Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, a street preacher won his appeal against a public order conviction for using the 'wrong' Bible verse in public.
A lawyer from the Christian Legal Centre said, "Public debate is becoming more superficial and fragile. People feel that certain things can't be said. That is dangerous. It prevents us from challenging ideas, beliefs and behavior that need to be challenged. It may make some people feel more comfortable, but it doesn't make the country safer.
"Mike's case highlights problems that will only get worse if the government plows on with its flawed 'Counter-Extremism Strategy'. Islamic terrorism needs to be tackled, but giving the government far-reaching powers to clamp down on all sorts of beliefs that it doesn't like is dangerous.
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This is what's happening across the world today. A preacher gets sued for reading a Bible verse and a lower court judge actually ruled against him. Although this happened in England, we are experiencing the exact same thing in the freest nation on Earth. People have found that they can call anyone anything that they like and try to end free speech. Our own city commission put a lock on free speech when it voted on a 4/1 to change the procedure on invocations after having them for 75 years or so. The government is controlling the message.
Read about Christian preacher in North Korea who was just sentenced to life. We are becoming just like they are; it is all in the degree of harshness that we impose.
But it's not only invocations or preaching in public that is being condemned by some, it is all of the name calling by those minority groups that believe only their opinion matters and who are trying to end the First Amendment. We have some in this town who love to call people racist and worse for simply stating an opinion on anything. They think it cool to take the side of the downtrodden or those who cry "unfair." Don't mention your opinion or observation of a current event as they will have some ridiculous comment.
The 'downtrodden' in downtown are taking over... They are aggressively foul mouthed, physically in your face intimidating and arrogant, skateboarding and biking down the sidewalks so you can't even walk, and God forbid you say something like 'excuse me' as they run into you or ask that they move over. And should you decline their 'requests' for money, which we all MUST do if we are to try to out a stranglehold on their 'resources' to buy drugs and alcohol, then were are pleasures by a barrage of racial slurs and derogatory screaming. Who the hell do these people think they are? Certainly not God's gift to Lake Worth? They are more like the terrorist trying to scare us into submission with what amounts to domestic, western culture anarchy. Why don't all these people go live in a commune someplace?
ReplyDeleteLynn, who is taking the sides of the downtrodden? The only ones I see doing that are the leftist who are inviting all these vagabond and drifter types to our town.
You would be appalled to have witnessed what I saw Friday night. A skateboarding dirtbag stole merchandise from a vendor in the cultural placza at Evening in the Avenue Friday night, then skated away west down the sidewalk Lake Ave (being chased by a good guy), then the dirtbag stole a sweatshirt from Comm Amoroso's store. Thankfully the Commissioner and the other vendor were able to give PBSO a full description and within about 10 minutes they had chased down the dirtbag and arrested him, recovering the stolen merchandise.
What is troubling, is the heckling that other 'downtrodden' loiterers and witnesses to these crimes and the subsequent arrest said, or all loudly complaining about how the the perpetrator should not even be arrested, because it will "ruin his life". Oh please, don't I have a reasonable expectation to believe I can walk on the street without getting my purse ripped off? And if I'm a local store owner, don't I have to right to expect not to getting shoiftes and ripped off by these marauders? Most of us work really hard for our money.
We need to take back our neighborhoods and our downtown. That means normal folks like us need to visit and spend time in our downtown and crowd out these law breaking, no good marauders, and we need to call out 'bullshit' when we hear the far left call for free food, allow 'camping' in our parks,, and now free clothing to meet their perceived needs. Great a friggen job, join the rest of civilized society, there are no special rules just because you think there should be, all part of the 'entitled' generation.
So Lynn, please help us identify the 'downtrodden' supporters so we may all assert our influence upon them and try to expose the damage this is doing to out town. I'm serious, we are at risk of losing our town.
The "downtrodden" supporters are your elected officials who refuse to create laws to protect our residents, not only from the boom of Sober Homes allowing addicts living right next door to us, but all the panhandlers and loitering going on. It is breeding unbelievable crime in our city, something else that this commission doesn't want to discuss only with Maxwell saying crime has "gone down."
ReplyDeleteIdentified.
What about Scott, Pam and Andy not doing anything about vacation homes that are turning into flea bag motels of prostitution?
ReplyDeleteThere was some genius on your blog that even had the gall to say that the Heights charter amendment was unfair. Now an election is even unfair?
ReplyDeleteI told the story of how my elderly Mother and her friend were threatened by a homeless dirt-bag on their way into a funeral for a friend of theirs at a city commission meeting.After public comment was over Commissioner Amoroso responded to me like the rude little prick that he is.His comment,sneered down to me from the dais in the wake of my concern for the public and our downtown businesses was "Mrs. Mcgiveron, the homeless have a right to be on the street just like you do."
ReplyDeleteThat is the exact same attitude that Mayor Pam triolo ,Commissioner Scott Maxwell and city manager Mike Bornstein have. They wring their hands and cry "Aww gee, we can't do anything about this problem. " Then ,like Commissioner Amoroso did to me, they get abusive to the citizens when we demand that something,anything be done.
Look, there are no homeless bums and addicts assaulting people in Palm Beach.Why not? I and the rest of the citizens pay about 16 million dollars to the PBSO per year to police our FIVE FRIGGIN ACRES of paradise that we call Lake Worth.
The scummy businesses that attract the unwashed dumpster diving crowd have every right to be downtown, right? Commissioner Amoroso would be the first to tell you that they do
It really is a shame that people are becoming afraid to go downtown. But Pam, Andy and Scott don't worry about it. Just concentrate on that bike trail.
The only downtrodden supporters that I see looking around… is our very own sitting Commissioner Ryan Maier who from the dais professes to be a long volunteer with the homeless Golish a Palm Beach County… and despite 'trying' to keep us informed, he is clueless as to what programs they are actually planning and offering.
ReplyDeleteWell here's the information, next quarter, possibly January 21 or Februay 5,The Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County will be hosting a "project homeless connect" event in Lake Worth. At first they wanted to use the gym in Lake Worth, but it was too small (I wonder how the black community would like that). So now they're trying to rent the church at federal and first… they are expecting 250 to 300 people at this event. They have about a dozen 'vendors' providing these services.
Services will include free food, clothing, haircuts, health screenings, vision checks, eyeglasses, bikes, and comfort kids. In addition, resources, referrals and assistance are provided for housing, food stamps, employment, obtaining identification cards, and other direct services .
One glaring question pops in my mind, what are all these people go after the four hour event? I guess as a logical thinking person, they meander down to Bryant Park and enjoy the sun along the waterfront, or they flood into downtown, to the cultural plaza where they parked himself for the day and into the night.
Nice, huh?
Anon at 6:31 you and other need to take your collective heads out of your asses. Homelessness is not a crime.and sober homes are protected by the Americans With Disabilities Act, and HUD fair housing regulation which 'protect' addicts... Both are federal laws.
What should be criminal is places like Palm Beach shuttling any homeless adventure across the bridge back over to the mainland. Yes it's true, surrounding municipalities are dumping homeless in our city. From Jupiter to Boca, they all know where to take people. Just look for the white panel panel vans that come in town every day, no markings usually, except for the one I say from Naples! Yea, a church in Naples, dropping off in the parking lot at a downtown bank on a Saturday afternoon.
Praise the Lord!
If you don't want so-call 'scummy businesses', then what are you specifically doing to attract a new enterprise from coming into town?
And if you like what we have right now, and want more of it, then you should check out candidate Ryan Hartmann… Who is inviting homeless, drifters, trespassers, anarchist, and vagabonds to flood into our downtown area… His idea of making LW a better place.
Wake up people, if the good, long term citizens of LW, don't like what they see, then you need to put boots on the ground… You need to be on the street in your downtown area pushing out and making it uncomfortable for these lowlifes to be here. If you do not, then you're absolutely right no one will want to come to Lake Worth, and all of your businesses will fail and go away.
I would greatly appreciate it if you would get back to the original topic of this blog about a street preacher who was denied his rights.
ReplyDeleteNext, if you are coming here to make political points, well and good, but let's not make assumptions that are untrue.
I think it is this commission that needs to do something about the homeless problem and Ryan Maier is attempting to do just that. All Ryan Hartman has said is that the homeless are people too and need help...God's creatures if you will. Hopefully the Homeless Coalition will help us in this regard. We have a serious issue.
Yep.... heads in asses alright.
ReplyDeleteThe truth will set you free Lynn. Open your eyes to the history of Ryan Hartmsn, he is just looking for an opportunity to crap in your dinner plate... And has eyes on lake Osborne. John Prince Park, Bryant Park and the Cultursl Plaza for organized protests, sit-in, and getting arrested on TV.whike displaying the leftist antics and anarchy chaos he leads. There will be more drifters coming to LW as Earthfirst! Is now inviting these vagabonds to join them downtown.
ReplyDeleteSoon you will see the proof of his ways... Maybe then you will wake up and smell their dirty ways.
@9:16--you are a joy!
ReplyDelete