Group protests SBC 2017

[Rvaughn]

"...Faith in America, a pro-LGBT advocacy group, plans to protest the 2017 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention being held next week in Phoenix, AZ."

[Tim Bonney]

[Rvaughn]

I'm more of a 19th-century man myself, a little more primitive than the Southerns. But I agree with you that it is a waste of time.

In fact, I think a lot of protesting that is done is a waste of time, and perhaps does more toward making protesters feel better about themselves than doing anything that changes something.

[Tim Bonney]

[JE Pettibone]

[Tim Bonney]

[Sandy]

Protesting in Phoenix, Arizona in June, huh? That'll take some commitment.

I was at the SBC meeting in Atlanta when then-President George H.W. Bush spoke on the last day. We took a cab from the hotel because the parking garages around the convention center jacked up the rates for the convention, so we had to walk through a whole assortment of protesters mostly there because of the President's presence, and because CNN's headquarters was right across the plaza. They were still there when we came out. I doubt that they had any effect on changing the minds of any of the messengers, but I think their purpose is to be somewhere that will get attention, and of course, all the press that was there to cover the President also covered the protests. Maybe 110 degree heat will thin the ranks of both protesters and press in Phoenix.

There are times when protests have some success. Over the course of this past winter and spring, the protesters who showed up at congressional town hall meetings held by Republicans succeeded in derailing the first repeal and replace proposal, and succeeded in getting at least 23 Republicans to vote no on the second bill. I went to one of those in my district, where the Republican congressman's staff was trying to screen the people going inside to try and prevent those against repealing the ACA from getting inside. Didn't work. He voted against both Republican proposals.

[Tim Bonney]

When I see protests as having some effect is when you are at a tipping point. Unless I really really don't understand the SBC any longer, I can't believe the convention is anywhere near being interested in being pro-LGBTQ.

[Rvaughn]

[Sandy]

I had a 45 RPM record of that Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young recording of Ohio. I think I was probably in 7th or 8th grade back then. I was a sophomore in high school when the Vietnam war came to an end, and turned 18 six days after the draft expired.

[Tim Bonney]

[Rvaughn]

[JE Pettibone]

[Haruo]

We're set to have two almost diametrically opposed marches in Downtown Seattle tomorrow: one "anti-Sharia" and the other "pro-Muslim".

[Tim Bonney]

[JE Pettibone]

[Tim Bonney]

Yikes Ed, age and time. I attended most ABC biennial meetings while I was in the ABC. So, they start to blur together a bit. Shoot, I've already attended eight United Methodist annual conferences. I confess I can't always remember the details of very many of them down the road.

[David Flick]

[JE Pettibone]

David Flick wrote: "Ed, I'm sitting here trying to remember what year that was. Seems like it was sometime between '03 & '05. Unbelievable how rapidly time passes at our age! Help me out here. What year was it?"

Ed: David, I can not say with absolute certainty (Denver) was one of the few meeting that we have flown to, usually I date meetings by what car I was driving. How ever I believe it was 05 but for the life of me I do not recall what vehicle we left at the Albany, Ny. Airport.

[William Thornton]

The folks were present outside the convention center passing out stuff. They were very sedate, quiet, smiling, and clever. Their handout had the logo and theme of the annual meeting, probably a trademark or copyright infringement. That made it look like it was an SBC group.

No big deal.

[JE Pettibone]

William wrote "The folks were present outside the convention center passing out stuff. They were very sedate, quiet, smiling, and clever. Their handout had the logo and theme of the annual meeting, probably a trademark or copyright infringement. That made it look like it was an SBC group.:

No big deal.

Ed: William I must quibble, trademark and/or copyright infringement are big deals regardless of who's work is being violated.

[Jon Estes]

[Tim Bonney]

[Sandy]