Done Sittin' Idly By

Time to take to the streets.

We're not in the mood to be placated or toyed with. It turns out when you begin to take people's civil rights away, it does strange and unpleasant things to their psyches. You force them into action -- which is exactly what happened today. Watch here to see video of the demonstration at the Mormon Temple in Los Angeles today.



And here's a laughable snippet from a news organization somewhere along the Utah/Idaho border (KIDK News):

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints temple in Los Angeles is closed as hundreds of people are protesting around the building.

The protesters are upset about the LDS support of the Proposition 8 ban against gay marriage.

Opponents of Proposition 8, which outlawed gay marriage in California, are marching, waving banners and chanting. The protest started about two hours ago.

Los Angeles Police Department has put several officers on the scene.

Thousands of gays protested in LA Wednesday night shutting down streets. At least seven people were arrested, four at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland, where one man jumped on top of a police car.

Television cameras captured one protester struggling with officers and being struck on the legs by batons.

The LDS temple is apparently being targeted because of church members' funding and support of the proposition.

Church spokeswoman Kim Farrah issued the follow statement concerning the protest:

“The Church acknowledges that such an emotionally charged issue concerning the most personal and cherished aspects of life — family and marriage — stirs fervent and deep feelings.

The Church calls on those involved in the debate over same sex marriage to act in a spirit of mutual respect and civility towards each other. No one on either side of the question should be vilified, intimidated, harassed or subject to erroneous information.” [text highlighted by me]

Can you BELIEVE the hypocrisy spewed by the Mormon spokeswoman?! "No one ... should be vilified ... harassed..." Is she KIDDING?! Did she even WATCH the videos her damn organization funded?! Or did she not see them, cuz she's watchin' TV in UTAH! Not here where she sent her damn money and where her funds were doing their evil work?!

And don't you "call on" me to act civilly and respectfully. Those days are over, church-lady! I will loudly and proudly demand my rights here in CALIFORNIA. Your demands may sway people in UTAH with that type of chiding, but here in CALIFORNIA, I get to decide how I act toward those who will deny me my rights.

The LA Gay and Lesbian Center has set up a website to allow those who wish to donate money to fight the legal battle against the Proposition 8 fallout. And, best of all, they will send a postcard to President Monson, king of the Mormons, telling him that this donation was made IN HIS NAME to fight hatred and bigotry. (A bit of an inside joke as I see it: his church baptizes dead people into the LDS faith who have had no say in the process - - - cuz they are DEAD.)

Also, a local group here in San Diego is gathering signatures and planning rallies to begin the process of removing the Mormon Church's tax-exempt status. Seems that if you spend too much time and money on political actions and not enough on feeding the poor, letting black people into your church, sheltering the homeless or just plain leavin' people the hell alone then you become something other than a tax-exempt church! Find this group's information here.

I know that the Mormons were not the only group that spent dollars and nonsense on Prop 8 -- but they were the biggest, loudest and most 'generous' and therefore have earned (now, how did that spokeswoman put it...?) - - - OH YEAH - - - VILIFICATION, INTIMIDATION AND HARASSMENT!!

- T