Why the Outrage over Outfest Arrests?

[struggle4progress]

PC IS A DIRTY acronym in my house. My negative views of political correctness are so strong that I recently wrote a book on the subject.

So when I first heard reports that political correctness stopped Christians from assembling and preaching the gospel at a gay rally, I thought I knew on which side I would stand. Trouble is, I know the players. And politically correct they're not. <snip>

Somebody needs to tell the national wing nuts that Lynne Abraham doesn't cower to the forces of political correctness. <snip>

At fault here is whoever interfered with another group's right to be heard. I wasn't there, but I strongly suspect that was Repent America. What I know for sure is that those who are portraying this as another case of PC run amok just don't know the players. <snip>

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/10632646.htm

<edit:>

Posted on Sat, Jan. 15, 2005
Editorial | Repent America Protesters A case gone too far

<snip> No, people should not be arrested for mere exercise of free speech - but when their free speech seems on the edge of provoking possible violence, there's a case to be made for city police taking people into custody simply to calm the situation.

There seems no question that Repent America got its message out - informing gay-event participants that they faced eternal damnation, as well as carrying signs proclaiming "God Abhors You" and the like.

But when the group's leader sat down in the street, refusing to move after being warned by police of imminent arrest, it was no surprise that the cops began hauling protesters away. And probably not a disappointment to the protesters. Isn't that the point of many protests, to attract attention by getting arrested?

Here's what should have happened next: a fine for disorderly conduct or other misdemeanor for those who did the most to disobey police. <snip>

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/10650310.htm

[TwentyFive]

1. More nutcase christians taunting gays. I hope they get jail time.

Cops had a right to arrest these morons.

This has nothing to do with freedom of speech. When you combine hundreds of people - with one small group taunting the others with signs, catcalls, etc.....the cops need authority to create some physical distance between the two.

Otherwise a massive fight follows, and people get killed.

[queeg]

2. repent america = KKK

Their tactics are the same. The KKK would go into a Jewish neighborhood to incite violence, and these religious fanatics will go to Gay events to incite violence. Why should the charges or the efforts of the government be any different?

[Zenlitened]

3. Definitely not an issue of "political correctness"

There is a legal concept called "fighting words," which is similar to the idea of shouting "fire" in a crowded theater.

Fighting Words

In the case of Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, the Supreme Court recognized a First Amendment exception for "fighting words", which it described as "those which by their very utterance (1) inflict injury or (2) tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace." In the decades since this 1940 decision, the Court has limited its effects to the most challenging and confrontational of words spoken in a face to face encounter and likely to lead to immediate fighting.

http://www.spectacle.org/freespch/musm/fight.html

(emphasis mine)