Greetings from the Bronx.
It was both sunny and rainy throughout the day in the Bronx, where we campaign for traditional marriage near the courthouse building on Grand Concourse Ave., a street known as the Champs-Élysées of the Bronx. It is not Paris, but the older buildings do have some style to boast of, I suppose.
To begin, three Hail Marys were prayed, the TFP standard was raised, and the banner reading: “God’s Marriage = One Man & One Woman” dominated the intersection.
Not too safe in this neighborhood
The Bronx can be a dangerous place with lots of drugs and crime. Campaigning here was a culture shock for me and most of my TFP colleagues who are accustomed to the countryside, not the hustle and bustle of the city. As the day unfolded, we understood why the streets teemed with police officers. As I was distributing traditional marriage fliers, I saw a poor woman get assaulted only fifty feet away from my corner by a thug, who, overcome by base passion, acted more like an animal than a human. Two men stopped the criminal, and as he fled the scene of the crime, about twelve police officers gave chase, running down the street with radios in hand. Minutes later, an ambulance arrived to help the assaulted woman who was hurt.
Within a few minutes, someone else fled running from the courthouse and was chased down by the police. Also, Mr. Michael Shibler asked if he could interview a pedestrian on video. The man declined, explaining why: “I’m wanted in three states.” However, despite the dangers of this neighborhood, we found a lot of support for traditional marriage and the pedestrians were generally respectful, and we encountered the least amount of verbal abuse to date.
“Good reason to be here!”
Local police officers, after asking us to take down our poles for security reasons, told caravan member Anthony Consoli: “Traditional marriage is a good reason to be out here.” Another cop, after some animated conversation, expressed admiration for the fact that TFP Student Action campaigned for God’s marriage at UC Berkeley. “Wow! You went to Berkeley? Berkeley is like Vietnam for conservatives.”
A bus belonging to the local correctional facility passed by full of prisoners. When it passed the TFP banner, a wild chorus of support was heard from within. The sense of natural law is still alive among criminals.
Two older men in suits shouted: “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!” and took flyers as they passed on their way to the courthouse.
Several people mentioned they believe the end of times is near. One woman said, “People go to hell for that (sin) garbage!”
After receiving our flier, a man told Mr. Elias Bartel: “They’re teaching the kids that same-sex ‘marriage’ is ok. That’s crazy! These poor kids adopted by homosexual couples are being taught to say they’re gay, and they don’t even know how to spell the word. They’re corrupting them.”
“Shout my boy!”
TFP volunteers commonly chant slogans during their campaigns. One distinguished black lady put her arms up, shouting to Heaven for joy upon hearing Mr. Bruno Schroeder chanting for traditional marriage. When he finished, she took a flyer and said: “Shout my boy! Shout loud! Don’t stop!”
There were a few negative reactions too. Most notable: A man in an orange T-shirt took a flyer from Mr. Bartel, crumpled it up, spit on it, and threw it on the ground. Then he walked to Mr. Bruno Schroeder, spit on the ground in front of him, then spit his chewing gum on him as he passed. Crossing the street, he continued screaming at other TFP volunteers and finally left.
Seeing how TFP members handled the altercation, the local hotdog stand owner admiringly asked Mr. John Ritchie “I like it. I like it. Hey you, how do you like your coffee? It’s on the house today. Tell your buddies to come over and get some coffee.”
Overpass honking
After a long tiring day, we decided to greet New York City rush hour traffic. We found an overpass visible to the thousands of people driving home after work on highway 495. Once again, we unfurled the banner and signs. The response was immediate and literally deafening. Huge semi trucks and cars honked with great enthusiasm.
“Contact the Caravan
To contact the caravan, email them at [email protected]
“How to Support the Caravan
If you want to help protect the sacred institution of marriage, please consider filling our van’s gas tank with fuel and keep us on the road for traditional marriage.
If you would like to make your contribution by mail, please send a check payable to The American TFP and mail it to:
The American TFP
P.O. Box 251
Spring Grove, PA 17362.