This story just came to my attention. El Paso, of
course, is the city where Fr. Michael Rodriguez was actively making known – at City
Council meetings, as well as his parish –Church teaching on homosexuality…until
he was transferred far, far away.
Hard to believe that citizens are facing jail time
for exercising their rights!
by Karla Dial
Approximately 250 Christians affiliated with various
ministries in El Paso, Texas, have asked the state Supreme Court to step in
immediately to prevent them from being sent to jail.
Their crime? Circulating petitions seeking the recall of
Mayor John Cook and two city council members in 2010.
That year, El Paso residents passed a ballot initiative
banning unmarried domestic-partner benefits. But the city council — with the
mayor’s approval — voted to rescind the ordinance, prompting the recall
election.
But last month, a state appeals court halted the recall and
decertified the petition signatures. Immediately afterward, the city’s district
attorney subpoenaed the petitions and assembled a grand jury to look into
having the petition organizers prosecuted criminally. According to Texas
election law, churches can’t circulate petitions; the constitutionality of that
law is currently the subject of a separate federal lawsuit.
“We have more than 250 signed affidavits from local citizens
there in El Paso who are terrified that they may go to jail simply for engaging
in legitimate political and free speech efforts,” said Alliance Defense Fund
attorney Joel Oster. “This is the United States of America, and the mayor can’t
be allowed to put his opponents in jail just because he doesn’t like that they
participated in a valid effort that he doesn’t favor.”
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Related:
Fr.
Rodriguez: A Priest with Fortitude