Does Free Speech Give Rise to the Right to Harass?
Witchvox Article:
On September 23 2006, several friends and myself drove down the Pagan Pride Day in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The sun was playing peak-a-boo with us all the way down. However, by the time we got to the park the clouds had parted somewhat. It was a beautiful day and we were excited about going to the festival. The parking lot was nearly full. We ended up finding parking spots on opposite ends of the lot for our two vehicles. As we walked to meet each other, we were suddenly confronted by men declaring we were evil and going to hell.
Some of them quietly handed out flyers with Christian tracts to pedestrians walking by, but they were also putting them on the windshields. Others weren't so benign.
They verbally assaulted people going into the festival, sometimes blocking their path and declaring they were in league with the devil. One man was arrested for using a bullhorn without a permit. Others went around the parking lot, writing down license plate numbers of the cars present. The only reason they would want that information is to harass the vehicle owners later.
Granted after a certain point, I stopped being nice to them. I’m a fully dedicate Wiccan Priestess, who goes out of her way to help others and make the world a little better. I resented being called evil and being cursed to damnation by people who knew nothing about me.
We paid our admission with cat food for the local animal rescue group and joined in the festivities. With or without garb, people were enjoying each other’s company, the shopping and the positive energy of the group as a whole. We arrived in time to take a scrying class. After which, our group started breaking off to find our own interests.