When I initially reported on this social media altercation with an individual who chose to cast at me unwarranted and hateful slings and arrows in the dead of night with regard to my previous post on the Senate Finance Committee hearing on a supplemental excise tax on guns and ammunition, I chose to withhold the identity of the individual. I did so because, at the time, this person was to me, a anonymous stranger.
I was wrong.
The person who incoherently and arbitrarily started a fight and threatened me via late-night Facebook messenger out of nowhere was Stacia Petri, candidate for mayor of Warwick.
It continues on like this, and one needs only refer to the previously recounted exchange to see the extreme lengths the Warwick Republican mayoral candidate went to insult, berate and disparage me and anyone who shares my socio-political viewpoint.
She continued by telling me she was a lobbyist for taxpaying citizens (albeit, an unregistered lobbyist) and that she would “see me at the state house, asshole.” When I asked her directly if that was a threat, she responded by asking, “do you feel threatened? Good.” She then went on to insinuate that only illegal aliens, as sanctioned by “idiot liberals” could be drug addicts. when I expressed confusion at this statement and told her I had no idea who she was and nobody cared what she thought, she assured me that they would.
It was only recently that I came across a Facebook-noted press release announcing her candidacy for mayor of Warwick. According to the release:
“Warwick has always been a special place to live—a place to raise a family…a place to retire…a place to call home, but it’s all changing for the worse.”
She continues, as quoted in the release, to say:
“The condition of our city and our schools speak for themselves. If Warwick continues on the Mayor’s reckless approach, the urban decay will only grow worse. My administration will set a new direction by listening to the concerns of Warwick citizens and identifying the issues that are most problematic to them. I will confront these issues directly and propose solutions so Warwick is prosperous for all residents.”
Is that all residents? Or is that all residents except for “idiot liberals” or “illegals” who are encouraged by those liberals to be intravenous drug users? The press release goes on to say:
She was also brought to tears watching the elderly beg and plead to stop the double-digit increases in water and sewer rates when they barely have enough to spend on groceries.
But let’s remember, this was the woman who, after reading an account of another mayoral candidate, this one a Democrat for the City of Providence, using the legislative process to propose a sensible means by which to fund non-violence education and implementation statewide that, in no way, shape or form infringes upon one’s second amendment rights, insinuated that I needed a copy of the Cliff’s Notes to Constitution for Dummies. Yet, we’re to believe she weeps for the elderly.
My sense is that anyone who randomly spits venomous verbal assaults on strangers via Facebook messenger in the dead of night for exercising his right to opine on legislative hearings in an informed manner, may not have the temperament to handle the highest executive office of Rhode Island’s second most populous city.
Voters, do you feel threatened? Good.
North Kingstown state Senator Jim Sheehan 
But he doesn’t look for lobster traps anymore. Now he uses the Newshell to service his oyster farm just south of the Jamestown Bridge.
Paterson and Goerner were attaching to the 4,000 pound anchor this underwater lift bag – 
Thank someone like this:
Rhode Island Republicans are celebrating the robber barons.
When the decision came down Monday morning, I can’t say I was surprised.
And lest you think not being a woman somehow protects you, lawyers are already moving to expand this decision in ways that might have us yearning for the simplicity of Sharia.
I decided to hold a rally outside the only Hobby Lobby location in Rhode Island and call for a national boycott of all Hobby Lobby stores. The rally had two purposes. The first was to send a message from Rhode Island, the birthplace of religious liberty and freedom of conscience so loud that even the Supreme Court would hear it. Our little rally, and 
We want specific changes, 
So at the rally we announced a permanent, never ending boycott against Hobby Lobby. The 125 people who came out to our protest Saturday afternoon and the hundreds more who support us are all committed to never spending so much as a penny at any Hobby Lobby, ever. Further, these women and men have friends, families and distant Facebook contacts across the nation and across the world. They will convince most everyone they know to follow their lead.
The accepted wisdom is that there is no bad publicity, except there is. Hobby Lobby is the corporation that led the way on this kind of lawsuit, and as a result, it will be the first to reap the economic consequences of its decision.
I had informed the Warwick Police Dept of our intentions, and their asks were well in line with our intentions: Don’t block traffic and don’t trespass on private property. Keep it peaceful and be careful. The police had a car parked nearby, but this wasn’t a lawless crowd. We had people on our line aged 13 to 83. Some of the women had fought for women’s rights in the 1950s and 60s and were wondering why they were forced to fight the same old battles again, in the 21st Century. The only danger we presented was to Hobby Lobby’s bottom line.
My friends from the Humanists of Rhode Island were in attendance, and stuff like this is never a solo effort. So many people contributed to putting this together. If I list all their names I’ll leave someone out by accident, so I won’t even try, but you all know you are great. Friends from other groups, especially Carolyn Mark or RI-NOW and Lauren Niedel of the RI Progressive Democrats were fantastic. Also, my friends from Unite Here! allowed me to borrow their bullhorn, which I will return soon, promise! I made new friends as well. Thank you Julie! And so many more.
However, while we were underway, only about four people who disagreed with us showed up, and they engaged in forceful, if not always cogent debate with various members of the protest. Their complaints were mostly of the “abortion is against the will of God” kind which is a bit off topic. This is about religious freedom, not about one group’s particular theology. I recognized two of the women as members of Barth Bracy’s Right to Life group, and it was immediately obvious that they did not actually understand what the Supreme Court had decided. They simply wanted to argue about abortion.
In all, the counter protest was a fizzle, if any such thing was actually in the works. And it’s hard to see what a counter-protest would look like. Would these people be arguing for more corporate control over employee health-care decisions? Would they argue for less freedom, less autonomy and less human rights?
That’s why tomorrow, Saturday, July 5, will be so important. Tomorrow is going to be our second Independence Day as we gather outside the Hobby Lobby store located at 945 Bald Hill Rd in Warwick from 10am to 2pm to send a message from the birthplace of religious liberty so loud even the Supreme Court will hear us. Over 100 people will be gathered on the sidewalk, holding signs and giving speeches and declaring a permanent boycott of Hobby Lobby.
