In Southport, Indiana, 70-year old Charles Lynch objects to Mayor Rob Thoman's practice of beginning City Council meetings with a moment of silence instead of a prayer as was the practice before Thoman's election. At Monday night Council's meeting, Lynch began reading a prayer out loud during the moment of silence. When he was asked to stop, he began to pray louder. He also refused to leave the meeting and resisted police trying to take him out, despite the mayor's warning at the beginning of the meeting against such conduct. Lynch was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. Yesterday's Indy Star reports that Lynch is now threatening to sue for false arrest. He said: "I'm not promoting any church or any religion. All I want is the way it was. Why take away our rights as citizens to have a word of prayer, because we've always had it."
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
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3 comments:
When prayer is called for, then you pray. When silence is called for, you shut up.
What? And respect other's rights? That's not the religious right's way. You're either FOR praying or AGAINST it. Madness. My conversations with my image of the divine is MINE. Of course this arrest will be immediately framed and proclaimed an attack on religion, when it's really an attack FROM religion. God must be grasping his brow.
How can he sue for false arrest when he's plainly guilty? The moment of silence is a "time, place or manner" restriction - well established in free speech law.
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