PA police boycott YMCA over pro-Harry Potter stance

[psionotic]

Can the police make decisions over which events they provide security or direct traffic for on religious grounds? I don't know about you, but I find this terrifying and slightly disgusting.

http://www.salon.com/books/wire/2002/01/24/hp_boycott/index.html

Edit: Correct URL.

Zounds! The boards be slow, matey!

 

[Michael Sorensen]

I must say that I am completely disgusted by the actions of the police in this town. I hope they are slapped down hard and fast for such blatantly wrong and possibly illegal behavior.

PS. The link seems to be broken but you can get to it from the salon.com main page.

 

[Berandor]

The police did well.
Every year, more and more children get introduced to witchvraft and run through walls, or even put spells on their father to buy them D&D books!

That's gotta stop!

Of course, in a serious manner, they are freaked!

Berandor

 

[WSmith]

SORRY I HAVE TO GET THIS OUT!!! First of all look at the source of the article. Enough said about that without going into political viewpoints.

Second. I know most parts of the country probably don't know this. but...

Penryn Fire Police Capt. Robert Fichthorn

In the northeast, most suburban and rural fire departments are all volunteer. They are usually split into three divisons, Fire Dept, Emergency Squad, and FIRE POLICE. The other two are obvious, but most people would have no idea what fire police means. Well, all they do is direct traffic at accidents, fire scenes, parades, etc. THEY ARE NOT TRAINED AND/OR COMMISSIONED POLICE OFFICERS IN PA OR NJ!!! So Salon is putting a very bad and false spin on the article.

 

[rounser]

That seems to be a very poorly chosen name for them then. The word "police" has all sorts of connotations that volunteers can't be expected to live up to...

 

[Holy Bovine]

Say it ain't so!

What? Salon.com but a bad spin on one of their stories? I just can't believe it.

They are such a beacon of truth and integrity

Thanks for the insight WSmith!

 

[WSmith]

One other thing. Look at the location. Lancaster, 66 miles west of Phila. , that puts them right in the middle of Pennslyvania Dutch (read Amish) County. If you don't know they are not very open minded on such subject matter.

 

[Ysgarran]

This is straight off of the ASSOCIATED PRESS news wire...I saw the same story on the front page of the NY Times site.

 

[Agnostic Paladin]

Hey, its the AP wire; you were expecting quality unbiased reporting? AP is good at making both sides look bad at once.

The bit I really like though:

chronicle the fictional adventures of the young Harry Potter

After all, we wouldn't want anyone to get confused and think that the books are a biography of an actual wizard.

 

[The Green Man]

Grr

Ahh, local news. I've never heard of Penryn, though obviously it's right near me somewheres.

Yeah, we have some...ahem..."conservative" Christians around here, although York County (other side of the Susquehanna River) is worse for that. The Amish are the real conservatives, but they keep to themselves. Try being a DnD player around here...

Sad that it's this sort of thing that gets us mentioned.