Man Attacks 14 Year-Old Girl Carrying Gay Pride Flag

[romantico]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 3:12pm

All this anti gay bullying is just getting to me!

'The teen was rollerblading and carrying a flag pole with two rainbow flags one a hybrid of the American flag and the gay pride flag as members of 7 Rivers LGBT Resource Center's float prepared for the parade about 9:45 a.m. Saturday on Rose Street, said Roseanne St. Sauver, the center's executive director. Commodore Mark Schneider, who was on a float nearby, approached the girl and put his hands on the flagpole, St. Sauver said. St. Sauver walked over, placed her hands on the pole and told him, 'Please stop, she's a 14 year-old child.' 'He said, 'I do not care. Look what you are teaching them,' St. Sauver said. That's when, St. Sauver said, Schneider shoved the girl with his body. St. Sauver said Schneider told the girl: 'Go to a country where they will hang people like you.' The incident left the teen crying, and others upset, St. Sauver said. This is the first year the center has participated in the parade. 'I had tears in my eyes,' she said. 'He specifically targeted us and made statements about our sexual orientation.'

http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_363d48b0-cb6e-11df-a278-001cc4c002e0.html

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 3:13pm

It may get better, but it really seems like things are getting worse right now.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 3:47pm

Weeellll....having read the whole article I'm a little stumped. It's a case of he said/she said with him saying he never shoved her or made comments about their orientation.

He claims he was not upset about sexual orientation but about the changes to the American flag. Which, I get. The quoted comments don't make any mention of orientation. He could very well be referring to countries were people are hanged for defacing the flag (and that does happen).

No matter what the issue he behaved poorly. If he had an issue with defacing the American flag he could have handled it a lot better.

I'm all for equal rights and I make no secret of it. But I think the people who had the flags are seeing anti-gay bullying where there is none. It's just plain bullying.

Updated On: 9/30/10 at 03:47 PM

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 3:58pm

I haven't seen a picture of the flag in question, but "a hybrid of the American flag and the gay pride flag" sounds like a specially created flag. If so, that's not "defacing" the U.S. flag; it's a different flag.

[Calvin]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 4:00pm

Yeah, and I bet he has no problem with those god-awful American flag shirts GOP convention delegates always squeeze themselves into.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 4:00pm

Yes, but I have to imagine someone who cares about the flag a lot wouldn't see the difference. My father was a Vietman veteran and you DID NOT change the American flag in any way.

I'm not defending his actions at all. I'm just not sure the motives are 100% clear.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 4:02pm

I don't know the guy, but something makes me suspect he wouldn't attack someone at the St. Patrick's Day parade for carrying an Irish American flag:
Like this

[romantico]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 4:02pm

The man supposedly apologized.

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/09/wisconsin-man-attacks-14-year-old-girl.html

The gay American flag that some see as being offensive.I don't get it.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 4:29pm

Or, as "The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later" puts it so succingtly: Progress, but no change.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 4:32pm

It takes a big man to bully a little girl to tears.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 4:36pm

Yep, that's what America means to me.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 4:37pm

To me it means buttsex and abortion on demand.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 4:38pm

The one seldom leads to the need for the other, Phyl.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 4:43pm

Bill Hicks had a routine about flag worship:

Folks say to me, "Hey buddy, my daddy died for that flag!"

I always say, "Well, I bought mine."

Then they say, "My daddy fought in Korea for that flag!"

I say, "What a coincidence. My flag was made in Korea."

[mominator]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 6:12pm

To add to what Roscoe said,
My son has said "I am an officer in the USAF to defend a piece of paper NOT a piece of cloth!"

[StockardFan]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 6:33pm

The one seldom leads to the need for the other, Phyl.



LOL, this is a fact, Reg!

[strummergirl]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 7:04pm

"
He claims he was not upset about sexual orientation but about the changes to the American flag. Which, I get. The quoted comments don't make any mention of orientation. He could very well be referring to countries were people are hanged for defacing the flag (and that does happen).

No matter what the issue he behaved poorly. If he had an issue with defacing the American flag he could have handled it a lot better."

Strange how I have more restraint toward never doing that to somebody being prideful with a confederate flag. Many people died for that flag too, doesn't mean I wouldn't burn it.

It's not defacing. There are many variations of the American flag sold for profit and in some instances, unlike the real McCoy, are actually made in this country . God forbid people promoting gay pride join in the business too.
Updated On: 9/30/10 at 07:04 PM

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 7:15pm

And/or God forbid gays think of themselves as having the rights of American citizens.

Whatever his motivation, f*ck him and his self-righteousness. I'm tired of feeling obligated to figure out the motives of people who abuse me and those like me.