This is gonna be a quick post.
I was at the ocean front in Va Beach and the season is about to pick up. If you never been to Virginia Beach or the oceanfront its a fun place to be with attractions on every block.
Well, sometimes over-zealous Christians stake out a corner and protest against everything. They hold up signs and parade the sidewalks yelling at people (especially women and girls) and cops protect them.
There is this anti-cursing law they enforced at the beach to make it family friendly. No profane words, no words that can incite intimidation, harassment, or any sexual term that would make people feel uncomfortable. Well, the zealot was holding up signs "REPENT WHORES" and was talking about all women who aren't married will burn in hell and all women who have sex are whores. He had signs up that said "REBELLION OF WOMEN WILL LEAD TO DEATH AND AN ETERNITY IN HELL" and was following girls who were in their bathing suits or a dress and called them whores.
A cop was watching the crowd and my boyfriend went up to them and said "Aren't they breaking the rule by calling women whores?" and the cop was quite rude to them if I may say and said no. He later told them that the men were harassing the women and girls and followed them around and was intimidating them and the cop just said "That is irrelevant. The law doesn't enforce when it comes to that."
Kinda shocked, but he was still trying to get him to say what the cop really wanted to say. Then, the cop got all big and ballsy and said "Whore is not a curse word, especially when directed to those that are deserving" and he told us to go away.
That guy who held up those sign, basically threatening, harassing, CURSING, and intimidating women was the one that was breaking the law and HE'S the one protected, and the people who are being subjected to it (FEMALES) are the ones who gets blamed and will be punished if said anything.
I'm seriously thinking contacting my local newspaper and local news broadcast programs and complaining. Any thoughts?
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I think you should definitely alert the media. This hypocrisy and misogyny is astounding. Especially the cop adding the "those who are deserving" bit. That's disgusting.
Maybe send in an op-ed piece. This is newsworthy, my friend.
I LOVE your fighting spirit, but how would you feel about organizing a protest or speaking to someone at the police dept? Going right to the media I think you should save until you explored all other options. You dont want to come off as the "enemy" to the police as then they might not take you seriously. Gather a group behind you so your arguments will pack more punch!
The media is a great way to build pressure. I'd do it first before going to the cops.
Arguing with Virginia cops?
Do that and they'll be the ones "packing a punch" - right in your face! (unless you're caucasian, of course - in that case, you're results may vary).
Going to the media is the safer course - and far more productive!
Especially since these cops have made it clear which side they are on!
And, in general, the police our not on the side of social justice - and they never have been! So don't have any illusions about "the cops are our friends".
unfortunately the only cops i trust are the ones i know, thats about....3. come to think of it, i babysit kids whose father is a va beach cop. i should hit him up and see what he thinks about this.
You should definitely get more involved in this and bring it to people's attention. You may get a lot of negative backlash if a lot of people in your community happen to agree with the zealot and the cop (sounds like a fairy tale...lol) but if you raise a big enough fuss, that will get people thinking about this and how really, this guy is breaking the law and ought to be punished for it. Good luck!
DO IT! This is outrageous! How were those girls and women to know that this nutball wouldn't attack them? It sounds like he created a VERY hostile environment. Good luck!
@ohaiitsjaimie: can't say I agree with your stance. Of course, I would start out by talking to this cop's superiors, because you might be surpised, they might be mortified at this cop's dismissive, dangerous behavior. But, don't be afraid of being unpopular. This deserves to be known.
absolutely go to the Chief of Police and then alert your local radio and tv stations. You know they can't resist a good controversial story. Asshats!
And who is that cocksucker cop to say who is 'deserving' and who isn't?
absolutely go to the Chief of Police and then alert your local radio and tv stations. You know they can't resist a good controversial story. Asshats!
And who is that cocksucker cop to say who is 'deserving' and who isn't?
I would definately go to the Chief of Police about this and especially any local media. Got a way to record it? Wait for that right moment when a child is walking by and you have your piece of gold there.
If I know if wouldn't get me arrested I would have likely said bad to the police, "Then I guess this makes it alright to call you a chauvinistic pig then? It's nor a curse word, and it fits."
I curse a lot, so I really don't have a problem with the standard, traditional curse-words; in fact I find it much more irritating hearing things like "the f word" than actually hearing the word.
That disclosure aside, I do have to admit that I find the word "whore" in this, or, indeed, any context pretty offensive - I guess it's a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't."
I love MASHBengal's idea - please raise hell. Good luck
I live in Virginia Beach. I definitely think something should be done and if there's any part I can play, I would like to help. hl_floyd@yahoo.com.
I believe that if these fundies want to set up shop on our corners, it is their right to do so, provided they operate within the law--that includes the no-cursing family-friendly law at the oceanfront. But when they target specific members of the audience, they go too far. When it comes to that cop, I don't know what to do. I do think that the public deserves to know that our police force allows the public degradation and intimidation of women on streets that are supposedly safer and more family-friendly than most.
I'm also from Virginia Beach, have lived there my entire life and never seen anything like this going on. The only fundie protest I've ever witnessed was abortion protesters outside the Planned Parenthood (which you get anywhere).
Do you know what group they're associated with? To be fair I've cursed outside near the Ocean Front plenty of times and never gotten in trouble so I always assumed the rule was only enforced in certain situations, like when alcohol was involved.
If they're still there or come back email me: jeniann13@yahoo.com
I know a lot of people with the local media (my mom produces some local events and has been on all of the news stations at least once and knows several people at the Pilot and I used to intern there as well) and can hook you up.
I'd suffocate that f---er in the sand if he came anywhere near me with one of those signs...but likely not before my fiancé made him eat one of them.
Why is it ok to harass ppl in public as long as it's in the name of 'God'? I see it here in NYC in the subway stations all the time. Like dude, it's 8AM, get outta my face! If I were interested, I know where the nearest church is, thank you!
Please please please PLEASE call some media attention to this. In fact, get some video footage and POST it on youtube, and get other feminist blogs to cross post info on any group this wackjob is associated with, and let's send them some messages of our own.
LIKE BACK OFF!
*God should of struck him with a bolt of lightning.
*Semi-Sarcastic comment:
"God should of..." = Sarcasm
"...Struck him with a bolt of lightning" = Not sarcasm
Anyways... (^ . ^)
Apparently there are loopholes that allows them to do this. I would like to know of the said "loopholes" and I would like to know how the mayor feels about the reputation this gives to the oceanfront--a tourist attraction.
Also, if they are going to do this and get away with it then why not abolish that new anti-obscenity law? If they are so adamant on letting women and girls "deserving" to be degraded then why even have that law? I'm contacting the Virginian Pilot and whoever gave me their emails I will be emailing you all. My email is mufidah86@yahoo.com if anyone wants to get in contact with me.
The fundys are a part of a church that is near the oceanfront by the way...I'm not sure what denomination though