Don't take your eye off the Thugs at the local level!

[Pacifist Patriot]

I know I get wrapped up in following national politics given the grave situations facing our nation today. But every time I turn my attention back to local politicians I am chilled to the bone. I'm not sure who is influencing whom but issues such as civil liberties, separation of church and state, security, etc. affect our lives at the local level as well as state and national.

Last week a conservative political club hosted a forum for the county commission candidates in my district. We have one democrat and seven republicans running. At the end of the forum they posed a question about the separation of church and state.

There have been several issues in my county in which the school board and the county commission have egregiously violated the first amendment so I planted the question at the podium for the moderator. I'm still surprised she asked it. Details for the curious can be found at the following link and in the description of the second incident below.

At any rate, all of the republican candidates very loudly voiced their support of the school board and county commission and saw absolutely nothing wrong with functioning as a "Christian county." They thought the lawsuit was frivolous and much ado about nothing. They honestly did not have a clue and would merely continue the policies of the current commission if elected.

Please, please, please...pay attention to local politics and work hard for progressive candidates. When you give $50 to a gubenatorial candidate and $25 to a U.S. rep candidate please consider tossing your county commission or city council candidate at least $10. National campaigns may be more glamorous but petition signing, street corner waving and other activities are vital to your local politicians. If you can't run yourself, find local progressive candidates and bust your ass for them. They'll be our national candidates some day.

Thanks!


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Graduation Lawsuit: http://www.google.com/u/americansunited?q=Brevard

Violation of the Separation of Church and State in Brevard County, Florida

Brevard County, Florida is in a perilous position with respect to serious violations of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, most commonly referred to as “the separation of church and state.” In the spring of 2005, several families sued the Brevard County School Board in an attempt to move graduation exercises from a religious house of worship to a secular venue. The plaintiffs were unsuccessful with an injunction for the 2005 ceremonies due to time constraints. The judge allowed the exercises to proceed at Calvary Chapel because of the close date of graduation, but he chastised the Brevard County School Board for choosing the site providing a broad hint the defendants would likely lose the suit. After the injunction hearing, the lawsuit proceeded and a hearing date was set for December 2005. The School Board agreed to a settlement and subsequently voted to hold future graduations in more appropriate facilities.

On November 1, 2005 at a Brevard County Board of County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Jackie Colon berated the School Board for caving on the graduation issue. She then challenged anyone to try to stop the county government’s involvement in the Life Choices Program at Calvary Chapel. Her remarks are a matter of public record. The meeting is available for purchase on DVD at a nominal price by calling 321-690-6843.

Public Schools Advertise a Worship Service

During the week of November 7, 2005 a presentation was given to our public school students called Life Choices, billed at its website as a “fast-paced, motivation, multi-media event.” This program was advertised only through our schools, supported by and endorsed by the County Commission, Sheriff’s office, Palm Bay Police Department, and the Police Athletic League.

The program was promoted in public schools via the parent e-mail listserv and with flyers posted in Palm Bay High School and Stone Middle School. The Stone Middle School Dean of Students sent an e-mail on November 3 instructing teachers to distribute flyers and encourage students to attend. Although the misleading email on the listserv claimed the program would be presenting secular topics the Calvary Chapel staff has clearly stated the program is religious in nature—a religious service presented in a place of worship.

The program was presented three nights at Calvary Chapel of Melbourne and one night at Bayside High School. Brevard County officials claim this program was advertised to our students just as any other community program would be, however they neglect to inform anyone that the Life Choices program is not a community event. The audience was recruited only through the schools with flyers that claimed it involved peer pressure, family issues, and social acceptance.

Rather than a community event, the program is a church service designed by the relatives of a Columbine victim targeted at teens. No life skills are offered or taught to our public school students that would help them deal with the behaviors of drug use, drinking, or premarital sex or their causes. Students were led to believe that those who had overcome these behaviors did so simply because they had turned their lives over to Jesus Christ.

Astoundingly, the audience for this program was stealthily recruited from public school students who were given no prior warning of its religious nature with the encouragement and praise of Brevard County officials!

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State issued a letter to the Superintendent of Brevard County Schools and two school principals on November 4 explaining why their actions were in violation of rights guaranteed by the Constitution. The letter provided ample legal precedent for their position but was rebuffed. Allegedly the superintendent compared the advertising of the Life Choices program to promoting a Boy Scout event.

Synopsis of the Life Choices Program at Calvary Chapel

County Commissioner Jackie Colon opened the presentation and invited Pastor Mark Balmer and a few other notable individuals to the stage. The commissioner read a resolution of endorsement and support by the County Commission and presented the people on stage with large framed certificates of appreciation from Brevard County.

Everyone was asked to stand for a prayer which Commissioner Colon prefaced with “just like we do at the beginning of each county commission meeting.” She then conveyed greetings from the following:

Rep. Dave Weldon
Rep. Ralph Poppell
Board of County Commissioners

Present at the service were:

Police Chiefs
Elected Officials
Representatives of Brevard County

The program is a church service for teens employing emotional and fear-based appeals to abstain from smoking, drugs, alcohol, pornography and sexual activity. Teens were told they engage in such behaviors because they want to be loved and have a “hole” inside they are trying to fill. John Phillips repeatedly connected these unhealthy behaviors to death. At one point pretending to be a mouse (teen) after cheese in a mousetrap (sex) and then acting out the mouse’s twitching death. Ted Bundy’s final video interview was excerpted to show the perils of viewing pornography.
Unfortunately, no concrete life skills designed to assist teens in refraining from these behaviors or dealing with their causes were mentioned or discussed. Instead, it was made clear that Mr. Phillips overcame his alcoholism and other detrimental behaviors by giving his life to God. Rachel Joy Scott made it clear she chose to “surrender her life to the lordship of Jesus Christ.” Debbie Phillips told the congregation drugs, alcohol, sex etc. were not noble reasons to die.
“What is a noble reason to die?” she asked. Then she recounted the dubious story of Rachel Scott’s death at Columbine High School. She claims Eric Harris said to Rachel, “Where’s your god now? What would Jesus do? You still believe in your god, Rachel?” And Rachel supposedly said calmly, “You know…I do.” And then Eric shot her in the head. Unfortunately, the incident lacks witnesses for validation. In video clips, Rachel Scott’s family emphasizes the power of prayer and her mother asserts Rachel’s legacy is that she died for what she believed. She then asks, “What are you willing to die for today?”

Within the service, John and Debbie Phillips claimed that we have freedom of religion in America, not freedom from religion.

Toward the conclusion of the service, a wooden cross with a variety of things attached to it was brought on stage. The congregation was told they were mementos from students who had made a choice to change their lives. They invited students to come attach something of their own to the cross.
John Phillips told the teens Life Choices counselors were available at the front of the room with whom the teens could talk or cry. A follow-up curriculum was offered free to teachers at the table in the back where other literature was available.

County Commission Arrogance and Indifference

Jackie Colon's behavior and remarks at the November 1 County Commission meeting are ample evidence of her intent to attack constitutional rights. Concerned citizens contacted several County Commissioners and were met with either silence or disdain. More than a week has elapsed since I contacted Commissioner Sue Carlson with questions about the event. A constituent in Jackie Colon's district awaits a response from her as well. Chairman Pritchard's response to a Brevard County citizen was downright condescending and confrontational.

"...frivolous lawsuit stopped a venue from being used for graduation...what a crock...and the real under behind 1600% is what*...I wouldn't care if a graduation ceremony was held in a temple, church, sports area (sic) or a mud hut...you're putting too much emphasis on venue instead of ceremony...and if you think the presence of a cross will influence attitude - you've got a real problem..."

Commissioner Helen Voltz blatantly insulted several of her constituents and has demonstrated an astonishing degree of disdain for the civil liberties guaranteed by the Establishment Clause. Her responses to expressions of citizen concern include:

November 10: I, for one, do not think religion should be a 'private affair.' As a Christian, I am not about to keep my mouth shut about what I believe. You speak up about what is important to you, and I do the same; that will not change. I am just tired of people always thinking something is being shoved down someone's throat. Asking someone to take information and decide for themselves is not a crime. If I can talk someone into believing in Christ, someone will be able to talk them out of believing. It is a heart decision to follow Christ. I wish I had the opportunity to accept Christ as a teenager; it sure would have saved me a lot of heartache. Tell me, why should you have anything to do with someone's choices?

November 10: Unfortunately, I think you have it all wrong. If I care enough about someone's eternal life, I will offer salvation to anyone who chooses to listen. That is the key; someone has to choose to listen. Do you actually think that someone would come to a church if they did not want to? My question is "why do you think things ought to be done YOUR way?" I really feel sorry for your children as well as yourself, but I guess we will all find out in the end. I have nothing to lose, but you have everything to lose. I will certainly be praying for you & your organization. Only you can change your heart.

November 11: I will never appologize (sic) for my beliefs or my statements. Last time I checked this was still America. You can do what you need to do, but I can tell you I am just plain fed up with people like you. I will continue to pray for you.

And in response to a fellow Christian who expressed concern about the obvious violation of the Establishment Clause, Ms. Voltz had this to say:

November 14: What an oxymoron!!!! A Christian who believes in the separation of church & state? What??? What is your definition of a Christian? The Bible says a Christian is "Christ-like." Do you think for one minute that Jesus would support the separation of church & state? The kids were not bribed or lied to, they were however, taught very useful life choices. Did you go and sit through the program? What are you basing your assumptions on? You're embarrassed????? I'm the one who is embarrassed that people like you would even write an e-mail like your wrote and call themselves a Christian. You are the one who should be ashamed of yourself. But, you know what, we will both have to answer for what we have done, or what we have not done.

Please note her correspondence includes the following disclaimer: Florida has a very broad public records law. Most written communications to or from the offices of elected officials are public records available to the public and media upon request. Your email communications may therefore be subject to public disclosure.

I wrote the following to Commissioner Voltz but do not expect an answer as I do not reside in her district. (I never did receive any acknowledgement from her.)

Dear Ms. Voltz:

I am writing out of concern for an egregious violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. I am concerned about County Commission and School Board involvement in Calvary Chapel's Life Choices Program which was presented this week.

...<details of the program mentioned above>

Whether religion should be a private affair or not is certainly a matter of opinion. I understand you feel called to share the gospel as a Christian. But as a county commissioner you are also responsible for upholding and enforcing the rule of law. You do not cease being a Christian when you function as a government official but you are legally required to refrain from representatively endorsing a religious event.

I am delighted you are enthusiastic about offering teens the opportunity to know Christ, but that does not excuse blithely trampling the civil rights of your constituency. And it most definitely does not permit you the luxury of gambling with tax payer money. The County Commission has dangerously exposed Brevard County to the threat of a law suit which they would most assuredly lose. I encourage you to seek legal counsel and inquire about the following precedents among many:

McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky
County of Allegheny v. ACLU
Sherman v. Cmty. Consl. Sch. Dist. 21
Doe v. Village of Crestood
Newman v. City of East Point

You must recognize that neither your personal religious beliefs, mine nor anyone elses are germaine to the issue. The specific religion or denomination in question is completely immaterial. Calvary Chapel is always free to host the Life Choices Program and has plenty of opportunities to advertise it in the community without resorting to the public school system or county government endorsement. The County Commission and the Brevard County School Board have a great deal of explaining and apologizing to do.

Rev. _______

By November 16, 2005, the reports of Commissioner Voltz's responses became overwhelmingly alarming. I sent her a second letter.

Dear Ms. Voltz,

I understand you are still experiencing some difficulty with respect to the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As anyone who has read the Constitution knows, the words: "separation", "church", and "state" do not even appear in the first amendment. The first amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

While the phrase "separation of church and state" does not actually appear anywhere in the Constitution some people draw incorrect conclusions from this fact. The absence of this phrase does not mean that it is an invalid concept or that it cannot be used as a legal or judicial principle.
There are any number of important legal concepts which do not appear in the Constitution with the exact phrasing people tend to use. For example, nowhere in the Constitution will you find words like "right to privacy" or even "right to a fair trial." Does this mean that no American citizen has a right to privacy or a fair trial? Does this mean that no judge should ever invoke these rights when reaching a decision? Of course not - the absence of these specific words does not mean that there is also an absence of these ideas.

The statement about a wall of separation between church and state was first made in a letter on January 1, 1802, by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut. The congregation had heard a widespread rumor that the Congregationalists, another denomination, were to become the national religion. This was alarming to people who were all too familiar with the religious persecution in England by the state established church. Jefferson made it clear in his letter that the government would not establish a national religion nor dictate to men how to worship God. Jefferson's letter from which the phrase "separation of church and state" was taken affirmed first amendment rights. Jefferson wrote: I contemplate with solemn reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.

On February 21, 1811, the father of our Constitution, James Madison wrote a letter to the House of Representatives of the United States declaring faith-based charities to be unconstitutional.

Veto MessagesTo the House of Representatives of the United States:

Having examined and considered the bill entitled "An act incorporating the Protestant Episcopal Church in the town of Alexandria, in the District of Columbia," I now return the bill to the House of Representatives, in which it originated, with the following objections:

Because the bill exceeds the rightful authority to which governments are limited by the essential distinction between civil and religious functions, and violates in particular the article of the Constitution of the United States which declares that "Congress shall make no law respecting a religious establishment.'' The bill enacts into and establishes by law sundry rules and proceedings relative purely to the organization and polity of the church incorporated, and comprehending even the election and removal of the minister of the same, so that no change could be made therein by the particular society or by the general church of which it is a member, and whose authority it recognizes. this particular church, therefore, would so far be a religious establishment by law, a legal force and sanction being given to certain articles in its constitution and administration. Nor can it be considered that the articles thus established are to be taken as the descriptive criteria only of the corporate identity of the society, inasmuch as this identity must depend on other characteristics, as the regulations established are generally unessential and alterable according to the principles and canons by which churches of that denomination govern themselves, and as the injunctions and prohibitions contained in the regulations would be enforced by the penal consequences applicable to a violation of them according to the local law.

Because the bill vests in the said incorporated church an authority to provide for the support of the poor and the education of poor children of the same, an authority which, being altogether superfluous if the provision is to be the result of pious charity, would be a precedent for giving to religious societies as such a legal agency in carrying into effect a public and civil duty.

James Madison.

Countless court cases throughout our nation's history have used the words "separation of church and state" when rendering legal decisions upholding the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The phrase has become a widely recognized synonym for the constitutional guarantee that government will not support or endorse any particular religion or denomination. This is why religious organizations enjoy the courtesy of tax-exempt status. It is as important to keep government out of our religion as it is to keep any particular faith system out of our government. Would you really want a Lutheran dominated government body to dictate to Methodists, Catholics or Episcopals? Would you be comfortable with a Jewish or Muslim majority in a county commission proselytizing to our public school students?

This important constitutional right is in place to protect Christian denominations as much as it is to protect minorities. People who insist on maintaining the fiction that our founding fathers were intent on creating a "Christian nation" are not looking at the facts. Why include the Establishment Clause at all if that was their intent? I understand the myth has become utterly entrenched in our national psyche but it does not take much research to disavow it. The mythologizing (in a negative sense) of our founding fathers is detrimental to the healthy functioning of our society. Any cursory reading of Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Monroe, Washington, Franklin, et. al. clearly shows them to be men who were empathic that government and religion stay well clear of one another's business, including Christian denominations.

Unfortunately our educational system must be doing a rather pitiful job of placing the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the drafting of the U.S. Constitution in historical and philosophical context. Religion had been tearing Europe apart for over two centuries by the time America was founded. There was a genuine fear of the merging of any religion and government. Remember the prevailing faith systems tearing apart Europe were various denominations of Christianity. It was a very important reason why the Constitution would never have been ratified without the Bill of Rights.

As a Christian you have a calling to share the good news of Christ's saving message. As a public servant you have a legal obligation to refrain from doing so in an official capacity. You also have a professional responsibility to maintain your composure and refrain from insulting concerned citizens whether they be Christian or otherwise. When the County Commission lent their support to the Life Choices program at Calvary Chapel they violated the law. It is that simple.
I'd like to close with the words of the Savior.

"My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36)
In this explanation Jesus makes it clear that there is a definite separation between His kingdom and the kingdoms of this world. The fact that Jesus had not allowed His disciples to defend Him was evidence enough of this fact. Christ's kingdom is heavenly and seeks the reconciliation of the sinner to God, but civil and world governments are of this earth and seek for power and supremacy.

"Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."

Jesus made it clear that we, as Children of God, are fully capable of discharging both our duties to the state and to the Lord without combining the two. Jesus' ministry was emphatically one of rejecting the Old Testament notion of religion and state sharing power and authority over the people. I pray you hear his words and embrace his message of peace, tolerance and acceptance.

Regards,
Rev. ______________

[mongo]

1. Kick

Yeah, I am most interested in politics on the local level. We don't have the same amount of problems that were cited above, and most of our city council are reasonable people.

I did however, did write a scathing LTTE about a candidate before the last election -- he was a real fundy nutcase, who had written dozens of LTTE's himself that I used to expose his views.

[NoFederales]

2. Pounding at the local level is where it's at! It's not easy.

NoFederales

[yorkiemommie1]

3. excellent point

a creationist gained the endorsement of the teachers' association and was elected. no one bothered to ask him the important questions and by the time they found out, it was too late!

[Atman]

4. I'm so sad...this is my home "town."

I'm from Cocoa Beach, Florida. Brevard is a long vertical county along the east coast, south of Daytona Beach, north of Vero Beach. I lived very close to the Calvary Chapel for a few years. When I lived there/grew up in Brevard County, it was considered a very progressive area. Mostly Northern liberals escaping to the warmth, or scientists from all over the world working on the space program. What the fuck happened? Did every take a stupid pill? Did the entire state of Nebraska move there to escape the cold? Sheesh. Maybe it's time to stop admitting I'm from there!

[Pacifist Patriot]

6. The shift happened shortly before I moved here in the early-mid 90s.

I'm not sure why the Republicans have such a lock on the county. They do not represent a majority of registered voters. It's the Independents and NPAs that keep swinging elections to the Republicans. The Democrats are getting much better organized though. If we can overcome the Diebold handicap it could be a very interesting November this year.

[AX10]

5. Hey, we've got Repubs propagandizing in Connecticut too.

[Atman]

7. LOL! CT is my current home "town!"

I hopped out of a pre-heating frying pan into a smoldering fire.