EDITORIAL : DISRUPTING THE MESSAGE; CATHEDRAL PROTESTERS DESTROYED THEIR OWN CREDIBILITY.WE remember the '60s. We remember the Vietnam War Vietnam War, conflict in Southeast Asia, primarily fought in South Vietnam between government forces aided by the United States and guerrilla forces aided by North Vietnam. protests. Burning of the bras and draft cards. Marching on Washington, D.C., in search of the civil rights ``dream.'' Raging on the streets of Watts, Detroit and New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . There's a time and place to demonstrate. Some are more constructive than others. Last week's disruption of the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Catholic church in downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or by a handful of homeless advocates was neither the time nor the place for it. By intruding upon Cardinal Roger Mahony's presentation of new plans for the cathedral and standing like little children on the skip loader that was to have made the first cut in construction of the building, the tiny band of protesters destroyed what little credibility they had. The Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Catholic Worker members belittled be·lit·tle tr.v. be·lit·tled, be·lit·tling, be·lit·tles 1. To represent or speak of as contemptibly small or unimportant; disparage: a person who belittled our efforts to do the job right. their own cause, which is seeking more funding for homeless programs, for a publicity ploy. Did they really expect the nation's largest archdiocese to sympathize with Verb 1. sympathize with - share the suffering of compassionate, condole with, feel for, pity grieve, sorrow - feel grief commiserate, sympathise, sympathize - to feel or express sympathy or compassion them and abandon a project, which has been on the drawing board for years and is so important to so many devout Catholics, simply because they were playing on the heavy equipment? In the process, their message was muddied. They oppose the construction of the cathedral because, at a cost of $163 million, it is too lavish. The protesters think it is wiser for the church to spend its money on underprivileged, hungry people. It is their right to speak out, even to demonstrate and protest to call attention to the needy. But there was nothing noble about scaling a fence and barreling through the clutches of a brown-robed cleric. |
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