Long saw something I didn't in that video, or maybe he was thinking of outfits like the Westboro ("God hates America") Baptist Church (WBC) in Topeka Kansas. There are people who say they're Christian, and preach hate.But, not everyone who disagrees with the American psychiatric profession on homosexuality preaches hate.
Unless this sort of statement is 'hateful:'
"The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2358)
Here's that news video:
"GAY MARRIAGE PROPONENTS ATTACK ELDERLY WOMAN"
YouTube (November 11, 2008)
video (3:08)
That was the best sample I found, of that news item. The person who posted it included an extensive comment, which included: "...New World Order minion and California gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger...."
I'm glad the video was posted, and I think viewing it is a good idea, but I certainly do not see eye-to-eye with the person who posted it.
Today's world has its problems, but a secret cabal of liberals, Catholics, Masons, and Jesuit assassins isn't one of them. I suppose that people who fear the NWO will assume that They made me say that: or that I'm one of Them.
Which, in a way, being Catholic, I am. One of yesterday's posts touched on New World Order conspiracy theories and Catholicism.
News and background:
- "GAY MARRIAGE PROPONENTS ATTACK ELDERLY WOMAN"
YouTube video (November 11, 2008) - "Woman to press assault charges from Prop 8 protest"
mydesert.com / The Desert Sun (November 10, 2008) - "Article 6 - The 6th Commandment"
Catechism of the Catholic Church
(Particularly 2358.)
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