A peaceful beating...er, dialogue

Was the band of three who stood out in Red Square last Wednesday just lucky? Should we have been beaten for promoting violence? Someone in Maine thinks so.

Even when the beating should be the point (hello!), the AP story does little more than issue a press release with a token "balancing quote" at the end.

The attacker, described as a Hispanic teenager, went after one of three white people carrying signs arguing that illegals have no rights, police said.

As the teen fled, the victim dropped to the pavement after being hit with something heavy that the teen had carried, possibly in a sock or a bandanna, said Portland Police Sgt. Robin Gauvin. There were no arrests as of late afternoon.

The victim, identified as Robert Gorman, 23, of Portland, was hauled away in an ambulance minutes before 200 people gathered. He was treated and released from Maine Medical Center.

"When you promote violence, you get violence," said the Rev. Virginia Maria Rincon, one of the organizers. "Our rally is about promoting a peaceful dialogue."

I suppose I should be thankful to the heavy police presence in Red Square for my current state of health.