Right Wing Irony: Prayer Protest Arrests in the Halls of Congress

I'm sick of the right claiming to support the United States Constitution, while they misrepresent what it says, and while they try fundamentally to change it.  If anything highlights that hypocrisy in claiming to love and support the constitution, it was the arrests which occurred when there was a lawful, peaceful, religious protest this week in the halls of Congress. 

That protest has received far too little news attention, so I am addressing it here.

A brief review of our Constitution - the preamble:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

and the text of the First Amendment:

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.

For the small amount of news coverage of this event, I found it at KX.net.com, a North Dakota news source.  I'd like to know why we didn't have similar coverage here, in Minnesota, and at every news station in every state in this country.  Here is that coverage, from the AP:

Washington (AP) Some clergy have been arrested for staging a prayer protest in the U.S. Capitol.


With the House and Senate focused on debt-limit legislation at opposite ends of the Capitol, eleven religious leaders praying against budget cuts that would hurt the poor were arrested Thursday in the Rotunda midway between the two chambers.

Those arrested included a rabbi and leaders of the United Methodist Church, Church of the Brethren, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the United Church of Christ.

The Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance, told protesters outside the Capitol that his colleagues had grown frustrated with the debt impasse and felt they weren't being heard.

Gaddy said, "It is time for people of faith and good will to speak up, and it is time for some politicians in Washington to grow up."

If it violates our U.S. Constitution for Congress to pass a law prohibiting freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and petition for redress of grievances,  I'd like to know under what statute these clergy were arrested for praying in the halls of Congress.  Because only Congress controls the legislation governing Washington D.C., and that includes the halls of Congress.  The laws which should supersede any other statute is the U.S. Constitution.

I'd like to know who these clergy were harming, what damage they are alleged to have done, other than possibly discomfitting the right wing who were promoting redistribution of wealth upwards, to the already wealthy few at the expense of middle class and the poor. 

If they were doing THAT, these clergy should be commended, not arrested. 

Support and defend the United States Constitution, and the rights it defines; protest these arrests to your local news media, and ask them why they haven't covered this.  Protest it to your representative in Congress, and demand an explanation for this, demand accountability.

It's not like these clergy, engaged in simple, humble prayer, were in any way a threat, other than to the consciences of the members of Congress.  It's not like they were armed and dangerous, carrying guns..... oh, wait, the right, especially the right wing extreme would probably be up in arms (pun intended) over an arrest in the halls of Congress for THAT.  They like the idea of arms in churches, and armed clergy.  The right seems to selectively defend the 2nd Amendment rights, just not all the other rights, or at best defends them selectively.  Free speech?  Freedom of Assembly.....yeah, those the right supports not so much.