9.27.2006

Religious Fundimentalist Resorts to Violence

In Wisconsin.

Via Wisconsin Gay News:

A discussion about gay marriage took a violent turn in the wee hours of Sep. 24 at a George Webb's restaurant in Wauwatosa. Some involved call the incident a hate crime according to WTMJ news. The entire incident was captured surveillance cameras.

[...]

It all started with a group of diners discussing gay marriage and the proposed same-sex marriage amendment on Wisconsin's November election ballot.

A lesbian named "Jorryn" says the debate got heated when a customer from another part of the restaurant came over and joined the gay marriage discussion.

She quoted him as saying, "It's never going to happen, it's never going to never going to pass in Wisconsin, and it's against God."

Then the argument got physical. Surveillance video shows the man, who had just joined the debate. He throws "Jorryn" down to the floor and then punches another customer. The suspect continued yelling, throwing chairs and punching people.

He walked out of the restaurant with some restaurant patrons thinking he was going to get a weapon. He returned to the restaurant, not with a gun, but throwing ketchup bottles and anything else he could get his hands on and then he left.
Witnesses got the guy's license plate number and the police have a suspect, though they haven't made an arrest.

One of the patrons required stitches to close cuts on his face.

I'm waiting for the Christian community to condemn this. My guess is the 'values voters' will be keeping me waiting for a long time.

Finder's Fee to Pam.

1 comment:

Jacob R said...

Hey, I'm all for same-sex marriage, as I believe it's a civil right issue and everyone is entitled to be married. I'm also completely against violence of any kind, and *especially* violence to no productive use, like this.

But does the Christian community at large need to issue a press-release *every single time* some wacko decides to speak with his fists, and his stated agenda happens to align with theirs? They'd need a full time staff of people, researching local newspapers and issuing condemning press releases.

And the same would be true of *any* group. There's some environmentalists out there firebombing SUV dealers. What organization should officially condemn them? Who do you figure is the "head" Christian that should condemn this guy?

I agree that what this man did was completely unacceptable. And I also agree that his view is unfair, unconstitutional, and even inhuman.

But it's irresponsible of you to hold him up as a typical Christian, a representative of an overwhelming population of individuals, and then declare that unless some nebulous Christian community publicly condemns him, they must endorse his actions.

That's silly.

Did you agree with the folks who were screaming for Muslim leaders to condemn terrorist attacks by Muslims, too? People who believed that if a terrorist act was committed by a Muslim, then all Muslims endorsed terrorism unless they specifically declared otherwise IMMEDIATELY?

Madness.