So Much for Demo diversity

What happens when a group of Roman Catholic seminarians -- men studying for the priesthood -- decide to stage a quiet, peaceful pro-life protest at a John Kerry rally in St. Louis, Mo.?

They are very nearly accosted, arrested and are denied total access to the proceedings as union thugs masquerading as security, Kerry campaign officials and police cooperatively say to hell with your free speech rights, even if you happen to be wearing a collar. It is hard to explain the level of disdain, you need to read the original as reported by drchrist at his blogsite The Meandering Mind of a Seminarian . And if you want to know more there's a followup report on how they were treated outside the building by those who had just attended the event at How It Happened - Part II. An excerpt or two:

"When the event was over Kerry supporters poured out of the building just as
fast as the obscenities and ridicule poured out of their drunken mouths (yes,
many of them were rather intoxicated). We were hailed as pedophile hypocrites
who needed to clean our own house before we tell them what to do. We were accused of being the scum of the Catholic Church and homosexuals. We were
accused of harboring criminals and being oppressive of women and African-Americans. We had some “homosexuals for Kerry” stand in front of us and make out … that was a great photo-op for many of the Kerry supporters. Needless to say it was a very ugly scene, but during it all we remained calm and prayerful – which
infuriated them all the more."

In the Democratic Party of 50 years ago it is unthinkable that this group of seminarians would have been unceremoniously shown to the street. American Catholics and Democrats had a long, mutually beneficial association that began before the Civil War, accelerated during it, and did not really end until recently. Today's party, however, is not your granddad's. Ever since the denial of a convention speaking slot to former Pennsylvania governor Ed Casey, a pro-lifer and Catholic, the party has been sliding farther and farther down the slippery moral slope.

LOCAL NOTE -- Several young priests of the Diocese of Tulsa have attended seminary in St. Louis and undoubtedly know some of the men who participated in the protest. I know three of these priests personally and can attest that they are good holy men who seek to build up the Kingdom of God. If recent events and their witness gives us any indication, there are better days in store for the Church in America.