A.G. Gancarski
The “Community Conversations” on the HRO are over. But Lenny Curry’s inbox brims with communiqués from opponents of HRO expansion. The majority of emails received lately oppose legislation and support a referendum.
[Note: all grammatical/spelling errors hail from the original documents being quoted.]
“I still cannot believe that what is going on is for real… I thought I came in America and not Sodom and Gomorra,” writes Nadezhda Missetskaya.
“What we need on this is a public referendum & we don’t need to have Bisexual restrooms as this will open the door for more rape and other sexual crimes against our women & children to happen,” writes Terry Carswell.
And there is this from Pastor Jeff Burnsed:
“YOU have been raised up “for such a time as this.” You will be like Momses, impacting multitudes for right, for good, for godliness. Like Moses supporters, we want to uphold you in prayer, in a sense hold your hands up, as they did Moses … and watch miraculous things take place. “What is the will of God Almighty regarding trangenderism, and what is His ideology regarding sanctioning their lifestyle?” These are questions you face, and the challenges go to Sodom and Gomorrah and before. “What is the will of the Almight, the one that I will stand before one day? This is critical to what this city does. Sir we support you, let the POPLE vote! Let the people endorse sin, or endorse righteousness … YOU Sir … be encouraged in Jesus name …
M. Wood says that “America at all levels of governance is embracing as friend a deadly enemy that will prove to be the soon-death of this country — at least according to secular historical precedent. Foolish leaders seeking to appease all, while effectively governing none, are attempting compromise with the very thing they should be seeking to defeat on the same terms that the U.S. military applies to foreign enemies who pose a threat: decisive resistance of a kind that cannot be overcome.”
“For any leaders who now, or have in the recent past, presented themselves as persons of faith who stand on and have prospered from traditional values, there is an expectation of support for what will continue our system under the blessings of Almighty God; not a Nicolaitane retreat into a death-swamp,” Wood adds.
“Mr. Mayor you are either a leader of the character of General George Marshall or you will be remembered as a Neville Chamberlain. Essential masculinity is rapidly being bled from our culture and this particular issue will show us just how much. has been bled away – literally in war and figuratively through social manipulation,” Wood continues.
Dale Burns, a Jacksonville citizen, says that the primary thrust of such legislation is to protect the transgender community.
“In the first town-hall meeting the impression which I left with was that the main purpose of this HRO, is to allow those of the transgendered community to use or go in the bathroom(s) of their choice,” Burns wrote.
“This HRO does nothing for the mayor, the city council or the city of Jacksonville, except open it up to very expensive lawsuits. According to the city attorney it does not provide any more protection to the LG community than what is currently law at the federal, state and local levels. The only group of the LGBT community that it benefits it seems is the “T” or the transgendered community,” Burns added.
Wilma Culi, another opponent, urges the mayor to think of the children.”There are already laws that protect everyone, including the LGBT community, in the area of employment and public accommodation. The Florida Fair Housing Laws parallel the Federal Fair Housing Act, and the Florida Civil Human Rights Act makes it illegal for an employer to discriminate against anyone, period. We’re sure you are aware of that. If you allow this ordinance to pass, instead of being fair to everyone, it will show that you, and the City Council are providing special treatment to the LGBT. We’d say, because this affects everyone, including the little children, let us vote on it,” Culi writes.
“There are already laws that protect everyone, including the LGBT community, in the area of employment and public accommodation. The Florida Fair Housing Laws parallel the Federal Fair Housing Act, and the Florida Civil Human Rights Act makes it illegal for an employer to discriminate against anyone, period. We’re sure you are aware of that. If you allow this ordinance to pass, instead of being fair to everyone, it will show that you, and the City Council are providing special treatment to the LGBT. We’d say, because this affects everyone, including the little children, let us vote on it,” Culi writes.
Terry Doherty urges caution on the “New Divisive Rights Proposal.”
“I am tired of special groups: veterans, gays, minorities, refugee – you name it – some group of attention starved folks who are petitioning to get SPECIAL and PREFERRED treatment. That’s what special ordinances do. I’m sick of all of it,” Doherty observes.
“VOTE ‘NO! as mayor. Urge ASSIMILATION into the community by strength of character. individuals are equal. Some people don’t like YOU. Some people don’t like me. I really don’t care to force myself on my detractors. They will not to take my money for rent? The BIGOTS are the LOSERS, folks, not the consumer with money to pay the rent. We don’t need to bend to the small minded, self-serving, self-victimized segregated groups of crybabies,” Doherty continues.
Wayne and Pat Holland, concerned about the “amount of tax dollars that will be spent on future litigation regarding issues that will result due to misconduct in the MIXED RESTROOM environment,” contend that “current policy is stable and clearly protective of all peoples in our Jacksonville community.”
