Friday, April 14, 1989
The Harrisburg Standoff:
A group of Holy Battalion militants attempt to detain members of a Bozeman Commune, founded and filled by LGBTQ people seeking to build their own community, in the town of Harrisburg, NE. However, the arrest is resisted by local law enforcement.
Harrisburg
Joseph smiled as he and five of his fellow brothers in Christ dismounted the military truck that took them him. He felt giddy, as the sodomites and their perversions would finally be cast into the fires of Hell where they belonged!
His blood boiled as he saw the rainbow colored arch that adorned the entrance to their personal Sodom. Such a bold declaration of sin! What an abomination. To his confusion, Joseph saw the sheriff – Bridges, a hard-nosed old man- along with his two deputies, a college-aged guy and a middle-aged woman, march out beneath that disgusting arch.
“Sheriff, have you finally decided to see what is right?” Joseph called out in his best thunderous, would-be-old-testament-profit-voice, attracting the attention of his men.
“Yes, I have,” Bridges said flatly. “You’re going to leave these people the hell alone.”
Joseph barely maintained his smile, but he soon felt his fellow brothers were fuming.
“What”, Brother Matthew exclaimed incredulously. “You contemptible sinner!”
“Brother Matthew,” Joseph interrupted, holding up his hand. He then tried to give a sincere smile to Bridges. “Come now, Sheriff. We only wish to cure these people of their unholy perversions.”
“You mean, ship them off to your concentration camp,” barked the younger deputy, Simon.
“Yeah, over our dead body,” Janice, the female deputy said.
“Why do you insist on defending these people,” Joseph asked, his voice becoming stern, as he turned toward Bridges,” surely you’re as disgusted by these people as any God-fearing man is?”
Only a couple of years ago, Bridges would have been inclined to agree. He remembered when the Libertarians, really money-loving liberals from back East, took over the community. Then followed Alan, and his pack of 15 gays and lesbians, who wanted to build their own town without fear.
Bridges had been very opposed to letting queers and their liberal ways in his town. He had raged to the Libertarian mayor, some New York hippie, who proclaimed “live and let live” and welcomed them in-or more specifically - welcomed the fact that they were buying up land.
To Bridges surprise, they actually brought business to his town. Eventually after some cajoling from his wife, he accepted a dinner invitation from Alan and his “life partner”. They seemingly behaved like a couple, and he did enjoy their food. Now they often met for bowling and beer.
“Yes, Joseph I don’t like how they live,” Bridges admitted. His jaw set as he saw Joseph beaming and his deputies giving him crooked smiles. “But my job is to protect people, not tell them how to live, and protect how they choose too.” He glared at the nut. “You want these people, you’re going to have to go through us.”
Joseph’s smile seemed to grow more arrogant.
“You are outmatched and outgunned,” Joseph declared. “But if you wish to be the Devil’s agents, we will gladly introduce you to him.” He stepped back as the five other Holy Battalion men with him pulled out their rifles. Bridges and his deputies pulled out their guns. Just when somebody was about to fire, a massive explosion was heard. Bridges and his deputies hit the ground. After a moment, they looked up and saw some of Alan and his friends walking over, carrying weapons. Alan was holding a collection of grenades. He saw five of the HBs dead, and saw Joseph writhing in agony, probably perforated by some shrapnel, and swearing up a storm (which he had admonished others for doing).
“Alan that was incredible,” Simon exclaimed, “I didn’t know you had it in you?”
“What didn’t think a fag like me had any teeth,” Alan asked, a sad smile on his face. Simon and Janice looked somewhat embarrassed, not meeting Alan’s eyes.
“Well,” Bridges said slowly,” I mean we thought you look you liberals didn’t like war”. Alan gave him a somewhat severe look. “We don’t like to fight wars that we feel are not our fight. We fight for things we feel are worth it. Our rights, our country,” he gestured to Bridges, “you guys.” Alan and his friends had the expressions of men prepared to march into hell.
Bridges felt a great amount of respect for these people. The fact that he was closer to them then to the so-called “Warriors of Christ”, showed how much had changed in only a few short years.
Especially
