Another Liberal Attack

Ah... it is okay, I'm a big girl conservative, so I can take it. In fact, their attacks are compliments to me.

 A friend alerted me to a reader letter in our local liberal rag, the Winston-Salem Journal. Rick Mashburn writes:

 "Ambushed

 Pattie Curran? Hmmm. The name rings a bell. Isn't she the mom with the teen sons who got ambushed at the opera by the twiggy thing bent in the shape of a lady-part ("Opera patron unhappy with art," March 16)? But wait. There's a person named Pattie Curran who organized a protest and spoke to the media in opposition to insurance coverage for reproductive healthcare ("Rally scheduled to protest birth control rules," March 20). That's the same Pattie Curran. Hmmm. But wouldn't that mean she had political objections to the lady-part art, since its title clearly makes a comment on the current reproductive healthcare controversy? Which in turn would mean that she was not completely honest in her argument for placing notification on the art? Hmm. Seems like maybe it was the art that got ambushed."

 I wrote a short response and submitted it to the paper (will follow these comments). Where do these liberals live? So, I can't have a political opinion? Really? Sadly, he heard what he wanted to hear and not what I actually said. While I do not agree with the political sentiment or any of the political sentiments expressed in ANY of the art displayed that evening, the messages themselves needed no parental notification. It was the display of a V that was over the top for student night.   If a right wing conservative (note the opera had no right leaning art) had an art piece of a V displayed at the opera, my response would have been the same.

I told ALL the reporters and even the opera director himself that I was very political and that I had no problem with them posting their political art all over-- remember folks, I didn't even ask that the piece be removed. Just asked that they give parental notification, just as they do for sex education in schools. Once again, I have been honest about my political leanings. I am far right and not embarrassed to share that fact. However, I am able to articulate my points without the use of vulgarity.  Not wanting to see porn is not a political statement.  Even some of my far left-leaning friends wrote letters objecting to the art being displayed without parental notification.

My letter to the paper (we'll see if it gets published!):

 "Love the "Ambushed" reader comment. Do liberals ever listen or do they only hear what they want to hear? 1) The political comments at the opera did not bother me AT ALL.... they have the right to express their political views even when I disagree 2) They have the right to display a V at their opera, I didn't say they should remove it 3) PARENTAL notification is required for SEX EDUCATION-- should not the opera have given parental notification? 4) "Ambushed" letter writer, Rick Mashburn, you get an A plus for being so astute in your observations. Yes, I am the same Pattie Curran. Notice at the Stand Up For Religious Freedom Rally WE stood up for our first amendment rights using our first amendment rights WITHOUT any vulgarity. Men, women and children were protesting that day and there was not a single display of objectionable material or art. Imagine that-- we can articulate our positions without objectifying women. What a novel idea! Pattie Curran"

Good gravy. Liberals need to get a grip. Yes, I am conservative and disagree with the entire message of the art-- note that I didn't mention the pro-homosexuality piece or the Obama piece-- who cares if I agree or disagree with the message. Like I've said over and over-- even at ADULT night, my reaction would have been different. It was not appropriate for the Piedmont Opera to display a V on Student Night without parental notification. For this Mr. Mashburn to say I wasn't honest is unconscionable. I told everyone exactly where I stood and even told the opera director himself that it wasn't the pro-Obama message that was the problem. It was the vulgarity and the art I considered porn being displayed on Student night. Can you imagine what the left would do if Rush Limbaugh displayed Vs at one of his events to get his political points across? Oh, right, there's always that double standard-- they can do it, but the right can't. Darn... always gets in the way..... that we have a sense of decorum and have moral convictions.

Official Video for the Nationwide Religious Freedom Rallies

Fr. John's Speech at the Indianapolis Rally

Videos: Why People Came to the Rally

We interviewed quite a few people who attended the rally (before and after).  These are the videos: 

Religious Freedom Rally Speech Videos

Here are the speeches from the Stand Up For Religious Freedom Rally in Winston-Salem, NC:

Opening Prayer: 



Fr. John's speech:


Debra's Speech:


James' Speech:


Mark's Speech:


Stu's Speech:


Buddy's speech:


Michael's Speech:

Stand Up For Religious Freedom Rally- Winston-Salem, NC

Within five minutes of arriving at the rally site, five US Marshals were already talking to me and asking for our permit to protest. A few minutes after that, the Winston-Salem Police Department was doing the same! 

I'm currently uploading the video segments of the rally. We made it onto three different news stations tonight, though I can't find the video segments on line for all of them. The Winston-Salem Journal was also present. Here is a link to the News 14 video segment on the rally.You can see the FOX 8 news link here.

A family from Pakistan posted this photo on our Facebook Wall It really brought tears to my eyes knowing that families around the world were standing with us in prayer and support!

We had over 250 people turn out for our rally in Winston-Salem, NC. God is good! Here are a few photos from today:

Mark Speaking

Fr. John being interviewed

Fr. John Speaking

Grace being Interviewed

Religious Freedom Rally Tomorrow

God is really working overtime on the rally. We have everything lined up, speakers, singers, volunteers for every position. Tomorrow is going to be a wonderful day! God will be doing something HUGE! I can't wait to tell you all about it. Hopefully, I will be able to put up some of the video clips, too. Tomorrow's homeschool lesson: how to set up and pull off a successful protest. Clean up afterward!

Media Blast

I've spent the morning sending out a press release to all news media outlets.

For immediate release.
Contact: Pattie Curran, 336XXXXX, catholicmomof3@XXXX
Winston-Salem Joins Nationwide Rally Against the HHS Mandate Friday, March 23rd

Winston-Salem, NC —On Friday, March 23 from noon to 1 p.m. concerned citizens will hold a Rally for Religious Freedom at Hiram H Ward federal Building 251 N. Main St. in Winston-Salem to voice public opposition to the Obama administration’s Health and Human Services Mandate. The HHS Mandate forces all employers, even religious institutions such as Roman Catholic hospitals and universities, to offer contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs through their health plans, contrary to their religious beliefs and doctrines.

Winston-Salem is joining over 100 other cities across the country for the March 23 nationwide Stand Up for Religious Freedom rallies, including New York, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Miami. Find more information at http://Standupforreligiousfreedom.com

The Winston-Salem Religious Freedom Rally has been organized by Pattie Curran and Grace Garner. Special guest speakers include Father John Eckert, Debra Conrad, Stu Epperson, Pastor Michael Carbone, Julia Howard and Pastor James Knott. What: Stand Up Rally for Religious Freedom When: Friday, March 23, noon to 1 p.m. Where: 251 N. Main Street Winston-Salem, NC Who: Hundreds of citizens opposed to President Obama’s HHS Mandate

“This rally is intended to draw attention to the injustice of the federal government’s ignoring the first amendment and running over the conscience of American citizens as we seek to generate even stronger national opposition to the HHS Mandate—a ruling already opposed by millions of Americans,” said Rally Captain Pattie Curran. “We pledge to work for its ultimate reversal.”

Curran continued, “The HHS mandate actually seeks to define what constitutes religious ministry in its narrowly crafted so-called exemption. This sort of government intrusion must be opposed. This is not about the issue of contraception and abortion drug coverage—this is about protecting religious liberty as it is enshrined in the United States Constitution.”

The nationwide Stand Up for Religious Freedom coalition calls upon all Americans to oppose the mandate for the following reasons:

1. We protest the federal government's definition of what constitutes a religious institution and the mission of religious institutions through the narrowly constructed “exemption” to the HHS Mandate. Not only is this definition false, but the federal government has no authority to make it.
2. We protest that religious institutions (even under Obama’s so-called “accommodation”) are still forced to facilitate contraception, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs through insurance companies that are mandated to provide them.
3. We protest the Mandate for forcing all businesses -- not just religious institutions -- to provide coverage of contraception, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs, even if doing so violates the employer’s own moral position on these matters.
4. We protest the HHS Mandate -- requiring contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs to be given free of charge by all health plans -- in general because it treats pregnancy and childbirth as if it were a disease.

For more information please contact Pattie Curran

For more information on the Nationwide Rally effort, including media contacts for the national leadership team, visit http://StandUpForReligiousFreedom.com/press

Toesday

We are still battling the toe infection.  Over a month on antibitoics, drained three times and it seems there is a little bit of infection left.  We are hoping that it is well enough today to do the procedure.  We shall see. We are calling today "Toesday" in hopes that today, the infection battle ends!

 J has developed esophagitis -- which sometimes happens when he takes Clindamycin.  He's been on it every 8 hours--I've been very vigilant about that because of the infection. I wake him up in the middle of the night (usually 1am or so) to take the dose, making sure he drinks extra water and sits up for a bit afterward.

We continue to plod away with school and are working hard to get the word out about the Stand Up For Religious Freedom Rally in Winston-Salem, NC. 

The response has been overwhelmingly good!  I hope we fill the plaza and the sidewalks surrounding the Hiram H Ward Federal Building in 10 days!  We've got speakers and all sorts of good things lined up.

Exactly 237 years to the day before our March 23 Rally, American patriot Patrick Henry delivered his famous speech with the concluding line, “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”

Stand Up for Religious Freedom Signs

I've had fun making signs with quotes from our founding fathers and other sources.  Here are the signs we have come up with so far: