(Kansas Media Watch note: The message below was sent out as an E-Flash by Senator Tim Huelskamp on April 3. Kansas Media Watch was unable to find a mention of the fire in the Kansas City Star, Topeka Capital-Journal-Journal, or Lawrence Journal-World.)
Church Nearly Torched by Anti-Marriage Activists
In an attempt to intimidate supporters of traditional marriage, a church in Wichita, Kansas was nearly torched last weekend by opponents to the proposed Kansas Marriage Amendment.
In a story reported only by KAKE News, someone viciously torched a pro-amendment yard sign and the lawn of the Trinity Baptist Church. The flames from the fire clearly came within feet of the church itself. A shaken pastor Craig Atherton reported the burning incident to the police. This the second act of intimidation against this church in the last five days – last week someone also destroyed two other signs on the property.
Violent and desperate acts like these have absolutely no place in our election system. These charred grounds are clearly an attempt to intimidate supporters of the Marriage Amendment. These actions not only violate our state laws against voter intimidation, but most assuredly they are violations of federal civil rights protections. No one should have to be fearful for taking a stand for marriage.
Outside of KAKE News, the week-old story apparently has been completely ignored by every major media outlet. While the mainstream media has issued multiple editorials attacking the Amendment and our motives, no other mention of the torching can be found anywhere on the Internet. Can anyone say MEDIA BIAS?!?
Imagine how loudly the calls for a HATE CRIME investigation would have been if the violence had not been done to a conservative, Christian church?
Let us not be intimidated. Please call or E-mail at least 10 friends between now and Tuesday morning. Kindly remind them of Tuesday’s vote and encourage them to vote YES on the Marriage Amendment!!
One may access the intimidation story at this site: Sign Burned at Church
