Ordinance 2012-296 ACTION NEEDED

[Leanne King]

     By now you heard of Ordinance 2012-296. The previous communications have detailed the ordinance and its specific implication.  To site the Ordinance Preamble, “Whereas, the City of Jacksonville seeks to build a reputation as a welcoming community for bright and talented members of a workforce…..”; this is a suggested ordinance giving the Human Rights Council the powers to enforce the ordinance against businesses “should it be proven that they discriminate” on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identification.  The original ordinance also eliminated references to the United States Constitution and laws of the State and failed to define sexual orientation and gender identification.  Is this a new special class of people?   It suggests that Jacksonville is an environment that is hostile to the gay/lesbian/transgender people. This suggestion has been disproven by recent two national level survey’s that document that we rank number 3 and 4 for being a friendly city and a great place to live.

 

     This bill is in front of our city council for vote.  It has met some resistance from conservatives, Tea Party, religious organizations and other First Amendment Rights organizations. The opposition stands just as firm in their beliefs that this ordinance is needed so that they are treated fairly. While there are some personal level stories as to their treatment none relate to workplace/community or housing discrimination. We know that you cannot legislate the personal behaviors of some individuals who make a choice to be hateful to another.

     There is now an attempt to amend the proposed ordinance by reinstating verbiage to the US Constitution and eliminating “gender identification” and perhaps “sexual expression.” This however will not solve the issues that this ordinance in any form will create.

     I ask that you email the city council members listed below and feel free to utilize any of the information presented below.

 

                               Ask yourself and your council member:

   Are you willing to commit to the premise that Jacksonville is hostile to the gay/lesbian community?

   Are you willing to believe that only the gay, lesbian world is creative as your message so clearly stated in the council meeting last week?

   Are you willing to commit that this is the most important issue to attract business to Jacksonville?

   Are you willing to lay the legal and financial burdens of this legislation at the feet of thousands of the small business owners in our city?

   Are you willing to impose the so called special needs of these citizens while ignoring and removing the rights of so many others?

   Are you willing to take the responsibility for the thousands of other employees who while utilizing their freedom of speech about their beliefs both personal and religious may be sued or their employer sued by someone who finds an innocent comment “offensive to them”?

   Are you willing to accept the ultimate personal responsibility that comes with your support of this ordinance when it is now perfectly clear that the origin of this ordinance came FROM AN EXTERNAL SOURCE, with monies behind it being QUESTIONABLE?

   Are you willing to tell the pubic the truth that this is being pushed at the NATIONAL LEVEL by those who have a much larger and destructive AGENDA?

   Are you willing to be honest and know that this group of OUR CITIZENS are being used to push a much larger attack on EVERYONE’S freedoms? Specifically of SPEECH AND RELIGION?

                    This bill is not needed.  There is no systemic discrimination. 

 

In addition to the above questions the following information is provided for understanding.

The Ordinance:

1)     Creates New and Special Rights for Homosexuals: The ordinance creates new and special rights for homosexuals by creating a new protected class and a special legal classification based upon “sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression”.  

 

2)     Weakens Florida’s Marriage Amendment as the Union of One Man and One Woman:  The ordinance like others around the country have been used to undermine and overturn state marriage laws and state constitutional amendments defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.  Gay rights activists around the country have used the collective scheme of nondiscrimination laws like this one to create a new protected class and legalize homosexual marriages in states like Vermont, Iowa, New Hampshire and Washington, DC.

 

3)     Removes All References to the U.S. Constitution:  The ordinance (unbelievably) removes all references to the “United States Constitution” in the city code and deletes all language referring to “civil rights found under the US Constitution”. The ordinance language thereby removes the rights, protections and limitations given to citizens by the highest law of the land. 

 

4)     Creates Legal Defenses for Pedophiles:  The ordinances gender identity and gender expression language would allow men to be able to use women’s bathrooms (and vice versa) in “public accommodations” based upon their subjective sense of whether they are a male or female allowing for pedophiles to have a defense for using girl’s bathrooms.  This shocking provision is being forced onto cities all around the country.  The security and privacy of locker rooms, dressing rooms, bathrooms and other separate facilities are all compromised. 

5)   Creates More Lawsuits and Regulations for Businesses: The ordinance forces individual citizens, businesses and landlords in Jacksonville to be liable to be sued for money damages if they choose to not hire homosexual, transgendered, bi-sexual or gender confused persons in their small businesses, or choose not to accept similar persons as tenants in their private homes or apartments. 

 

6)     Violates Religious Freedoms- The ordinance forces Christians and other people of faith to violate their rights of conscience and good faith religious beliefs in business and employment situations and with housing decisions for private property owners.  

 

     I implore you to send a message to your city council NOW!  Tell them that you oppose this ordinance in any form.  Additionally, if you can get to City Hall this Tuesday for the next meeting PLEASE ATTEND.

Our physical presence makes a HUGE difference. 

     Send this to your list of small business owners so that they too can respond. Send it to your friends and ask them to email and support their city.

     While it appears to be most important to send the message to Lori Boyer, Jim Love, Greg Anderson. Robin Lumb, Bill Bishop, Ray Holt and Dr. Johnny Gaffney a message to each member is highly effective.

 

District 2: William Bishop                                        [e-mail]

District 11: Ray Holt                                                [e-mail]

At Large (Group 4) Greg Anderson                           [e-mail]

At Large (Group 5) Robin Lumb                                [e-mail]

District 3: Richard Clark                                          [e-mail]

District 5: Lori N. Boyer                                           [e-mail]

District 7: Dr. Johnny Gaffney -                              [e-mail]

District 8: E. Denise Lee                                          [e-mail]

District 9: Warren Jones                                           [e-mail]

District 10: Reginald Brown                                     [e-mail]

District 14: Jim Love                                                [e-mail]

At Large (Group 2) John R. Crescimbeni                   [e-mail]

At Large (Group 3) Stephen C. Joost                         [e-mail]

District 1: Clay Yarborough                                     [e-mail]

District 4: Don Redman                                           [e-mail]

At-Large (Group 1): Kimberly Daniels                      [e-mail]

District 6: Matt Schellenberg                                   [e-mail]

District 12: Doyle Carter                                         [e-mail]

District 13: Bill Gulliford                                          [e-mail]

 

     In addition to your emails you can do more, there is a City Council meeting scheduled at City Hall tomorrow June 26^th at 5PM. It is critical that as many people as possible show up as a public display of support  AGAINST this bill. Know that the opposition will be there in mass.

Thank you

[Patricia M. McBride]

Ken, I would say they have just handed Romney the white house on a platter.  Over 60% of the people in this country wanted at least the mandate if not the whole bill declared unconstitutional (because it is), and this moves it out of the dems territory and gives Romney a HUGE ribbon tied gift.   And it will also encourage people to vote the dems out from congress as well.  And there is probably going to be a call to impeach those on the supreme court that, once again, have upheld a law that was unconstitutional.  My Obama roast in hell for the mess he is making of our country (and I don't obsolve any of those fools in congress who have let him go unfettered when he should have been impeached or at least arrested and tried for treason).

[Patricia M. McBride]

Sorry Amanda.  It is Americans For Prosperity.  They are a sister organization (and they have a web site if you want to check them out). 

[amanda choate]

Fortunately for me, my country allows me to discriminate against anyone regardless of MY religion. Patricia, I do not need religious reasons to discriminate, I am provided that right as a citizen. Government can't tell me who I can or can't associate with or enter into legal contracts with. Unless I am gay.

[amanda choate]

AFP?

[Leanne King]

Heard tonight from two people that got calls from supporters of 296 encouaging people to call. And if you press one it was a direct link into one of the councilmen's office. Now just where do you think the money for this is coming from?

[Patricia M. McBride]

Ken, I totally agree, and now how?  The courts rule with the EPA, the congress doesn't charge Obama with treason when he has committed treason, and on and on.  People are too stupid to realize that electing the same people over and over and over yet again is keeping this all going.  You can't get the current group to declare and make it law to limit the terms they can serve, and we have people within our very tea party that appose it because they like this person or another..............term limits gives them nothing to bargain with.  Who is going to pay off someone's campaign expenses if they can't count on them to support something into the out years etc.  It is insane!

[Patricia M. McBride]

Vonnise, I think Councilman Holt is voting no on this bill. I can't think of anything that has been done that might change his mind as the substitute really is no better than the original bill. It still allows for fines and maybe even jail time if someone doesn't violate their religious convictions should conditions present themselves, and that is directly in violation of our first amendments rights to freedom of speech and freedom of religion. As someone else has already stated, these are conscious choices that are made by the LGBT group, and forcing anyone to violate their religious beliefs based on someone making choices that are abhorrent to them, is dead wrong.

[Leanne King]

Press Release

June 27, 2012

Liberty Counsel Asks Court to Dismiss International Lawsuit Against U.S. Pastor
www.LC.org
Springfield, MA – Liberty Counsel has filed a 109-page motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Sexual Minorities Uganda (“SMUG”) against Rev. Scott Lively, a United States citizen, in a United States district court. In the suit, SMUG alleges that Rev. Lively committed “crimes against humanity” in violation of “international law,” simply by sharing his Biblical views on homosexuality during a 2009 visit to Uganda. “There are at least nine independent grounds that require a dismissal of this lawsuit,” Liberty Counsel told the court in its written legal argument.
Represented by a George Soros-funded, radical “civil rights” group, SMUG attempts to sue Rev. Lively in a United States court under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), which allows certain aliens to sue in the United States for torts committed against them in the United States. Liberty Counsel told the court that the ATS is not a blanket delegation of lawmaking to the democratically unaccountable international community. Like all American citizens, Rev. Lively enjoys a fundamental First Amendment right to engage in nonviolent political discourse anywhere in the world. What SMUG cavalierly labels as “crimes against humanity” – the most heinous of all crimes – is actually nothing more than civil, peaceful, political discourse in the public square on a subject of great public concern.
“When SMUG sued Rev. Lively in a Massachusetts federal court, it launched a direct assault on the supremacy of the United States Constitution,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “SMUG is seeking to render the bedrock protections of the First Amendment subservient to the vague and fluid dictates of international law,” Staver continued.
In the lawsuit, SMUG exploits the murder of Ugandan homosexual activist David Kato as evidence of “persecution,” supposedly incited by Rev. Lively’s speech. What SMUG fails to tell the court is that David Kato was killed by a homosexual prostitute, who confessed to the killing over a failed prostitution transaction and who is now serving a thirty-year sentence for his crime.
“Rev. Lively did not check his First Amendment rights at the airport before departing for Uganda,” Staver said.
LOOK WHAT YOU CAN GET FOR USING YOUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

 

[Danny Griffin]

Discrimination is ugly and unfortunately in the history of our country it has occured; as it has and does occur in all countries. People have been discriminated against because they were women, or black, or Chinese or for other reasons and it is a shame that it occured, but it is a tribute to our form of government that it has been corrected. The idea that some people make lifestyle choices and feel they are entitled to be measured in the group of people who through no fault of thier own have suffered descriminitation is repugnant. All of us have the right to determine the values and morals we will live by or associate with. Just because a man is attracted to another mans sex organ or a woman to a woman's does not constitute any grounds to say that the deviant person has special rights or priveleges to force ordinary society to accept thier behavior as normal. Whatever anybody does in thier home or with thier friends is none of my business, and is a matter between them and God not me. Whenever they try to change societies laws, and make common what is abnormal and against the design of nature then it is my business, and I will fight them in every way possible. I suggest we the majority let our city know that we will begin an economic boycott of the city of Jacksonville if this ordinance passes.  We will make sure we shop at the Orange Park Mall, The Outlet mall, or any stores located in St Johns, Clay, Nassau, or Baker Counties. We will only eat at restaurants outside of Duval, on go to Auto repair or any other service outside of Duval. If this ordinance passes the city must be boycotted until it is repealed and until anyone who supported it is removed from office.  

[vonnise cobb]

I believe private business owners should be able to hire, fire, promote, demote, etc anyone they darn will please.  The government should not be allowed to dictate to anyone.

I believe that people who rents/leases homes or apartments should be able to rent/lease to anyone they choose or not rent/lease to anyone they choose. 

This is specially true if they are not taking money from the government.  Our government has no business dictating.