“Deafening silence of our elected officials”
Amidst all this lawlessness, harassment, trampling of civil rights and now domestic terrorism, one thing stands out: the deafening silence of our elected officials. Not a single elected leader has spoken out against what is happening,” noted the campaign co-manager, Frank Schubert.
“Where is Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger while churches are being attacked? And where is Senator Dianne Feinstein while people are losing their jobs and grandmothers are being bullied by an angry mob?” he continued.
Schubert spoke at the first press conference of the Protect Marriage coalition since the election, which saw Proposition 8 pass with 52.5% of the vote. Since then, hostility has dramatically increased against those who supported the measure.
“For 14 months, we have been called bigots and hate-mongers and we have not retaliated against these unprecedented attacks,” said another leader, Pastor Jim Garlow. “But we will not be silenced.”
Around California, supporters of Prop. 8 have been targeted by their opponents. According to a press release, in addition to church vandalism across the state, in Sacramento, a musical theater director was forced to resign after he was blacklisted for contributing $1000 to the initiative. In Los Angeles, a Mexican restaurant owner has been boycotted after a relative donated to the coalition.
The most recent attack occurred Nov. 13 when the headquarters of the Knights of Columbus and several LDS temples were mailed an unknown white powder, reminiscent of the Anthrax scare in 2001.
It is frightening when our elected leaders tolerate the kind of intimidation towards churches, groups, and individuals for exercising their constitutionally protected rights. Their inaction speaks volumes. Please remember to pray for those who have been impacted by these unjust efforts – those who are being threatened with terrorism, those whose churches have been vandalized, and those who have lost their jobs because the fit throwing from the No on 8 group and the tacit approval of the liberal leadership in California – indeed throughout the country. The proponents of gay marriage say they seek tolerance, but offer only persecution. Tolerance is not their goal, but imposition of a world view. If democracy gets in the way of their goal, then democracy be damned.
