David Parker Cancels Appearance, Blames KnowThyNeighbor

Speech cancelled amid questions of 'hate speech' versus 'free speech'

By Kristen Grieco , Staff writer
Gloucester Daily Times

A speech by a "parental rights" activist in Gloucester has been canceled after a gay marriage advocacy group threatened to protest what it deemed "hate speech."

Cape Ann Marriage and Family, which characterizes itself as "pro-family" and has been active in advocating for a popular vote on gay marriage, had planned a meeting at a Main Street pizza parlor featuring a lecture by David Parker of Lexington.

Parker is suing the state for the right to be notified when issues of sexuality, including gay marriage, are discussed in his young son's school. The case was initially dismissed but is on appeal.

Parker first raised the issue in 2005, when his 5-year-old son came home with a children's book promoting diversity that included illustrations of families headed by same-sex couples. He was later arrested for trespassing after refusing to leave his son's school after a meeting with school officials.

Parker's scheduled appearance Saturday at Valentino's caught the attention of the Manchester-based group Know Thy Neighbor, which has published the names and addresses of people who signed a petition opposing gay marriage. The group accused Cape Ann Marriage and Family of promoting "hate speech."

"How I interpret (Parker's position) is that the mere existence of gay people, they find harmful to children," said Tom Lang, cofounder of Know Thy Neighbor and a Manchester resident.

On Monday, Lang said that he was in contact with Armando Marnoto, co-owner of Valentino's, and had told him that if the meeting went ahead, Know Thy Neighbor might stage a protest.

Parker and Jonathan Ring, chairman of Cape Ann Marriage and Families and organizer of the event, said that they were disappointed by the cancellation, which they blamed on pressure put on Marnoto by Know Thy Neighbor.

"This is a very common ploy of the pro-homosexual movement to stifle free speech," said Parker. "When they find out that there is going to be some kind of public event where they do not approve of the speech, they label it as hate speech before they've heard it and they threaten a protest."

Parker called Know Thy Neighbor's tactics "intimidation and harassment" and a violation of his free speech rights. He said he planned to pursue a complaint of a civil rights violation with the district attorney.

"I think what Tom Lang is doing is hate speech," Parker said. "He's making accusations of hate speech before he's even heard it. He's the one who hates free speech."

Marnoto told a Times reporter on Monday that the event was not being held at Valentino's but said it was because Ring had failed to call back to confirm the event or pay a $100 deposit.

But Ring said Tuesday the event had been cancelled due to the negative publicity a protest by Know Thy Neighbor would have generated for Valentino's.

"I understand the decision of Valentino's," Ring said on Tuesday. "They do what is right for their clientele, and I think they should be commended for that."

Ring said Parker might still appear in Gloucester, but at a private venue that would not be open to the public or the media.

Ring said he was never contacted by Know Thy Neighbor to join the dialogue, which he said he would have welcomed.

"I certainly would have attended, if I had been invited," Lang said.

Since his arrest in Lexington, Parker said, he has given a number of interviews and lectures about his "pro-parental rights" views.

Parker said he was not being paid for his appearance in Gloucester and was "simply a motivated father."

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Comments

[ryan charisma]

"Parker said he was not being paid for his appearance in Gloucester and was "simply a motivated father.""

more like a "motivated son-of-a-bitch"

good riddance.

[John]

I long for the days when the Mr. Parkers of the world can state their case without controversy...Because nobody will care to listen. Like a street preacher ranting that the earth is flat.

[John Hosty-Grinnell]

I think it was MassMarrier that said, "Imagine how much better off the world will when these organizations can't find enough people to fool in order to stay in business."

[Richard]

Rock on Tom.

Nail 'em at every turn.

I'm tired of making nice-nice.

Bigotry can camouflage itself in many guises and it's incumbent on us to ferret it out wherever and whenever it rears its decidedly unattractive head.

Poor Mr. Parker. He'll just have to have his pizza and his "pro family" meeting at Spritus. He should find many supporters there.

[Lula]

PARKER:

"I think what Tom Lang is doing is hate speech," Parker said. "He's making accusations of hate speech before he's even heard it. He's the one who hates free speech."

We've heard the hate speech our whole lives...we know it like a book.

Jeez, these people.

[Pat Gozemba]

Know Thy Neighbor deserves a big round of applause. Tom Lang voiced his objection to having the extremely bigoted David Parker be hosted in Gloucester. Lang did not shut out Parker. Lang merely informed an owner of Valentino's that some of us who truly care about free speech might appear at the restaurant to picket the appearance of Parker, a man well-known for trying to silence democratic education in Lexington.

What Parker and his cohort Brian Camenker do is attempt to manipulate public opinion by saying that parents have a right to pass judgement on all that is taught in schools. Imagine the free-for-all. That's how evolution got dumped in some schools.

In a free society, we elect school committees and they oversee professional school personnel who develop curriculum. Lexington is one of the top public school systems in the country. Parker and Camenker have stirred up a lot of controversy but they have been thwarted at every turn in the courts and in the court of public opinion.

[John]

Mr. Parker is learning that his expression of bigotry has consequences.

[Rhymes With Right]

Why do you folks so fear freedom of speech?

Why do you fear citizen involvement in politics and government?

[Lula]

Have you not read any of the posts where we've said that, from our perspective, the anti-gay rhetoric and the anger towards the gay community (as demonstrated by Mr. Parker), perpetuates actual violence against our community, and against us as individuals?

Fear free speech?

There is no fear.

There is ANGER.

I can only respond by reposting what I posted last week.

If you truly wish to understand where we are coming from, read my personal entry below and then THINK ABOUT IT:

****************

I would respond by conveying my personal experiences on anti-gay violence and verbal harassment, which conveyed yesterday at KTN, saying flat out, "THIS is what you're teaching your children. THIS! And no, we're not going to take it anymore!!!"

**************************************

RYAN SAID:

"I would invite you to hang out for a few months with some gay men. Hear the horror stories, perhaps witness some verbal or physical abuse in public places."

RESPONSE:

Four years ago, on a summer night, in the South End of Boston where several shops and other establishments donned rainbow flags, I walked home from a night of dancing holding my then boyfriend's hand.

A Jeep Cherokee filled with what looked like college or post-college kids stopped about thirty feet away from us. The driver, a burly blonde loudmouth, shouted at us from the vehicle:

"You faggots make me fucking SICK!!! You should all get AIDS and be sent to a fucking island to die!!! I fucking hate you!!!"

verbatim

My boyfriend and I kept walking as I responded, "blah, blah, blah."

His response was to turn the vehicle off and start to get out of the car. A few of his passengers, all female, pleaded with him to get in the car and to not pursue us.

The moment was intense and I was scared out of my mind, as the guy looked like he could have been a linebacker.

Had those girls not been in the car, he most certainly would have come after us and beat the crap out of us. He was rageful and determined. His friends prevented what I know would have been a physical gaybashing.

All I could think of was my friend out in California who had been hit over the head by a pipe and severely beaten by a trio of thug punks who just had it out for gays.

Another friend's friend was beaten up one Saturday night after exiting a gay dance club.

I've certainly had several other incidents of being verbally assaulted by asshole bigots.

Again:

""You faggots make me fucking SICK!!! You should all get AIDS and be sent to a fucking island to die!!! I fucking hate you!!!"

******************************************

**** Where did that college kid learn this hatred? From the David Parkers of the world.

And I'd bet money that it started at home! ****

[Lula]

In follow up, I have to say this.

By not wanting even the FACT that GLBT people exist, in our community, and that we have families, taught in schools, people perpetuate ignorance.

It is this ignorance that put my life in danger that night that my boyfriend and I were verbally assaulted and almost physically assaulted.

Mr. Parker's efforts, and the efforts of VOM, the MFI, MassResistance, Concerned Oregonians...all of them...

create nights like the one I never want to experience again.

Free speech?

You are asking us to condone and perpetuate your own ignorance.

And we are the ones who have paid, and are paying, the price of your ignorance.

Your supposition that we hate free speech is either tremendous oversimplication (correction: tremendous innacuracy) or an indication of how truly out of touch you are with what ordeals the GLBT community faces because of taught, socially acceptible, ignorance.

[Lula]

CORRECTION:

"Your supposition that we hate free speech is either tremendous oversimplication (correction: tremendous inaccuracy) or an indication of how truly out of touch you are with what ordeals the GLBT community faces because of taught, socially acceptable, ignorance."

It will be interesting to see if the poster will respond, or if ANY of the opposition will respond to this call for accountability.

[Lula]

Regarding all those who fight GBLT equality, constantly claiming they are "defending the children":

I'd like them to read the following and ask themselves, "Who's REALLY a threat to America's children, and to the American family....the gays, or the President?"

INFURIATING:

WAR IN IRAQ: MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
AMERICAN CHILDREN: SORRY, NO MONEY

****************

Bush veotes child health plan
By Jennifer Loven, Associated Press Writer | October 3, 2007

WASHINGTON --President Bush, in a confrontation with Congress, on Wednesday vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have dramatically expanded children's health insurance.

It was only the fourth veto of Bush's presidency, and one that some Republicans feared could carry steep risks for their party in next year's elections. The Senate approved the bill with enough votes to override the veto, but the margin in the House fell short of the required number.

The White House sought as little attention as possible, with the president wielding his veto behind closed doors without any fanfare or news coverage.

The State Children's Health Insurance Program is a joint state-federal effort that subsidizes health coverage for 6.6 million people, mostly children, from families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford their own private coverage.

The Democrats who control Congress, with significant support from Republicans, passed the legislation to add $35 billion over five years to allow an additional 4 million children into the program. It would be funded by raising the federal cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 per pack.

The president had promised to veto it, saying the Democratic bill was too costly, took the program too far from its original intent of helping the poor, and would entice people now covered in the private sector to switch to government coverage. He wants only a $5 billion increase in funding.

Bush argued that the congressional plan would be a move toward socialized medicine by expanding the program to higher-income families.

Democrats deny that, saying their goal is to cover more of the millions of uninsured children and noting that the bill provides financial incentives for states to cover their lowest-income children first. Of the over 43 million people nationwide who lack health insurance, 9 percent, or over 6 million, are under 18 years old.

Eighteen Republicans joined Democrats in the Senate, enough to override Bush's veto. But this was not the case in the House, where despite sizable Republican support, supporters of the bill are about two dozen votes short of a successful override.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Democrats were imploring 15 House Republicans to switch positions but had received no agreements so far.

House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said he was "absolutely confident" that the House would be able to sustain Bush's expected veto.

Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott, R-Miss., said Congress should be able to reach a compromise with Bush once he vetoes the bill. "We should not allow it to be expanded to higher and higher income levels, and to adults. This is about poor children," he said. "But we can work it out."

It took Bush six years to veto his first bill, when he blocked expanded federal research using embryonic stem cells last summer. In May, he vetoed a spending bill that would have required troop withdrawals from Iraq. In June, he vetoed another bill to ease restraints on federally funded stem cell research.

In the case of the health insurance program, the veto is a bit of a high-stakes gambit for Bush, pitting him against both the Democrats who have controlled both houses of Congress since January, but also many members of his own party and the public.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched radio ads Monday attacking eight GOP House members who voted against the bill and face potentially tough re-election campaigns next year.

And Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, said a coalition of liberal groups planned more than 200 events throughout the nation to highlight the issue.