Pastor Arrested For Protesting Patriotism IMO

[Aaron]

This reminds me of a high school typing teacher I had who got upset at my cadet unit sweater, I was on the drill team. We had a demons face on it and our nickname was "demons." I was asked not to where it because it offended him. Congrats chucklehead, your offended at a picture on a shirt. Perhaps I should bring some cheese into class for you?

[Reliant121]

On a more serious note, come on guys. Patriotic or not, who gives a shit? Everyone here has made it clear they think The man's a dick, or at the least a bit of a hardcore christian lunatic, and he seems to have been thoroughly determined as such. Does it need any more than that? Whether or not its patriotism is personal opinion, granted, but it doesn't need the tit for tat title adjustments, picking up on every little bit people say, heartfelt emotion. and thats at BOTH sides of the argument. can we please can it?

If the debate was something that was remotely worth while then I'd be fine, but...the guy made a move, got called on it, done. Move along.

[Mikey]

School officials say the mascot honors a World War II fighter squadron nicknamed the "Screamin' Demons."

OK, I did miss that - but it still says nothing about the school founders' intentions. I once helped put up artwork that honored the Tuskegee Airmen - but if someone criticized that work, I'd take it as a criticism of the work, not of the Tuskegee Airmen.

If I protested the imagery of the crucifix, I doubt most Christians wouldn't associate my protest with Christ or Christianity. Even assuming I didn't know of the link.

Again, you're using a non-analagous analogy. A crucufix, specifically, is an image of Jesus crucified... and AFAIK has no other usage at all except to denote Christianity - and usually, it's used more specifically to denote Catholicism. In the case of this story, we know for a fact that the Screamin' Demon mascot is used to denote more than the fighter squadron - it's used to represent the school.

No, I imagine this fellow protests the use of demonic imagery in any form. Though, that is certainly assumption. Should we really assume he only objects in this one particular case?

Eureka! Now you've got it! This guy is protesting IMAGERY - not a school, not the school's teams, not a fighter group, and not a nation.

[Tsukiyumi]

IDK, if someone protested an image of Gandhi, wouldn't that be about the same as protesting Gandhi?

My whole point this entire thread was that the douche didn't bother to look up what the image was. Yes, it represents the school now. Why? Because it also represents the Screamin' Demons. That's why they picked it.

I wonder if everyone realizes that most of this thread has been people asking me to defend my opinion on the matter. I stated my reasons for my opinion. If you disagree, cool. If you agree, cool. I think that pretty much wraps it up.

[Mikey]

IDK, if someone protested an image of Gandhi, wouldn't that be about the same as protesting Gandhi?

Yes, exactly. If someone protested a picture of the 7th, that would about the same as protesting the 7th. Now someone's protesting an image of a demon, which is about the same as protesting demons a/o demonology.

My whole point this entire thread was that the douche didn't bother to look up what the image was. Yes, it represents the school now. Why? Because it also represents the Screamin' Demons. That's why they picked it.

You're forgetting that the larger point is that you're discussing the object of this guy's protest - intent is integrally relevant here.

I wonder if everyone realizes that most of this thread has been people asking me to defend my opinion on the matter. I stated my reasons for my opinion. If you disagree, cool. If you agree, cool. I think that pretty much wraps it up.

Surely, if you were averse to discussing the matter you wouldn't have put up a thread, yes?

[Tsukiyumi]

IDK, if someone protested an image of Gandhi, wouldn't that be about the same as protesting Gandhi?

Yes, exactly. If someone protested a picture of the 7th, that would about the same as protesting the 7th. Now someone's protesting an image of a demon, which is about the same as protesting demons a/o demonology.

The image is representative of the 7th and the school. The school didn't create the image, nor pick it at random.

My whole point this entire thread was that the douche didn't bother to look up what the image was. Yes, it represents the school now. Why? Because it also represents the Screamin' Demons. That's why they picked it.

You're forgetting that the larger point is that you're discussing the object of this guy's protest - intent is integrally relevant here.

As I've said, the guy picked an object to protest which represents the 7th Fighter Squadron and the school secondly. If he'd done some research rather than blindly attacking what he perceives as "demonic imagery", he may not have protested at all.

2nd point there: I wonder if this dude would protest a school using Jesus as a mascot?

I wonder if everyone realizes that most of this thread has been people asking me to defend my opinion on the matter. I stated my reasons for my opinion. If you disagree, cool. If you agree, cool. I think that pretty much wraps it up.

Surely, if you were averse to discussing the matter you wouldn't have put up a thread, yes?

I was curious about other people's opinions, of course. I didn't expect the entire thread to be a discussion of why my opinion is supposedly wrong or misguided.

[Mikey]

The image is representative of the 7th and the school. The school didn't create the image, nor pick it at random.

Yeah, I get it. But you are discussing this pastor fellow, and therefore in an understood fashion his motivation. He is protesting the image itself, not what it metaphorically represents.

As I've said, the guy picked an object to protest which represents the 7th Fighter Squadron and the school secondly.

The guy picked an object to protest for what it is, not what some other people have ascribed to it.

2nd point there: I wonder if this dude would protest a school using Jesus as a mascot?

Of course not, because you picked that subject in order to have the question turn out only in the way you want. More to the point: if Jesus were an evil supernatural figure in some religion, you can damn well bet that some fringe looney of that religion would protest it.

[Tsukiyumi]

Even more to that point: Satan is the key figure in a religion, as minor as it may be, so how is it any different to protest an image of a demon than one of Jesus or Buddha? I believe that's considered religious intolerance.

Anyways, either way, this guy is an ignorant douchebag. Which is why I brought this up to begin with.

[Deepcrush]

Wow, this rant is still going...