Guest guest Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 'Rev. Billy' on crusade against consumerism Activist, actor, writer condemns shopping with evangelical zeal Erika Hayasaki, Los Angeles Times Sunday, July 15, 2007 (07-15) 04:00 PDT New York -- Familiar in his clerical collar, cream-colored suit and dyed-blond pompadour, " the Rev. Billy " has spent much of the past decade parading through the streets of Manhattan, shouting through a megaphone messages such as: " Mickey Mouse is the Antichrist! " Accompanied by a robed choir that belts out gospel songs, the Rev. Billy condemns the " Disneyfication " of Times Square and warns that Wal-Mart is part of the " consumer axis of evil. " To passers-by, the preacher who shouts, " Can I get a change-a-lujah? " might seem like just another colorful character in New York's backdrop. But the Rev. Billy -- whose off-stage name is Bill Talen -- does not promote religion and is not actually a reverend. He is the alter ego of Talen, an activist, actor and writer who has become nationally known for his fight against consumerism and big corporations under the guise of Rev. Billy, a character inspired by televangelists. At the end of June, police arrested the Rev. Billy in Manhattan's Union Square, charging him with harassment after he repeatedly recited the First Amendment through a megaphone during a bicycling rally. His arrest sparked outcries from supporters that his free-speech rights had been violated. " Rev. Billy has a First Amendment right to recite the First Amendment, " said Norman Siegel, former head of the New York American Civil Liberties Union and attorney for Talen, who has called for the charges to be dismissed. Video footage of Talen being handcuffed was posted on YouTube. After his release from jail, he criticized police for violating his rights and took his moment in the spotlight to bring new attention to his crusade against megastores, consumerism and gentrification. " We're addicted to shopping, " Talen said in an interview at an independently owned East Village cafe. It's near St. Mark's Bowery church, where his congregation, the Church of Stop Shopping, holds services. " Don't go shopping in a big-box store if you can help it, " he said. " Don't go to a chain store if you can help it. Those are sweatshop products. Those are union-busting companies. " Talen used to live in the East Village, paying about $400 a month for rent. But he was forced to move to Brooklyn as rent in the neighborhood climbed to $2,000 a month. He pointed to a Chase Manhattan Bank across the street from the church. " That used to be the Second Avenue Deli, with the Yiddish Walk of Fame in front of it, " he said, adding that there was another Chase branch around the corner. " I'm embarrassed that's there. " While many admire Talen's passion, his critics -- including corporations that he targets and customers who shop there -- say it is unrealistic to ask the public to stop shopping at their favorite stores. Others complain that the Rev. Billy's dramatic protests, which sometimes include barging into stores with his bullhorn, are disruptive and don't contribute to meaningful discussion or debate about the issues. Talen's mission to curb consumerism began in 1997, when he believed megastores and corporations were overrunning Manhattan streets where family-owned shops and restaurants used to be. Meanwhile, he said, " poor people, eccentric people, vendors, people of color " were getting priced out of the neighborhoods they had lived in for years to make room for wealthier people and businesses where they shopped. Talen bought a pulpit from a thrift store and planted himself in front of the Disney store in Times Square, just as the area was beginning to transform into the glitzy commercial center of the city that it is now. He delivered sermons in a Southern accent denouncing big businesses. " At first it may have been a parody, " Talen said, " and you probably could have taken it right out of 'Saturday Night Live.' " But Talen's message resonated with people. As his following grew, he met Savitri Durkee -- now his wife. She also came from a theater-and-arts background and had grown up in a commune. He was raised in a Dutch Calvinist family in the Midwest, a faith he rejected as a teenager. He and Durkee partnered in writing political theater featuring the Rev. Billy, which he performs with his choir and band. " It resembles religion in certain ways, " Durkee said. " We have a regular group of people who come to our shows. They are exactly like a congregation, and our relationship to them is very much like a congregation. The expectation in the room is a prayerful one, a hopeful one. " In his book " What Would Jesus Buy? " the Rev. Billy offers prayers and songs: " We believe in making more than money / Beyond big debts there's a super value. A Wal-Mart crushed by a great green storm / a new town rising from the logos to be born. " Talen's work has been captured by producer Morgan Spurlock ( " Super Size Me " ) who followed the Rev. Billy and his entourage -- including a 35-member choir and band -- as they traveled on two biodiesel-fueled buses across the country in late 2005 for a soon-to-be-released film. Among the stops: Disneyland's Main Street USA, where Talen was arrested on Christmas Day. Another frequent target of the Rev. Billy is Starbucks. A judge has barred him from coming within 250 yards of the businesses in California. Starbucks press officer Bridget Baker said in a statement that the company was aware of the Rev. Billy and his criticisms. " We understand that activists use many vehicles to express their opinions, " she said, adding that Starbucks has a record of social responsibility. Talen, who often takes his performance on the road, remains undeterred. He traveled to Iceland last week to take his message to a conference on saving the country's landscape from heavy industry. When he returns to New York, he is scheduled to perform his anti-consumerism production, " Rev. Billy's Hot and Holy Highline Revival. " " We have humor inside our prayers, inside our hymns, " he said last week, his voice shifting into his sermon style as he recited a line he has told tourists at Times Square: " I want you to take your little family away from this den of iniquity! " This article appeared on page A - 11 of the San Francisco Chronicle " NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency may have read this email without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse nor protection save to call for the impeachment of the current President. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 Hi Fraggle What does the first amendment say? Jo , fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote: > > > > 'Rev. Billy' on crusade against consumerism > Activist, actor, writer condemns shopping with evangelical zeal > Erika Hayasaki, Los Angeles Times > > Sunday, July 15, 2007 > > > (07-15) 04:00 PDT New York -- Familiar in his clerical collar, cream-colored suit and dyed-blond pompadour, " the Rev. Billy " has spent much of the past decade parading through the streets of Manhattan, shouting through a megaphone messages such as: " Mickey Mouse is the Antichrist! " > > Accompanied by a robed choir that belts out gospel songs, the Rev. Billy condemns the " Disneyfication " of Times Square and warns that Wal-Mart is part of the " consumer axis of evil. " > > To passers-by, the preacher who shouts, " Can I get a change-a- lujah? " might seem like just another colorful character in New York's backdrop. But the Rev. Billy -- whose off-stage name is Bill Talen -- does not promote religion and is not actually a reverend. He is the alter ego of Talen, an activist, actor and writer who has become nationally known for his fight against consumerism and big corporations under the guise of Rev. Billy, a character inspired by televangelists. > > At the end of June, police arrested the Rev. Billy in Manhattan's Union Square, charging him with harassment after he repeatedly recited the First Amendment through a megaphone during a bicycling rally. His arrest sparked outcries from supporters that his free- speech rights had been violated. > > " Rev. Billy has a First Amendment right to recite the First Amendment, " said Norman Siegel, former head of the New York American Civil Liberties Union and attorney for Talen, who has called for the charges to be dismissed. > > Video footage of Talen being handcuffed was posted on YouTube. After his release from jail, he criticized police for violating his rights and took his moment in the spotlight to bring new attention to his crusade against megastores, consumerism and gentrification. > > " We're addicted to shopping, " Talen said in an interview at an independently owned East Village cafe. It's near St. Mark's Bowery church, where his congregation, the Church of Stop Shopping, holds services. > > " Don't go shopping in a big-box store if you can help it, " he said. " Don't go to a chain store if you can help it. Those are sweatshop products. Those are union-busting companies. " > > Talen used to live in the East Village, paying about $400 a month for rent. But he was forced to move to Brooklyn as rent in the neighborhood climbed to $2,000 a month. He pointed to a Chase Manhattan Bank across the street from the church. > > " That used to be the Second Avenue Deli, with the Yiddish Walk of Fame in front of it, " he said, adding that there was another Chase branch around the corner. " I'm embarrassed that's there. " > > While many admire Talen's passion, his critics -- including corporations that he targets and customers who shop there -- say it is unrealistic to ask the public to stop shopping at their favorite stores. Others complain that the Rev. Billy's dramatic protests, which sometimes include barging into stores with his bullhorn, are disruptive and don't contribute to meaningful discussion or debate about the issues. > > Talen's mission to curb consumerism began in 1997, when he believed megastores and corporations were overrunning Manhattan streets where family-owned shops and restaurants used to be. Meanwhile, he said, " poor people, eccentric people, vendors, people of color " were getting priced out of the neighborhoods they had lived in for years to make room for wealthier people and businesses where they shopped. > > Talen bought a pulpit from a thrift store and planted himself in front of the Disney store in Times Square, just as the area was beginning to transform into the glitzy commercial center of the city that it is now. He delivered sermons in a Southern accent denouncing big businesses. > > " At first it may have been a parody, " Talen said, " and you probably could have taken it right out of 'Saturday Night Live.' " > > But Talen's message resonated with people. As his following grew, he met Savitri Durkee -- now his wife. She also came from a theater- and-arts background and had grown up in a commune. He was raised in a Dutch Calvinist family in the Midwest, a faith he rejected as a teenager. He and Durkee partnered in writing political theater featuring the Rev. Billy, which he performs with his choir and band. > > " It resembles religion in certain ways, " Durkee said. " We have a regular group of people who come to our shows. They are exactly like a congregation, and our relationship to them is very much like a congregation. The expectation in the room is a prayerful one, a hopeful one. " > > In his book " What Would Jesus Buy? " the Rev. Billy offers prayers and songs: " We believe in making more than money / Beyond big debts there's a super value. A Wal-Mart crushed by a great green storm / a new town rising from the logos to be born. " > > Talen's work has been captured by producer Morgan Spurlock ( " Super Size Me " ) who followed the Rev. Billy and his entourage -- including a 35-member choir and band -- as they traveled on two biodiesel- fueled buses across the country in late 2005 for a soon-to-be- released film. Among the stops: Disneyland's Main Street USA, where Talen was arrested on Christmas Day. > > Another frequent target of the Rev. Billy is Starbucks. A judge has barred him from coming within 250 yards of the businesses in California. > > Starbucks press officer Bridget Baker said in a statement that the company was aware of the Rev. Billy and his criticisms. > > " We understand that activists use many vehicles to express their opinions, " she said, adding that Starbucks has a record of social responsibility. > > Talen, who often takes his performance on the road, remains undeterred. > > He traveled to Iceland last week to take his message to a conference on saving the country's landscape from heavy industry. When he returns to New York, he is scheduled to perform his anti- consumerism production, " Rev. Billy's Hot and Holy Highline Revival. " > > " We have humor inside our prayers, inside our hymns, " he said last week, his voice shifting into his sermon style as he recited a line he has told tourists at Times Square: " I want you to take your little family away from this den of iniquity! " > > This article appeared on page A - 11 of the San Francisco Chronicle > > > > > " NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency may have read this email without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse nor protection save to call for the impeachment of the current President. " > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 freedom of speech, religion and press heartwerk Jul 16, 2007 11:57 PM Re: can i get an amen?!? Hi FraggleWhat does the first amendment say?Jo , fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote:>> > > 'Rev. Billy' on crusade against consumerism> Activist, actor, writer condemns shopping with evangelical zeal> Erika Hayasaki, Los Angeles Times> > Sunday, July 15, 2007> > > (07-15) 04:00 PDT New York -- Familiar in his clerical collar, cream-colored suit and dyed-blond pompadour, "the Rev. Billy" has spent much of the past decade parading through the streets of Manhattan, shouting through a megaphone messages such as: "Mickey Mouse is the Antichrist!" > > Accompanied by a robed choir that belts out gospel songs, the Rev. Billy condemns the "Disneyfication" of Times Square and warns that Wal-Mart is part of the "consumer axis of evil." > > To passers-by, the preacher who shouts, "Can I get a change-a-lujah?" might seem like just another colorful character in New York's backdrop. But the Rev. Billy -- whose off-stage name is Bill Talen -- does not promote religion and is not actually a reverend. He is the alter ego of Talen, an activist, actor and writer who has become nationally known for his fight against consumerism and big corporations under the guise of Rev. Billy, a character inspired by televangelists. > > At the end of June, police arrested the Rev. Billy in Manhattan's Union Square, charging him with harassment after he repeatedly recited the First Amendment through a megaphone during a bicycling rally. His arrest sparked outcries from supporters that his free-speech rights had been violated. > > "Rev. Billy has a First Amendment right to recite the First Amendment," said Norman Siegel, former head of the New York American Civil Liberties Union and attorney for Talen, who has called for the charges to be dismissed. > > Video footage of Talen being handcuffed was posted on YouTube. After his release from jail, he criticized police for violating his rights and took his moment in the spotlight to bring new attention to his crusade against megastores, consumerism and gentrification. > > "We're addicted to shopping," Talen said in an interview at an independently owned East Village cafe. It's near St. Mark's Bowery church, where his congregation, the Church of Stop Shopping, holds services. > > "Don't go shopping in a big-box store if you can help it," he said. "Don't go to a chain store if you can help it. Those are sweatshop products. Those are union-busting companies." > > Talen used to live in the East Village, paying about $400 a month for rent. But he was forced to move to Brooklyn as rent in the neighborhood climbed to $2,000 a month. He pointed to a Chase Manhattan Bank across the street from the church. > > "That used to be the Second Avenue Deli, with the Yiddish Walk of Fame in front of it," he said, adding that there was another Chase branch around the corner. "I'm embarrassed that's there." > > While many admire Talen's passion, his critics -- including corporations that he targets and customers who shop there -- say it is unrealistic to ask the public to stop shopping at their favorite stores. Others complain that the Rev. Billy's dramatic protests, which sometimes include barging into stores with his bullhorn, are disruptive and don't contribute to meaningful discussion or debate about the issues. > > Talen's mission to curb consumerism began in 1997, when he believed megastores and corporations were overrunning Manhattan streets where family-owned shops and restaurants used to be. Meanwhile, he said, "poor people, eccentric people, vendors, people of color" were getting priced out of the neighborhoods they had lived in for years to make room for wealthier people and businesses where they shopped. > > Talen bought a pulpit from a thrift store and planted himself in front of the Disney store in Times Square, just as the area was beginning to transform into the glitzy commercial center of the city that it is now. He delivered sermons in a Southern accent denouncing big businesses. > > "At first it may have been a parody," Talen said, "and you probably could have taken it right out of 'Saturday Night Live.' " > > But Talen's message resonated with people. As his following grew, he met Savitri Durkee -- now his wife. She also came from a theater-and-arts background and had grown up in a commune. He was raised in a Dutch Calvinist family in the Midwest, a faith he rejected as a teenager. He and Durkee partnered in writing political theater featuring the Rev. Billy, which he performs with his choir and band. > > "It resembles religion in certain ways," Durkee said. "We have a regular group of people who come to our shows. They are exactly like a congregation, and our relationship to them is very much like a congregation. The expectation in the room is a prayerful one, a hopeful one." > > In his book "What Would Jesus Buy?" the Rev. Billy offers prayers and songs: "We believe in making more than money / Beyond big debts there's a super value. A Wal-Mart crushed by a great green storm / a new town rising from the logos to be born." > > Talen's work has been captured by producer Morgan Spurlock ("Super Size Me") who followed the Rev. Billy and his entourage -- including a 35-member choir and band -- as they traveled on two biodiesel-fueled buses across the country in late 2005 for a soon-to-be-released film. Among the stops: Disneyland's Main Street USA, where Talen was arrested on Christmas Day. > > Another frequent target of the Rev. Billy is Starbucks. A judge has barred him from coming within 250 yards of the businesses in California. > > Starbucks press officer Bridget Baker said in a statement that the company was aware of the Rev. Billy and his criticisms. > > "We understand that activists use many vehicles to express their opinions," she said, adding that Starbucks has a record of social responsibility. > > Talen, who often takes his performance on the road, remains undeterred. > > He traveled to Iceland last week to take his message to a conference on saving the country's landscape from heavy industry. When he returns to New York, he is scheduled to perform his anti-consumerism production, "Rev. Billy's Hot and Holy Highline Revival." > > "We have humor inside our prayers, inside our hymns," he said last week, his voice shifting into his sermon style as he recited a line he has told tourists at Times Square: "I want you to take your little family away from this den of iniquity!" > > This article appeared on page A - 11 of the San Francisco Chronicle> > > > > "NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency may have read this email without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse nor protection save to call for the impeachment of the current President."> When I see the price that you pay I don't wanna grow up I don't ever want to be that way I don't wanna grow up Seems that folks turn into things that they never want Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. heartwerk Jul 16, 2007 11:57 PM Re: can i get an amen?!? Hi FraggleWhat does the first amendment say?Jo , fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote:>> > > 'Rev. Billy' on crusade against consumerism> Activist, actor, writer condemns shopping with evangelical zeal> Erika Hayasaki, Los Angeles Times> > Sunday, July 15, 2007> > > (07-15) 04:00 PDT New York -- Familiar in his clerical collar, cream-colored suit and dyed-blond pompadour, "the Rev. Billy" has spent much of the past decade parading through the streets of Manhattan, shouting through a megaphone messages such as: "Mickey Mouse is the Antichrist!" > > Accompanied by a robed choir that belts out gospel songs, the Rev. Billy condemns the "Disneyfication" of Times Square and warns that Wal-Mart is part of the "consumer axis of evil." > > To passers-by, the preacher who shouts, "Can I get a change-a-lujah?" might seem like just another colorful character in New York's backdrop. But the Rev. Billy -- whose off-stage name is Bill Talen -- does not promote religion and is not actually a reverend. He is the alter ego of Talen, an activist, actor and writer who has become nationally known for his fight against consumerism and big corporations under the guise of Rev. Billy, a character inspired by televangelists. > > At the end of June, police arrested the Rev. Billy in Manhattan's Union Square, charging him with harassment after he repeatedly recited the First Amendment through a megaphone during a bicycling rally. His arrest sparked outcries from supporters that his free-speech rights had been violated. > > "Rev. Billy has a First Amendment right to recite the First Amendment," said Norman Siegel, former head of the New York American Civil Liberties Union and attorney for Talen, who has called for the charges to be dismissed. > > Video footage of Talen being handcuffed was posted on YouTube. After his release from jail, he criticized police for violating his rights and took his moment in the spotlight to bring new attention to his crusade against megastores, consumerism and gentrification. > > "We're addicted to shopping," Talen said in an interview at an independently owned East Village cafe. It's near St. Mark's Bowery church, where his congregation, the Church of Stop Shopping, holds services. > > "Don't go shopping in a big-box store if you can help it," he said. "Don't go to a chain store if you can help it. Those are sweatshop products. Those are union-busting companies." > > Talen used to live in the East Village, paying about $400 a month for rent. But he was forced to move to Brooklyn as rent in the neighborhood climbed to $2,000 a month. He pointed to a Chase Manhattan Bank across the street from the church. > > "That used to be the Second Avenue Deli, with the Yiddish Walk of Fame in front of it," he said, adding that there was another Chase branch around the corner. "I'm embarrassed that's there." > > While many admire Talen's passion, his critics -- including corporations that he targets and customers who shop there -- say it is unrealistic to ask the public to stop shopping at their favorite stores. Others complain that the Rev. Billy's dramatic protests, which sometimes include barging into stores with his bullhorn, are disruptive and don't contribute to meaningful discussion or debate about the issues. > > Talen's mission to curb consumerism began in 1997, when he believed megastores and corporations were overrunning Manhattan streets where family-owned shops and restaurants used to be. Meanwhile, he said, "poor people, eccentric people, vendors, people of color" were getting priced out of the neighborhoods they had lived in for years to make room for wealthier people and businesses where they shopped. > > Talen bought a pulpit from a thrift store and planted himself in front of the Disney store in Times Square, just as the area was beginning to transform into the glitzy commercial center of the city that it is now. He delivered sermons in a Southern accent denouncing big businesses. > > "At first it may have been a parody," Talen said, "and you probably could have taken it right out of 'Saturday Night Live.' " > > But Talen's message resonated with people. As his following grew, he met Savitri Durkee -- now his wife. She also came from a theater-and-arts background and had grown up in a commune. He was raised in a Dutch Calvinist family in the Midwest, a faith he rejected as a teenager. He and Durkee partnered in writing political theater featuring the Rev. Billy, which he performs with his choir and band. > > "It resembles religion in certain ways," Durkee said. "We have a regular group of people who come to our shows. They are exactly like a congregation, and our relationship to them is very much like a congregation. The expectation in the room is a prayerful one, a hopeful one." > > In his book "What Would Jesus Buy?" the Rev. Billy offers prayers and songs: "We believe in making more than money / Beyond big debts there's a super value. A Wal-Mart crushed by a great green storm / a new town rising from the logos to be born." > > Talen's work has been captured by producer Morgan Spurlock ("Super Size Me") who followed the Rev. Billy and his entourage -- including a 35-member choir and band -- as they traveled on two biodiesel-fueled buses across the country in late 2005 for a soon-to-be-released film. Among the stops: Disneyland's Main Street USA, where Talen was arrested on Christmas Day. > > Another frequent target of the Rev. Billy is Starbucks. A judge has barred him from coming within 250 yards of the businesses in California. > > Starbucks press officer Bridget Baker said in a statement that the company was aware of the Rev. Billy and his criticisms. > > "We understand that activists use many vehicles to express their opinions," she said, adding that Starbucks has a record of social responsibility. > > Talen, who often takes his performance on the road, remains undeterred. > > He traveled to Iceland last week to take his message to a conference on saving the country's landscape from heavy industry. When he returns to New York, he is scheduled to perform his anti-consumerism production, "Rev. Billy's Hot and Holy Highline Revival." > > "We have humor inside our prayers, inside our hymns," he said last week, his voice shifting into his sermon style as he recited a line he has told tourists at Times Square: "I want you to take your little family away from this den of iniquity!" > > This article appeared on page A - 11 of the San Francisco Chronicle> > > > > "NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency may have read this email without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse nor protection save to call for the impeachment of the current President."> When I see the price that you pay I don't wanna grow up I don't ever want to be that way I don't wanna grow up Seems that folks turn into things that they never want Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 You believe in any of them? The Valley Vegan.............fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote: freedom of speech, religion and press heartwerk Jul 16, 2007 11:57 PM Re: can i get an amen?!? Hi FraggleWhat does the first amendment say?Jo , fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote:>> > > 'Rev. Billy' on crusade against consumerism> Activist, actor, writer condemns shopping with evangelical zeal> Erika Hayasaki, Los Angeles Times> > Sunday, July 15, 2007> > > (07-15) 04:00 PDT New York -- Familiar in his clerical collar, cream-colored suit and dyed-blond pompadour, "the Rev. Billy" has spent much of the past decade parading through the streets of Manhattan, shouting through a megaphone messages such as: "Mickey Mouse is the Antichrist!" > > Accompanied by a robed choir that belts out gospel songs, the Rev. Billy condemns the "Disneyfication" of Times Square and warns that Wal-Mart is part of the "consumer axis of evil." > > To passers-by, the preacher who shouts, "Can I get a change-a-lujah?" might seem like just another colorful character in New York's backdrop. But the Rev. Billy -- whose off-stage name is Bill Talen -- does not promote religion and is not actually a reverend. He is the alter ego of Talen, an activist, actor and writer who has become nationally known for his fight against consumerism and big corporations under the guise of Rev. Billy, a character inspired by televangelists. > > At the end of June, police arrested the Rev. Billy in Manhattan's Union Square, charging him with harassment after he repeatedly recited the First Amendment through a megaphone during a bicycling rally. His arrest sparked outcries from supporters that his free-speech rights had been violated. > > "Rev. Billy has a First Amendment right to recite the First Amendment," said Norman Siegel, former head of the New York American Civil Liberties Union and attorney for Talen, who has called for the charges to be dismissed. > > Video footage of Talen being handcuffed was posted on YouTube. After his release from jail, he criticized police for violating his rights and took his moment in the spotlight to bring new attention to his crusade against megastores, consumerism and gentrification. > > "We're addicted to shopping," Talen said in an interview at an independently owned East Village cafe. It's near St. Mark's Bowery church, where his congregation, the Church of Stop Shopping, holds services. > > "Don't go shopping in a big-box store if you can help it," he said. "Don't go to a chain store if you can help it. Those are sweatshop products. Those are union-busting companies." > > Talen used to live in the East Village, paying about $400 a month for rent. But he was forced to move to Brooklyn as rent in the neighborhood climbed to $2,000 a month. He pointed to a Chase Manhattan Bank across the street from the church. > > "That used to be the Second Avenue Deli, with the Yiddish Walk of Fame in front of it," he said, adding that there was another Chase branch around the corner. "I'm embarrassed that's there." > > While many admire Talen's passion, his critics -- including corporations that he targets and customers who shop there -- say it is unrealistic to ask the public to stop shopping at their favorite stores. Others complain that the Rev. Billy's dramatic protests, which sometimes include barging into stores with his bullhorn, are disruptive and don't contribute to meaningful discussion or debate about the issues. > > Talen's mission to curb consumerism began in 1997, when he believed megastores and corporations were overrunning Manhattan streets where family-owned shops and restaurants used to be. Meanwhile, he said, "poor people, eccentric people, vendors, people of color" were getting priced out of the neighborhoods they had lived in for years to make room for wealthier people and businesses where they shopped. > > Talen bought a pulpit from a thrift store and planted himself in front of the Disney store in Times Square, just as the area was beginning to transform into the glitzy commercial center of the city that it is now. He delivered sermons in a Southern accent denouncing big businesses. > > "At first it may have been a parody," Talen said, "and you probably could have taken it right out of 'Saturday Night Live.' " > > But Talen's message resonated with people. As his following grew, he met Savitri Durkee -- now his wife. She also came from a theater-and-arts background and had grown up in a commune. He was raised in a Dutch Calvinist family in the Midwest, a faith he rejected as a teenager. He and Durkee partnered in writing political theater featuring the Rev. Billy, which he performs with his choir and band. > > "It resembles religion in certain ways," Durkee said. "We have a regular group of people who come to our shows. They are exactly like a congregation, and our relationship to them is very much like a congregation. The expectation in the room is a prayerful one, a hopeful one." > > In his book "What Would Jesus Buy?" the Rev. Billy offers prayers and songs: "We believe in making more than money / Beyond big debts there's a super value. A Wal-Mart crushed by a great green storm / a new town rising from the logos to be born." > > Talen's work has been captured by producer Morgan Spurlock ("Super Size Me") who followed the Rev. Billy and his entourage -- including a 35-member choir and band -- as they traveled on two biodiesel-fueled buses across the country in late 2005 for a soon-to-be-released film. Among the stops: Disneyland's Main Street USA, where Talen was arrested on Christmas Day. > > Another frequent target of the Rev. Billy is Starbucks. A judge has barred him from coming within 250 yards of the businesses in California. > > Starbucks press officer Bridget Baker said in a statement that the company was aware of the Rev. Billy and his criticisms. > > "We understand that activists use many vehicles to express their opinions," she said, adding that Starbucks has a record of social responsibility. > > Talen, who often takes his performance on the road, remains undeterred. > > He traveled to Iceland last week to take his message to a conference on saving the country's landscape from heavy industry. When he returns to New York, he is scheduled to perform his anti-consumerism production, "Rev. Billy's Hot and Holy Highline Revival." > > "We have humor inside our prayers, inside our hymns," he said last week, his voice shifting into his sermon style as he recited a line he has told tourists at Times Square: "I want you to take your little family away from this den of iniquity!" > > This article appeared on page A - 11 of the San Francisco Chronicle> > > > > "NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency may have read this email without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse nor protection save to call for the impeachment of the current President."> When I see the price that you pay I don't wanna grow up I don't ever want to be that way I don't wanna grow up Seems that folks turn into things that they never want Peter H Answers - Get better answers from someone who knows. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 what do you mean? i believe in ALL of them now, do you mean do i beleive they still exist? then......my answer is hahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Peter VV Jul 17, 2007 12:56 PM Re: Re: can i get an amen?!? You believe in any of them? The Valley Vegan.............fraggle <EBbrewpunx (AT) earthlink (DOT) net> wrote: freedom of speech, religion and press heartwerk Jul 16, 2007 11:57 PM Re: can i get an amen?!? Hi FraggleWhat does the first amendment say?Jo , fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote:>> > > 'Rev. Billy' on crusade against consumerism> Activist, actor, writer condemns shopping with evangelical zeal> Erika Hayasaki, Los Angeles Times> > Sunday, July 15, 2007> > > (07-15) 04:00 PDT New York -- Familiar in his clerical collar, cream-colored suit and dyed-blond pompadour, "the Rev. Billy" has spent much of the past decade parading through the streets of Manhattan, shouting through a megaphone messages such as: "Mickey Mouse is the Antichrist!" > > Accompanied by a robed choir that belts out gospel songs, the Rev. Billy condemns the "Disneyfication" of Times Square and warns that Wal-Mart is part of the "consumer axis of evil." > > To passers-by, the preacher who shouts, "Can I get a change-a-lujah?" might seem like just another colorful character in New York's backdrop. But the Rev. Billy -- whose off-stage name is Bill Talen -- does not promote religion and is not actually a reverend. He is the alter ego of Talen, an activist, actor and writer who has become nationally known for his fight against consumerism and big corporations under the guise of Rev. Billy, a character inspired by televangelists. > > At the end of June, police arrested the Rev. Billy in Manhattan's Union Square, charging him with harassment after he repeatedly recited the First Amendment through a megaphone during a bicycling rally. His arrest sparked outcries from supporters that his free-speech rights had been violated. > > "Rev. Billy has a First Amendment right to recite the First Amendment," said Norman Siegel, former head of the New York American Civil Liberties Union and attorney for Talen, who has called for the charges to be dismissed. > > Video footage of Talen being handcuffed was posted on YouTube. After his release from jail, he criticized police for violating his rights and took his moment in the spotlight to bring new attention to his crusade against megastores, consumerism and gentrification. > > "We're addicted to shopping," Talen said in an interview at an independently owned East Village cafe. It's near St. Mark's Bowery church, where his congregation, the Church of Stop Shopping, holds services. > > "Don't go shopping in a big-box store if you can help it," he said. "Don't go to a chain store if you can help it. Those are sweatshop products. Those are union-busting companies." > > Talen used to live in the East Village, paying about $400 a month for rent. But he was forced to move to Brooklyn as rent in the neighborhood climbed to $2,000 a month. He pointed to a Chase Manhattan Bank across the street from the church. > > "That used to be the Second Avenue Deli, with the Yiddish Walk of Fame in front of it," he said, adding that there was another Chase branch around the corner. "I'm embarrassed that's there." > > While many admire Talen's passion, his critics -- including corporations that he targets and customers who shop there -- say it is unrealistic to ask the public to stop shopping at their favorite stores. Others complain that the Rev. Billy's dramatic protests, which sometimes include barging into stores with his bullhorn, are disruptive and don't contribute to meaningful discussion or debate about the issues. > > Talen's mission to curb consumerism began in 1997, when he believed megastores and corporations were overrunning Manhattan streets where family-owned shops and restaurants used to be. Meanwhile, he said, "poor people, eccentric people, vendors, people of color" were getting priced out of the neighborhoods they had lived in for years to make room for wealthier people and businesses where they shopped. > > Talen bought a pulpit from a thrift store and planted himself in front of the Disney store in Times Square, just as the area was beginning to transform into the glitzy commercial center of the city that it is now. He delivered sermons in a Southern accent denouncing big businesses. > > "At first it may have been a parody," Talen said, "and you probably could have taken it right out of 'Saturday Night Live.' " > > But Talen's message resonated with people. As his following grew, he met Savitri Durkee -- now his wife. She also came from a theater-and-arts background and had grown up in a commune. He was raised in a Dutch Calvinist family in the Midwest, a faith he rejected as a teenager. He and Durkee partnered in writing political theater featuring the Rev. Billy, which he performs with his choir and band. > > "It resembles religion in certain ways," Durkee said. "We have a regular group of people who come to our shows. They are exactly like a congregation, and our relationship to them is very much like a congregation. The expectation in the room is a prayerful one, a hopeful one." > > In his book "What Would Jesus Buy?" the Rev. Billy offers prayers and songs: "We believe in making more than money / Beyond big debts there's a super value. A Wal-Mart crushed by a great green storm / a new town rising from the logos to be born." > > Talen's work has been captured by producer Morgan Spurlock ("Super Size Me") who followed the Rev. Billy and his entourage -- including a 35-member choir and band -- as they traveled on two biodiesel-fueled buses across the country in late 2005 for a soon-to-be-released film. Among the stops: Disneyland's Main Street USA, where Talen was arrested on Christmas Day. > > Another frequent target of the Rev. Billy is Starbucks. A judge has barred him from coming within 250 yards of the businesses in California. > > Starbucks press officer Bridget Baker said in a statement that the company was aware of the Rev. Billy and his criticisms. > > "We understand that activists use many vehicles to express their opinions," she said, adding that Starbucks has a record of social responsibility. > > Talen, who often takes his performance on the road, remains undeterred. > > He traveled to Iceland last week to take his message to a conference on saving the country's landscape from heavy industry. When he returns to New York, he is scheduled to perform his anti-consumerism production, "Rev. Billy's Hot and Holy Highline Revival." > > "We have humor inside our prayers, inside our hymns," he said last week, his voice shifting into his sermon style as he recited a line he has told tourists at Times Square: "I want you to take your little family away from this den of iniquity!" > > This article appeared on page A - 11 of the San Francisco Chronicle> > > > > "NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency may have read this email without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse nor protection save to call for the impeachment of the current President."> When I see the price that you pay I don't wanna grow up I don't ever want to be that way I don't wanna grow up Seems that folks turn into things that they never want Peter H Answers - Get better answers from someone who knows. Try it now. When I see the price that you pay I don't wanna grow up I don't ever want to be that way I don't wanna grow up Seems that folks turn into things that they never want Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 18, 2007 Report Share Posted July 18, 2007 I see - a lot of nice words there! Jo Re: Re: can i get an amen?!? Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 18, 2007 Report Share Posted July 18, 2007 I am a Government teacher in Maryland at the High School Level. I teach in a school with some mighty fierce street kids. You should see me trying to sell this Amendment to a bunch of kids who are slammed into the slammer if they open their mouths to ask the nice police officer why he stopped them, as in: “Officer, why are we being stopp……(sound of jail doors closing)” Cyn On Behalf Of heartwerk Wednesday, July 18, 2007 2:44 AM Re: can i get an amen?!? I see - a lot of nice words there! Jo Re: Re: can i get an amen?!? Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 18, 2007 Report Share Posted July 18, 2007 i'm right there with em alas.... whee fun ckg Jul 18, 2007 5:27 AM RE: Re: can i get an amen?!? I am a Government teacher in Maryland at the High School Level. I teach in a school with some mighty fierce street kids. You should see me trying to sell this Amendment to a bunch of kids who are slammed into the slammer if they open their mouths to ask the nice police officer why he stopped them, as in: “Officer, why are we being stopp……(sound of jail doors closing)†Cyn On Behalf Of heartwerkWednesday, July 18, 2007 2:44 AM Subject: Re: can i get an amen?!? I see - a lot of nice words there!JoRe: Re: can i get an amen?!? Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. When I see the price that you pay I don't wanna grow up I don't ever want to be that way I don't wanna grow up Seems that folks turn into things that they never want Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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