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Let the People Vote Rally in Worcester Draws 200

About 200 people showed up yesterday for the “Let the People Vote” rally at Worcester City Hall. As I emceed, I had a great view of the entire event. The crowd was enthusiastic and our point was made: it’s time for the legislature to stop trampling on the Massachusetts Constitution and the rights of citizens. Article 48 clearly states that the legislature ”shall” take a vote on citizen initiated petitions. This includes the traditional marriage amendment, which has been recessed into inaction twice now, and the healthcare amendment, which was sent to a “study group,” a fate worse than death.

Speakers at the event included Kris Mineau, President of Mass Family Institute and director of VoteonMarriage.org, the marriage petition organization. Chip Faulkner, Associate Director of Citizens for Limited Taxation, also spoke; his group has been involved in cititzen petitions for over two decades, including our beloved Proposition 2 1/2. George Kohl, Pastor of Belmont Street Baptist Church, spoke about how he is outraged that our legislators have turned their backs on the voters. Jane Burdzell, Leicester, one of the early activists involved in gathering signatures for the marriage petition, spoke about the sad state of society when the faith of our forefathers is relegated to a virtually non-existent role. Father Roy of Sacred Heart in Webster was supposed to speak, but had to officiate at a funeral at the last minute.

Finally, Ambassador Ray Flynn spoke about the importance of holding legislators accountable. He discussed the new federal lawsuit that is aimed at the 109 legislators who voted to recess the Constitutional Convention in November. They are being sued inidividually for denying citizens their First and Fourth Amendment rights. Included among those being sued are:

- Rep. James Leary, Worcester

- Rep. Harold Naughton, Clinton

- Rep. Jennifer Flanagan, Leominster

- Sen. Harriette Chandler, Worcester

- Sen. Ed Augustus, Worcester

Contact these legislators and let them know how you feel about their votes. You can call download the “Wanted Posters” or use the Voter Voice system at http://votervoice.net/Core.aspx?AID=548&.

At the rally, we thanked the legislators who upheld the Constitution and voted AGAINST a recess. These include Rep. John Fresolo (Worcester), Rep. Mark Carron (Southbridge), Rep. George Peterson (Grafton), Rep. Karyn Polito (Shrewsbury), Rep. Lew Evanglidis (Holden), and Rep. Paul Frost (Auburn).

Our sincere thanks to Joe’s crew at Worcester Sound for providing us with an excellent setup that let the speakers be heard above the traffic and above the 20 or so protestors that showed up.

As a side note, I’d like to clear up the Worcester Telegram’s front page story about the rally. Catholic Citizenship’s Larry Cirignano did indeed move one of the protestors out of the way of the speaker’s podium as she was hindering our legal right to speak (we had all our city permits while the protestors did not). And yes, he moved her into the crowd, toward the area where the protestors were standing. But no, there was no assault. According to bystanders, the protestor took the fall on purpose. She was all too quick with her pat reply about “this is what happens when…” And along the way, she, in fact, assaulted one of the teenagers in the crowd, trampling on the teen before she fell.

Posted in Constitution, Faith & Politics, Local News, Media December 17th, 2006 by sharilee | 41 comments

41 Comments

According to other bystanders, in fact according to the T&G reporter who was there and saw it, this was a clear case of Cirignano stepping way over the line. It disgusts me that you’d try to spin this.

Comment by Mike Benedetti — December 17, 2006 @ 1:40 pm
[...] Update: The Worcester Republican blog tries to spin this as being Sarah’s fault. Way to throw ethics out the window, guys. If you have a problem with someone at a demonstration, and there are cops about, you can first talk with the person, then refer it to the police. [...]

Pingback by Pie and Coffee » Assault at marriage rally — December 17, 2006 @ 1:45 pm
Thank you to everyone for organizing this rally. I hope and pray that the leaders we’ve elected in Worcester start to pay attention and listen to the people.

I was at my grandaughter’s birthday party and wasn’t able to attend. Were any TV stations there or did anyone videotape the rally?

Dzien Kuje (thank you)
Walter (walterkdoespolka@hotmail.com)

Comment by Walter Krushefski — December 17, 2006 @ 4:41 pm
Nice try. I was there. I saw Larry knock the girl over. She didn’t trample anyone. He grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her down on the concrete. I was about 10 feet behind her when it happened.

Don’t let facts get in the way of your fairytale, though…

Good Catholic behavior to be sure. You should all be so proud of yourselves.

Comment by Dipshit — December 17, 2006 @ 10:38 pm
Well, DS, talk to the teenager with the sore foot. She was indeed trampled on by the protestor.

As I said elsewhere on this topic, I don’t condone violence of any kind at rallies. None of our supporters do. We asked the police to keep the protestors away as they were yelling obscenities from the very beginning to the very end of the rally (nice Christian behavior, eh?). In fact, several men attending the rally purposely stood between the protestors and a number of elderly supporters in the crowd, as the protestors were way out of line.

But the police were unresponsive to our requests to keep the groups separate (even though they were supposed to). And where were the police when this woman broke through the crowd to stand in front of the podium, yelling the entire time? I’d call that incitement on her part and lack of attention on their part.

Comment by sharilee — December 18, 2006 @ 12:16 am
Walter, I don’t think any TV stations were there. One of our supporters was going to videotape the rally, but he ended up having to videotape the protestors to keep their obscene rhetoric to a minimum. Sorry you missed it. We had a great turnout.

Comment by sharilee — December 18, 2006 @ 12:19 am
People who normally would shade the truth to save a friend’s hide should think twice about coming to the aid of Mr. Cirignano. There are multiple people who have the assault on video tape and pictures, and if he tries to lie his way out of this he is going to make his group look that much worse. He did something very wrong and he should own up to it and take the consequences of his actions.

There is no defending a man how throws a woman to the ground out of anger, and that’s what many people saw. I was there in person along with Tom Lang from KnowThyNeighbor.org. This is wrong no matter whose side it comes from. We are better than this folks, and we need to make sure we don’t have leaders so inclined to hatred.

Comment by John Hosty — December 18, 2006 @ 1:04 am
A writer at the Worcester Independent Media center is saying that there were no well-known Worcester Catholics at this event, and no local clergy and religious. Is this true? (I’ve glanced at photos of the event, and didn’t notice any.)

Comment by Mike Benedetti — December 18, 2006 @ 9:49 am
These rallies were all put together at the last minute, so scheduling speakers was a challenge. The Bishop was already committed to several events because of Christmas. Father Roy of Sacred Heart in Webster was on the agenda, but ended up doing a funeral on Saturday and couldn’t make it into Worcester until late afternoon. Not much we can do about that

Those were my two top picks for local Catholic clergy. Both are tremendous supporters of this effort. Remember, all Catholic Citizenship events have been blessed by the four Bishops, including Archbishop O’Malley. So we have their wholehearted support whether they’re physically present or not.

Other than that, I didn’t want to make this a purely religious event as the vote affects all citizens. That’s why we invited Citizens for Limited Taxation and some local activists.

Comment by sharilee — December 18, 2006 @ 11:02 am
[...] One of the organizers explains: The Bishop was already committed to several events because of Christmas. Father Roy of Sacred Heart in Webster was on the agenda, but ended up doing a funeral on Saturday and couldn’t make it into Worcester until late afternoon. [...]

Pingback by Pie and Coffee » Catholic Worcester and Larry Cirignano — December 18, 2006 @ 1:54 pm
To push, move or even touch somebody without permission constitutes the crime of assault and battery.

Comment by John — December 18, 2006 @ 3:19 pm
Agreed, John. And I’m sure there’s a countersuit in there related to verbal assault and profanity.

We had quite an interesting mix of attendees at the rally, from teens to elderly. I was quite impressed with the fortitude of some of the elderly; they were standing close to the protestors who were swinging their signs and spouting obscenities.

Comment by sharilee — December 18, 2006 @ 6:04 pm
“but the police were unresponsive to our requests to keep the groups separate (even though they were supposed to).”

Separate but equal? Good one! Nothing better than baloney heads feeding on their own irony.

Comment by paxton — December 18, 2006 @ 8:14 pm
“Baloney heads?” I guess I’ll have to assume that’s an insult, but I really like the little Oscar Mayer theme song.

Comment by sharilee — December 18, 2006 @ 9:52 pm
why can’t you catholic’s just go back to your pedophile priests and give it a rest. you listen to a practicing alcoholic, ray flynn, and defended those priests that took the innocence from young children…that you’re ok with. where were all of you when children were being abused…you supported them! you all disgust me!
and ’shailee’ get a life or can’t you find one because you’re a closeted lesbian?

Comment by tax the churches — December 19, 2006 @ 10:02 am
Ah, true intellectual debate! Don’t you just love it?!

Btw, I am not a supporter of pedophile priests or pedophile anybodies. I’d like them all cleared out of the country. Maybe we can start a moon-based outpost and put them all there.

And I suspect my husband would have serious disagreements about the closeted part.

Comment by sharilee — December 19, 2006 @ 10:52 am
yes sharilee you’re such an intellectual…in a facist sort of way. your church has supported a great deal of evil in it’s history, you are helping to continue that evil. who are you to judge and force your beliefs on others. if you don’t want to marry a women, don’t. have you ever heard of live and let live?
if womens rights were voted on women wouldn’t have any voice now or any vote. your catholic church was against womens rights back then.
I still believe your support is for the pedophile priests. do something to make them pay for their crimes instead of this nonsense with gay marriage.
you are a sad example of a Christian. God will judge you…and not in a good way.

Comment by tax the churches — December 19, 2006 @ 11:41 am
“Live and let live” is such a cop-out. That way you don’t have to make any of the hard choices and actually follow what it says in the Bible.

I am fully aware that God will judge me in the end and I am doing what the Holy Spirit calls me to do. You do realize that not everyone is called to do the same thing? If destroying the Catholic Church is your solution to weeding out the bad, just make sure it’s what you’re being called to do because you’ll also be destroying the good that is there.

The rotten worms in our world will be sorted out in the end, including the priests who have done wrong.

Comment by sharilee — December 19, 2006 @ 12:00 pm
sharilee, you’re so full of it. What a small mind you have. Live and let live is not a ‘cop out’. It is the way of a good and just God. A positive way that helps to bring all of mankind together. A God that made all of us. A God that cherishes each and everyone one of us. My God loves all people, even people like you that stand for hatred and bigotry towards those that are different than you. You should be a catholic priest, oh I forgot, women can’t be priests in the catholic church. Women don’t have that much of a voice in your catholic church; women are the lesser in your religious order.

The Bible was given by God and translated over the centuries by men, for their own gain. Not for mankind. You hide behind the Bible for your own twisted reasoning. Not for the real truth within its pages.

You are in a fantasy world if you believe the Holy Spirit is calling you to destroy other people’s lives by trying to stop ‘gay-marriage’. If gay people want to commit their love to each other by marriage, they should be able to. You and people like you are the rotten worms in our society. You seek to divide people, not bring them together as you should be doing if your truly believed in the Bible. I work to let people live as they choose, not the way any religion or individual insists that they do. If you want to live in a catholic world, go to the Vatican.

Comment by tax the churches — December 19, 2006 @ 12:52 pm
I detect a bit of hypocrisy here, Tax, in amongst your hate-filled speech. I am destroying no one’s life. If gays want to commit to each other, excellent. I’m all for stable relationships. But gay marriage pushes government way too far into religion. In Canada, priests are being sued for not marrying gays. You may think that’s OK, but I don’t. I’m a small government person — the less they interfere with my life, the better.

Btw, if committing to each other is the real reason behind gay marriage, why isn’t there a big push for civil unions? Sometimes I wonder if the ultimate objective isn’t really to push a post-modern atheism on the world…and get insurance benefits along the way.

Comment by sharilee — December 19, 2006 @ 2:19 pm
You are the hate monger; look at what you’re doing to the children of gay and lesbian couples and the couples themselves. You even support mr cirignano pushing Sarah Loy to the ground. Very Christian of you. If anyone is a hypocrite it is you. Saying you are for the Bible and then pushing your beliefs on others. Saying you’re for small government and then oppressing others. A true ‘bush’ republican, all hate and divisiveness.
There should be no link between government and religion. That is why religion should no longer get services the rest of us pay taxes for. A churches involvement in government or policy set by the government justifies taxing them. And no priests are being sued in Canada for not marrying gay couples. That is pure republican talking points and a complete lie. I just did a Google search on the topic and everything that came up was speculation from right-wing people like you.

If our Legislature had the guts back in the early 90’s to have civil unions we wouldn’t be having this discussion. Since the Legislature was persuaded by the catholic church (again interferring in others lives)not to offer civil unions back then we now have marriage for all. I personally would like the word marriage removed from the law and have it replaced by civil union. If you want your church to sanctify your civil union, then the church can call it marriage. Separate is not equal, think back to the days of ‘no coloreds allowed’, or did you support that too.
When religion is out of government the world will be a better place. Look at the history!

Comment by tax the churches — December 19, 2006 @ 4:38 pm
Tax, focus now. I already said I don’t condone violence.

But if you really cared about kids, then you’d be against the Brookline school system teaching the “Little Black Book” of gay sex, and NARAL’s push to start sex education in kindergarten. We need to let our kids be kids while they can, not force them to be adults to support a particular political agenda.

And as for keeping religion out of government, I think you’ve got the wrong country. You need to go back and read the words of our forefathers, who were indeed a faith-filled group. Our country was formed to allow freedom of religion, not to ban it from the public square.

Comment by sharilee — December 20, 2006 @ 9:32 am
you will support anything that gets you your way and violence is one of your means…especially if it’s done by another for your cause. Sharilee you are one twisted liar. spin anyway, spin away.

“Little Black Book”, where do you come up with this crap? You lied about the priest in Canada, you are a lie. you will meet your maker one day and you will be punished for this sin against others.
our forefathers were a faith-filled group…Unitarians, Congressionalist, not catholic so much. yes, our country was formed to allow freedom of religion and freedom from it. you read your history.

good-bye BIGOT!

Comment by tax the churches — December 20, 2006 @ 11:16 am
I don’t make these things up, but apparently the gay rights groups do. And they have no cares about distributing them to our children.

It’s interesting that after WorldNetDaily did a big article on this, the Little Black Book started to disappear from web sites. The following site kept a copy as a warning to parents. One of the problems is that we never really know what our schools are handing out to our kids. And there are many public schools in Massachusetts that are purposely trying to hide questionable material.

Warning, the Little Black Book is explicit and is not recommended for children: http://www.article8.org/docs/news_events/glsen_043005/black_book/black_book_inside.htm

Comment by sharilee — December 20, 2006 @ 11:50 am
Since there is so much confusion over what really happened, let’s let the police spokesperson clarify things:

“Officers did not witness the incident, Worcester police spokesperson Sgt. Kerry Hazelhurst told EDGE Dec. 19. If they had, they would have placed Cirignano under arrest on a misdemeanor charge, he said. “He’s already admitted that he touched her,” Hazelhurst reported. Under Massachusetts law, a person can be charged with assault and battery by merely touching another person if the touch is unwanted, Hazelhurst explained. “He pushed her down and he admits that as well.”

There you have it. Mystery solved for everyone that wasn’t personally there.

Comment by John Hosty — December 20, 2006 @ 3:58 pm
John, there were a lot of witnesses there. I was one. Larry may have admitted to touching the protestor as he led her away from where she wasn’t legally entitled to be. But he did not admit to pushing her. Now you’re just putting words in his mouth and exaggerating the situation for political gain.

This is from today’s Telegram:

“I did not push anyone to the ground,” Mr. Cirignano said in an e-mailed statement. “I had a portfolio in one hand and escorted the lady back into the crowd and left. I never touched her shoulders and she apparently thought that she could draw a foul like it was a basketball game by falling down. Great theater, not Academy Award material.

“She was not in the crowd, she was out in front of the crowd facing them with her sign raised in the air blocking their view of the speakers. I was not debating her, just getting her out from in front of the podium.”

Comment by sharilee — December 20, 2006 @ 11:19 pm
Someone in the Catholic leadership better hurry and control these out-of-control crazies. This story is only getting bigger by the day.

Catholics deserve better than the likes of Larry Cirignano. Please, please, someone control this out-of-control man.

rob@egoz.org

Comment by rob adams — December 21, 2006 @ 7:16 am
Hazelhurst explained. “He pushed her down and he admits that as well.”

So by saying you were there, are you implying you saw the interaction? We can expect your sworn testimony then, right?

Comment by John Hosty — December 21, 2006 @ 8:27 am
I am absolutely ready and willing to provide sworn testimony!

Comment by sharilee — December 21, 2006 @ 8:34 am
So let’s hear it. Also, could you explain why the police spokesperson would lie?

Comment by John Hosty — December 21, 2006 @ 9:30 am
I have no idea where Hazelhurst got his information. It’s odd that you now don’t trust the reporter when he quotes Larry directly. This is a bit confusing as you were happy to rely on the reporter when he was saying the things you wanted to hear.

Comment by sharilee — December 21, 2006 @ 10:16 am
Who are you trying to discredit with that statement, me, the reporter, or the police? You’ll have to clarify what you mean by not trusting a reporter, because have no idea what you are reffering to. I would imagine that facts would be important to you.

In the long list of witnesses against Mr. Cirignano there is a Reverend, an EMT and a reporter. Are they all in a conspiracy?

We still have not heard your story, since you claim to have been a witness. do you remember writing this: “…she, in fact, assaulted one of the teenagers in the crowd…”

I think your furvor to defend Mr. Cirignano speaks volumes about your credibility.

Comment by John Hosty — December 21, 2006 @ 12:27 pm
I’m available to testify when called. In the meantime, there is a long list of witnesses that will probably present a different picture from what you keep trying to spin. Time to move on.

Comment by sharilee — December 21, 2006 @ 1:33 pm
So we are supposed to take your word that Mr. Cirignano didn’t do anything wrong? Now that you have been put on the spot and asked directly to explain your statements, you have nothing to say. I wonder if I could do the same and just expect people to believe me.

I cite my sources. You are your own source. I am more credible for that reason, and if you choose not to debate the issue that’s fine. I am not coming here to convince you. Your audience deserves to here the truth however, so I share what I know. What they think matters to me, not what you think Sharilee. You obviously aren’t interested in the truth.

Comment by John Hosty — December 21, 2006 @ 3:38 pm
John, I have cited my source. It’s my own two eyes.

Btw, Rich Gregoire says to say “hi!”

Comment by sharilee — December 21, 2006 @ 3:58 pm
I will put multiple sources against one any day, and I am sure any reasonable person will too. Richard has my email, I have always enjoyed our conversations. He can be a very compassionate person.

Comment by John Hosty — December 21, 2006 @ 4:31 pm
Note to “heaven” — no impersonating a deity on this site. You’ll have to post that somewhere else.

Comment by sharilee — December 21, 2006 @ 6:10 pm
I think my point has been made here. I am not wanting to antagonize, only to make sure the truth has been represented against the Carl Rove school of politics. Blessings and peace to all in the holiday season, and have a great New Year.

Comment by John Hosty — December 21, 2006 @ 8:21 pm
Btw, it’s Karl Rove, with a “k”.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Comment by sharilee — December 23, 2006 @ 1:50 pm
Strange, I thought I made a comment about not being a fan of Carl Rove, and apologized for the mispelling. Did someone think that was worthy of erasing?

Comment by John Hosty — December 28, 2006 @ 3:37 pm
Sorry, John, didn’t get the apology, only the misspelling.

Comment by sharilee — December 29, 2006 @ 12:03 am

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