Originally Posted by SPL Center

The Authorities Disagree

Nine-millimeter Glocks painted pink? Dykes taking over? More than 150 lesbian gangs in the Washington, D.C., area alone? These claims are, as Wheeler suggested, "very, very interesting." They're also very, very flimsy. Gaithersburg, Md., Detective Patrick Word, president of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Gang Investigators Network, an intelligence-sharing organization of 400 criminal justice professionals in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, said there is no evidence whatsoever of a lesbian gang epidemic in his region. "Our membership reports only one lesbian gang," Word told the Intelligence Report.

Sgt. Brett Parson, a member and former commander of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department's Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, also questioned Wheeler's numbers. "We have 150 to 175 total gangs in the D.C. area, and out of those only nine where the predominance of members are female," he said. "You simply can't make the jump that they are lesbians. I think it is fair to talk about violence and female gangs. But to sensationalize or marginalize a community by making a statement like that seems irresponsible."

Confronted by the Intelligence Report, Wheeler was unable, in several phone and E-mail exchanges over a two-day period, to specify a single law enforcement agency or officer, police report, media account or any other source he relied upon for his D.C. area lesbian gangs claim. But he insisted that his report was accurate and that any law enforcement officer who disagrees is "out of touch." "For some reason or other, these organizations don't lay it on the line because they don't know what is going on on the streets," said Wheeler. "This is a serious crisis and the so-called experts are missing it."

According to Wheeler's personal website, he is a member of Jericho City of Praise, a conservative Christian megachurch in Landover, Md., whose leadership publicly advocates against equal rights for gays and lesbians. The website details Wheeler's 500-plus appearances on MSNBC, Court TV and Fox News Channel shows including "The O'Reilly Factor," "On the Record With Greta Van Sustern," and "Hannity & Colmes."

Fox News officials and Bill O'Reilly did not return E-mails seeking comment for this story. O'Reilly is quoted on Wheeler's website heralding Wheeler as "America's most recognized and trusted authority on crime analysis and law enforcement."

Originally Posted by BruceChris (Post 34126)

Or does O'Reilly do this sort of thing ALL of the time? :eek: :eek: :eek:

(Have I told you the one about the Amish Mafia yet?) :confused:

P&L, BC

Originally Posted by tpdncr4christ (Post 34206)

I don't really find it funny at all. The fact that we are accused with gang violence should be enough to make any one want reform of their own community. Rather than laughing it off shouldn't we be "activists" of the peaceful life? Shouldn't we be preaching against this violence? Show others that we don't associate or wish to be a part of that particular extent of political movement?

I don't understand how anything is supposed to get done at all if we continue to allow the Christians to define us as extremists, as activists, how is anything supposed to happen? Why aren't we, why isn't Soulforce, making a point to stand against this violence, be it lesbian or not, why aren't we distancing ourselves from it?

I don't see how any of you find this funny... please someone, explain the humor to me.

Originally Posted by tpdncr4christ (Post 34212)

ok... so the O'Reily Factor show is kinda like The Daily News with John Stewart? I don't really know what it is... but even if lies are being spread about us shouldn't we be stopping them? Or, are we?

Originally Posted by tpdncr4christ (Post 34212)

ok... so the O'Reily Factor show is kinda like The Daily News with John Stewart?