It seems that I should feel a great sense of shame for living in the city of Philadelphia. Our once great city has apparently “trampled free speech”. That’s right, folks… the birthplace of our nation is allegedly attempting to silence that tiny, oppressed minority known as “Christians”.
At least, we would be led to believe this by a recent One News Now article entitled “Freedom of speech trampled in Philly”.
The subject of this article is Michael Marcavage, the leader of a local right wing Christian group called Repent America. This organization has become a fixture at almost every gay rights event in the Philadelphia area. They seem to be under the impression that they are making a statement with their presence, but they essentially do little more than provide a humorous sideshow for the revelers to enjoy.
Mr. Marcavage got himself into a bit of trouble with the federal park rangers in the historic area known as Independence Mall. He was simply minding his own business, wandering the sidewalk outside the Liberty Bell Pavilion cramming his religious beliefs down the throats of city residents and tourists. Upon seeing this, the rangers instructed him that this sort of activity was not permitted on the sidewalk outside of national monuments, at which point they pointed out that there is an officially designated free speech area where such demonstrations are permitted.
Our stalwart hero would have none of this, though. After all… he was being unfairly targeted as a Christian! After refusing to comply with the rangers’ request, he was charged with obstructing agency operations. He was later convicted and punished with a one year probation and fine.
The following excerpt is taken from the original article…
“We weren’t obstructing anyone. In fact, the government even stipulated, during the trial, that we were not obstructing or blocking anyone and that I was not acting disorderly. So there’s no reasonable explanation other than the fact that they wanted us to go to this ‘free-speech zone,’” Marcavage explains.
That zone is an area away from pedestrian traffic, apparently designed to keep protesters and others with a message from communicating with the general public.
I suppose even those of us who do not agree with the political or religious views of Marcavage should be sympathetic to his plight. After all… they attempted to silence him by confining him to “an area away from pedestrian traffic, apparently designed to keep protesters and others with a message from communicating with the general public” because he was preaching the gospel of Christ. This hardly seems fair, does it?
Marcavage and the spin doctors at One News Now have painted a completely inaccurate picture of exactly what the “Free Speech Area” at Independence Mall is and what purpose it serves. I know you may find this shocking, but conservative Christians often engage in distortions of the truth and outright lies! (GASP!!!)
I walk by this area twice a day. It is located on the 500 block of Market Street, a block which sees some of the heaviest pedestrian traffic in the entire city. It is a very large paved area which is adorned with a stone monument engraved with the First Amendment. In addition, it is located smack dab in the middle of the Independence Mall area, which means it is highly visible in the center of the large grassy field which runs from Independence Hall to the National Constitution Center. People demonstrating in this zone are in clear view of visitors to both of these sites, as well as any tourists at Liberty Bell Pavilion.
Oh, I almost forgot… IT IS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE PHILADELPHIA VISITORS’ CENTER, as well as the area where many of the tour buses load and unload. While we are on the subject of tours, I should add that many of the tour guides BRING THEIR TOURS TO THE FREE SPEECH AREA.
So many of you may be confused at this point. The area is prominently located in a highly visible historic area, and people actually bring an audience to you. It sounds like a demonstrator’s dream location, doesn’t it? You couldn’t ask for a more prime piece of real estate to take your message to the masses!
If this area doesn’t exist to “keep protesters and others with a message from communicating with the general public”, then what purpose does it serve?
Independence Mall is an area which covers several city blocks. It is not self-contained. City streets run directly through it. In addition to the thousands of tourists visiting it each day, there are thousands more city residents passing through while conducting their daily routine. It is very difficult for a handful of park rangers to patrol this area and maintain public safety.
That is why the Free Speech area exists. It was a common sense solution to balance the safety of the residents and visitors with the right to peaceably assemble and protest. Protests can quickly get out of hand when groups with conflicting opinions come face to face. By giving protesters a prominent area in which to legally conduct their activities, the park rangers can more easily diffuse any potentially violent and dangerous situations. This is an arrangement that most of us that are politically active in the city of Philadelphia have accepted as a rational compromise.
Michael Marcavage would have us believe that he is a martyr who is being oppressed for his religious views. Religious groups throughout the country are more than willing to indulge this illusion by holding him up as an example of a victim of an evil society which seeks to destroy him.
Michael Marcavage is not a hero. He is not a martyr. He is not an oppressed Christian being thrown to the lions. Most of us in Philly are all too aware of what he actually is… a media whore.
Fred Phelps would be so proud!
