Christian Crusaders: Coming to a town near you!

I couldn't leave without linking to an article I read in this week's issue of NOW...Absolutely hilarious (but somewhat saddening, nonetheless -- I've been to anti-war demonstrations where only a few people showed up when we expected hundreds).

...A ripple of fear goes through the crowd. "I've been told there will be a counter-protest at the next stop. And it could turn violent," he bellows across the barren parking lot. "The police have asked us to kindly cancel our rally. Not a chance!" says Thomas defiantly. "This is war. And we need every soldier showing up for duty."

Then Thomas jumps into his black Lincoln Continental and takes off for the big demo. We follow. Twenty minutes later, we're at Immigration Minister Joe Volpe's office, across from the fab Lawrence Plaza shopping mall.

Thomas isn't kidding. The mounted horse unit is here, squadrons of yellow-jacket bike cops and dozens of uniformed police. Then I see the bus. Obviously, the brakes have been fixed, or maybe not. It floats down the street with its oddly windblown maple leaf insignia and the slogan "Defend Marriage" emblazoned on its side like a righteous brand on a sodomite's forehead. It magically comes to a stop. A stage and a red pulpit are pulled out of its guts and quickly erected.

Suddenly, in the distance, I hear the other demo. The words of Dr. Rondo Thomas ring in my ears. "This is war. We are engaging the enemy today." And there they are, about 150 activists bearing down on us. But who are they? Well, actually – OCAP, coincidentally onsite protesting for immigrant rights. The group marches past the Defend Marriage bus, looking bewildered. With OCAP gone, it's time to kick some sodomite butt.

Charles McVety, traditional marriage's grand fromage, steps up to the podium. The only thing standing between the world and the impending end of life as we know it: 19 people, if you include the guy setting up equipment. They've cancelled the demo, McVety says, because they didn't want trouble, but came anyway in case their people showed up. Some of the reporters look confused. And it's strange that the the protest could have been "cancelled" when it was still advertised on Defend Marriage's website days later. Hmmm...

I think in a way, this scene sums up the right-wing/Christian Conservative movement so well...a myopic point of view forwarded by a select elite few individuals who see themselves as leading whole armies of only a handful of people to charge at windmills, only to pronounce them as "rousing victories". Don Quixote would be proud.