“Officer, she’s wearing a ‘Repent’ T-Shirt, arrest her…Oh, but first legally I’m entitled to shove this condom into her face.”

The Pope is in Australia, and as the BBC reports:

…The Pope’s visit – his ninth outside Italy - has created controversy with demonstrators vowing to protest against the Church’s stand on homosexuality and birth control.

In response, authorities in the state of New South Wales have introduced new laws bringing the threat of heavy fines to anyone causing annoyance to pilgrims.

Civil liberty groups have denounced such sanctions as unnecessary and repugnant.

There is a wonderful civil liberties irony at work here. Among the “denouncers” are likely many of the same people who have demanded debate on their lifestyle be legally squelched, and any “offense” they deem directed at themselves, be prosecuted. Now, suddenly, when they find that trend they demanded in law is also unfortunately so broad that it is used here against themselves, they get bent. Still, they needn’t worry, though, for next week they will straight away (no “offense” intended) safely legally once again be able to get back to handing condoms to Catholic pilgrims.

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UPDATE: Sometimes, in blogging coincidence, a post title predates a somewhat related story that follows up, hours later.