"That Doesn't Look Like A Riot to Me"

California's Proposition 8 passed last week, eliminating the right of same-sex couples to marry in the state. Beginning the day after the election, opponents of the measure, upset by the outcome, began gathering in vigil and protest, most notably in front of the LDS church in Westwood. They're upset by the support that church provided to the passage of the proposition.

Over the weekend someone emailed me a "news bulletin" claiming that Christians were being targeted with threats of violence by these protesters. The story came from World Net Daily featured the headline: "'Gay' threats target Christians over marriage ban." The story's evidence of that serious claim? A comment left on a single blog.

By contrast, the LA Times coverage of the protests has asserted things like,

Police guided the demonstrators through the streets for more than three hours without major confrontations. No arrests were reported.

Then yesterday the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins went on CNN and claimed that the protesters were "rioting." The remark comes at about 2:55.


When asked "Where were the riots," Perkins answers, "There were arrests the other night."

Do the math: some arrests=a riot.

No matter how you come out on this issue, it is certainly disconcerting to see people who's position is based wholly on moral conviction demonstrating such a callous disregard for the truth.