Comments on: An Image from General Conference

By: Janet

Janet — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:55:51 +0000

Wonder if the bagpipe guy is the legendary bagpiper of Maeser Hill from the 90s? Is he really tall and skinny with curly hair?

By: Janet

Janet — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:53:31 +0000

For the record, DH laughed long and hard. Then again, he is a Porter Rockwell descendant . . .

By: Janet

Janet — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:52:59 +0000

Ardis, those people really yell that crap at brides and grooms?? Seriously? NO hyperbole at all? Then I’m with Steve, even though I’ve never hit anyone in my life. Somebody yells something like that at my kid and while I may not hit them (this would merely cause uproarious laughter since I don’t if the thumb goes in or outside the fist) I would pull out every rude polysyllabic word I know and verbally tirade them into exhaustion whilst stepping on their toes in with the pointy stilleto heels I fear some daughter will want me to don for her wedding someday.

Mess with me, call me whatever mean thing you want, but mess with my kid(s)? Anyone who does that is TOAST. Burnt toast. Toast against whom I will invoke the archaic “rude language in the presence of a lady” laws and also aforementioned stilettos.

Otherwise I’m with you–patient and seeming obliviousness. Unless it’s raining or they look really hungry, in which case they may have my umbrella or sandwich because kindness does sometimes change arses into smaller arses or even decent people. (Though you of all folks may recall how my last attempt at kindness to the street folks at temple square went–I believe you pretty patiently reminded me not to be quite so much of a marshmallow dumb-bell).

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:59:20 +0000

#28–I don’t think it’s really all that funny. A sign labelling the screamers “People With Too Much Spare Time” (or something to that effect) would be funny. Dismissive, contemptuous, mocking, etc.

I’m guessing that the creator of the banner had similar intentions, but the problem is that it’s not an obvious joke. A non-LDS, non-(whatever the picketers are) neutral observer might see this interaction as a petty game of “I know you are but what am I?” between two religious groups. Maybe it is. As a Mormon, I’m kind of embarrassed.

By: Blain

Blain — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:58:52 +0000

17 — Glenn would agree that he’s stupid and dumb too. He just sees himself as a guy who’s doing the best he can with the talent and opportunity he’s got.

24 — Jesus would definitely put on his kilt and play bagpipes. Having him play Amazing Grace would be amazing.

I thought the sign was funny. Wrong, but funny.

By: Raymond Takashi Swenson

Raymond Takashi Swenson — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:58:57 +0000

It would be a great incentive to civil discourse if there were regular efforts to police provocative speech by the actual police. There is no First Amendment value in insults like that hurled at a wedding party, just as there is none in the insulting demonstrators who show up at the funerals of soldiers. For the funeral of a soldier from our ward, a veteran’s motorcycle club stationed itself outside the church during the service and then escorted the cortege to the burial. The police are supposed to remove the need for law-abiding citizens to make a show of implied defensive violence.

I am not impressed by judges who claim that the legal standard of behavior is Christlike tolerance of all insults to ourselves and our wives and daughters. Frankly, if you insult a judge to his face, he will peremptorily order armed officers to take you to jail, without prior hearing. The notorious judge Willis Ritter did that to a TV camera crew outside on the street who were just filming him.

I see no reason why an ordinance could not be passed to ban bullhorns. It is a reasonable restriction on the manner of speech, just as noisy demonstrations at night that interfere with sleep are banned.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:33:03 +0000

Edit, second-to-last paragraph above “…likely to incite IMMEDIATE violence…”

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:30:09 +0000

If I were best man at a wedding at the Salt Lake Temple (or anywhere else), and somebody shouted at the newlyweds the kind of filth cited in #12, I would consider it my duty to punch the idiot in the mouth.

Heaven help the fool who shouts something like that at my daughter’s wedding. Neither he nor I will spend that night in our own beds.

My behavior falls below the standard set by Jesus. I admit it. But I don’t think I’m necessarily below the standard of the “reasonable man.”

Whatever happened to the “fighting words” doctrine? Freedom of speech has its limits (shouting “FIRE” in a crowded theater, etc.) Speech delivered in a manner and in a context likely to incite violence can be restricted. Are these idiots ever arrested?

(Please no responses from free-speech absolutists–your position simply is not the law)

By: Marie

Marie — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:42:17 +0000

To use a phrase so often used in non-Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint churches, “what would Jesus do?” He most certainly would not react the way some of us do to these protestors. Let them do what they believe in (or are paid to do) and we just need to ignore it and love them as sons and daughters of God. No matter what nasty things they say, they are still His children, just as we are. It’s a true test of our self-possessed Christ-like attitudes. Do we try our best to emulate our Savior???? As funny as it may be, he would not dance around in a clown suit, would he? I will admit that I would love to hear Bagpipe Guy though :) Beautiful music is definitely uplifting and non-confrontational. However, if Bagpipe Guy were off somewhere doing missionary work I dare say that that would be more productive even than playing beautiful music with the main purpose being to overpower the words of others.

By: Eric Boysen

Eric Boysen — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:49:16 +0000

THe last time I attended Conference on Temple Square I thanked the kind and thoughtful souls who came to distribute disposable emergency umbrella kits. SEveral of us availed ourselves of their gifts to protect our faces from the sleet that fell that day. Oh, there was something printed on that paper? I must have missed it.