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| "Reasonable Limits" - OSA draws unfair editorial from Columbus Dispach |
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"Reasonable Limits" - OSA draws unfair editorial from Columbus Dispatch
OSA response published in Dispatch
The OSA national event last month in Columbus, Ohio revealed the true nature of much of its city leadership’s feelings toward the preaching of Jesus Christ in the streets. Between 100 and 150 police officers were dispatched to watch over between 150 to 200 peaceful Christians who then allowed several dozen pro-abortion & pro-sodomite protesters to heckle and attempt to disrupt prayers, singing and other free speech. Apparently preaching of king Jesus and God's Word is not welcomed by Columbus city leaders nor its main newspaper and they're now falling over themselves trying to prevent any future preaching of truth in love by OSA or anyone on the streets of Columbus.
The Columbus Dispatch published an editorial in agreement with City Attorney Richard C. Pfeiffer Jr. that wrongly labels gentle Christians as the problem and his calling for limits on future First Amendment activities. Brenda Spurlock of OSA was present that week in Columbus and wrote a response. Two weeks later it was published. We have included both the newspaper’s editorial and Brenda’s letter below it here. Please read both as the Dispatch withheld many key facts leaving readers without the truth. All articles, reports, pictures & press releases before July 23 from OSA's 2004 event are in our Columbus > News section.
EDITORIAL Published: Friday, July 30, 2004 Now that the loudspeakers, name-calling, post-midnight demonstrations and other hallmarks of the recent, weeklong Operation Save America rally have left the City Hall grounds, the time is right for City Attorney Richard C. Pfeiffer Jr. to bring forth reasonable rules to prevent a recurrence. To be clear: Operation Save America should be allowed to proclaim its message in public places, including the City Hall lawn, even if many people don't welcome it. The group relishes provocation and confrontation, exhibiting a particular animus against gays, abortion-rights supporters and Islam. Similarly, constitutional guarantees of free speech require that dedicated antagonist Jerry Doyle be permitted to address the Columbus Board of Education and City Council at their meetings, even if his rants are unintelligible. But public officials can and should impose reasonable order on public speech so that all members of the public can go about their business. Operation Save America's protest went on for days, attracting counter-protesters and obligating the city to spend yet-uncounted tax dollars in police overtime. People complained that the group's prolonged stay gave the impression that the rowdy, sometimes-confrontational event, studded with graphic photos of aborted fetuses, was city-sponsored. Rowdy and even disrespectful protests are standard in a democracy, but all are subject to limits. A sidewalk-occupancy permit the group obtained for $174 allowed it to set up tables for prayer. But the group set up no tables and spent little time on the sidewalk, instead sticking mostly to the lawn, where no rules govern public use. The tactic may have been intentional; an attorney for Operation Save America contacted Pfeiffer's office and carefully researched the city code well before the group came to town. In trying to write rules, setting reasonable time limits would be a good place to start. Pfeiffer, who is researching the matter, could look for guidance to the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board, which governs public use of the Statehouse grounds. After the state prohibition on a Ku Klux Klan rally was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1995, the board adopted new rules: A group can get up to 25 permits per year; each is good for up to 72 hours; no back-to-back permits are given. Events must start after 7 a.m. and end by midnight . Signs on sticks, poles and stakes are prohibited, and signs can't be left unattended. Despite some provocative actions by Operation Save America and a few citations and arrests, the demonstration remained mostly under control, if a little noisy. Pfeiffer credits that to the wisdom and calm of Columbus police officers at the scene, led by Lt. Jeffrey Puls. Taxpayers can be thankful for such good service, but Pfeiffer is right to suggest that the city should put some limits in place |
Brenda Spurlock’s response
http://www.dispatch.com/editorials-story.php?story=dispatch/2004/08/12/20040812-A12-03.html Police officers ignored harassment at rally Thursday, August 12, 2004 Operation Save America has a 15-year history of holding peaceful, nonviolent gospel events in states all across the nation. The July 30 Dispatch editorial about the group’s nightly rallies fails to tell the reader that the rowdy, disrespectful name-calling came not from us but from the two-dozen or so homosexuals, abortion-rights advocates and other lost souls who protested against us each evening at City Hall. This group yelled obscenities and blasphemies at our speakers, Christian ministers, and used any means possible to disrupt the rallies. One poor wretch chose to expose her breasts. There were many children present. For the most part, Columbus police stood by and just let it all happen. The editorial writer says, "Public officials can and should impose reasonable order on public speech so that all members of the public can go about their business." Operation Save America had a permit to hold rallies at the City Hall during the week of July 17. The homosexuals and abortion-rights advocates didn’t. Christians asked police officers a number of times throughout the week to bring order out of the chaos created by these miscreants, to stop them from banging on pots while a hymn was sung, for example. In most instances, police simply refused to take action. It was deeply frustrating. The editorial suggests that the city of Columbus will seek to put a muzzle on free speech by using a Christian organization and religious speech as the excuse. Given the level of hostility toward Christianity evident in Columbus this week in the actions and the inactions of police and city officials, this doesn’t come as a big surprise. BRENDA SPURLOCK Communications coordinator Operation Save America Dallas |