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Getting it Passed

Update: May, 2001 AD:

On May 21, 2001 AD, It was revealed on the Jan Mickelson Show (WHO Radio) that pro-sodomite city council members plan to bring up the sodomite civil rights measure again on June 4. Not only are they going to bring it up, but they are going to do it secretly, without advance notice to the public, and without giving the public opportunity to organize to oppose it. To accomplish this, their plan is to vote to "suspend the rules" so that they can enact it into law in a few minutes, with a single vote, rather than follow the rule which says that every law must be enacted by having the council members vote for it at three consecutive weekly meetings.

All these details were confirmed for me by someone in touch with an informant, perhaps a repentant sodomite, who learned of a flurry of emails sent to sodomites to get them out for this meeting to pressure the wavering votes on the Council.

As of May 28, today, it remains to be seen whether the Council will proceed with its plan, now that it has been leaked.

Last year they never brought it up after Bill Horn opposed plans to do so on the Mikelson Show, after I sent a mailing to all Des Moines pastors and called a couple of dozen, including the pastor of Archie Brooks, the swing vote on the council, and after Ken Richards and I delivered about 18,000 tabloids opposing it in the State Representative district where we ran against each other, which was half the district of Archie Brooks.

But if they are going to try it again, now is the time: the sodomite parade is June 10. Sodomites may also want to take advantage of perhaps the last time they will have the votes. This October two of their supporters, Christine Hensley and Tom Vlassis, face re-election. I haven't heard that they are in any trouble, but sneaking this abomination through could surely cost them and make the sodomite cause hopeless next year! However, sodomites might reason that every election poses a risk; we have a good shot now, let's take it. It is also true, let's face it, that Christians may outnumber sodomites 50 to 1, but sodomites surely outspend and out-organize Christians by 1,000 to one.

May 31, 2001 AD: By 5:30 pm today, the measure was first on the agenda for this coming Monday, in the section of the meeting devoted to passage of laws, which they call "ordinances". That makes it #77 in the entire agenda, which begins at 4:30 pm. Earlier this week, someone from the Human Rights Commission emailed the Iowa Family Policy Council assuring them that the plan to vote for a suspension of the rules had been abandoned, and they plan to follow the rules and try to get it voted for at three consecutive meetings. But on the web site tonight, the request is very prominently on the agenda. #77(A) is "Final consideration of ordinance above, (waiver requested by council member Hensley), requires 6 votes."

(Another issue is the brevity of these public announcements! Who could decipher this significant news, if they didn't already know about it?)

Last night I mailed a letter to all Des Moines pastors. Tomorrow morning I will mail letters to the council members. Tonight I am updating last year's TV show containing my Bible study on Sodomy. I need to turn it in tomorrow morning.

In May, 2000 AD:

Civil Rights for sodomites may receive the additional vote it needs, to become law in Des Moines, by City Councilman Archie Brooks. Borsellino's column, Des Moines Register, April 22, 2000 AD, said he is "leaning" towards it. So now, according to the article, Councilwoman Chris Hensley says she will put the measure back on the council agenda within a month.

Brooks told me that he did not promise to vote for it, but is "considering" it.

It is reasonable to ask why, if he hasn't decided yet, he would set the wheels in motion to put it on the council agenda. The measure was published and debated two years ago, and the record is still there so he can refresh his memory about the issues. Shouldn't he wait until he decides to vote for it, before taking the Council's precious time, and darkening its honor with a controversial confrontation? If he wants to "consider" the measure, shouldn't he wait until he has had all the time he needs to "consider" it? After all, if the vote comes up before he has fully considered it, and he votes "no", the Council won't have another chance to consider it for another year or two. Shouldn't he respect the Council's time and reputation by waiting until he has fully "considered" his vote, before encouraging the measure to come for a vote?

On April 29, I expressed three technical concerns about the measure to Brooks, who answered that he had not read the law so he couldn't debate the details with me. He meant that a fresh copy of the law hadn't been passed around yet for this year's consideration. The implication is that this year's version might be different from the version two years ago, so we should wait to see what it looks like before we judge it.

But the version two years ago came as the result of lengthy examination by the Human Rights Commission, and the measure consumes some 20 pages of Des Moines code. There is no reason to expect any changes; significant changes, certainly, would require much more time to process. But if Borsellino was right, the measure will come up for a vote by May 22. That doesn't allow much time for changes.

The law needs four votes. Besides Brooks and Hensley, the law had the support of Preston Daniels and Tom Vlassis. Voting against it in 1998 were Coleman, Flagg, McPherson, and Phillips; but Phillips has been replaced by Brooks.

Once the measure is placed on the agenda of the City Council, it will need to receive a majority vote at three consecutive Council meetings. At the first meeting we will be able to see whether our calls have swayed Brooks. If he votes for it, more calls will be needed before the next meetings. Calls and cards to other council members will help: members who already oppose this abomination will appreciate cards of encouragement and thanks.

If the measure passes, it will be law for at least two years. But if Christians care enough about it, there remain two ways to stop it, although both ways would require an unprecedented stand of Christians in Des Moines: (1) through tying up enforcement with lawsuits, and (2) through replacing Vlassis and Hensley, in the 2001 election, with candidates willing to overturn the abomination. (Daniels and Brooks can't be replaced at the polls until 2003.)

Take it for granted that while Christians struggle to organize 1% of their numbers, sodomites will be virtually 100% organized. The Council notices who speaks up. In 1998, the Des Moines Human Rights Commission reported to the City Council who favored the abomination, and who opposed it. Three churches favored it: Urbandale United Church of Christ, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and Temple B'Nai Jeshurun. Three church organizations favored it: Interfaith Alliance, Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, and United Methodist Church Iowa Area.

One church opposed it: East Side Evangelical Free Church! The Catholic Diocese of Des Moines opposed it after the Commission turned in its report, with a letter to the Council.

Four secular organizations favored it: Management Training and Consulting Services, National Association of Social Workers, AFSME, and Iowa City Human Rights Commission (which also has sodomite "civil rights"). None were opposed.

Besides organizations, the Commission counted letters: 164 for, 151 of which were from Des Moines, and of which 11 gave "religion" as their reason; compared with 138 against, 100 of which were from Des Moines, and of which only one gave "religion" as its reason!

The Council knows the tiny response did not accurately reflect the feeling in churches across Des Moines. But the Council also knows the response did accurately reflect the feeling of those few who organize voters for Council elections.

Prayer

We realize that an effective response from Christians will take a miracle of God. But we have already see God do miracles in this project! Not the least of which is the timing, that Brooks would state his support for this abomination, just when Ken Richards and I were already preparing a literature drop for our district, which, by Gods "coincidence", also happens to be mostly part of Brooks district!

Many less dramatic miracles have occurred, which I will report on my website as time permits. Meanwhile, take courage, prayer warriors! You know that even if I am making all this up, Gods Promises are not "made up"!

Isaiah 35:3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 ;Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. 7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. 8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. 9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: 10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Contacting Council Members:

(FOR sodomy:)

Archie Brooks, 4102 SE 13th, 50315, 285-5979h, 245-5395o, 237-1626m, abrooks@ruan.com

Christine Hensley, 753 55th, 50312, 255-4716h, 237-1625m, hensley2@earthlink.net

Tom Vlassis, 5001 Lyndale Dr, 50310, 274-0161h, tomvlasdsm@uswest.net

Preston Daniels, 2414 Kingman, 50311, 274-0161h

(AGAINST sodomy:)

Mike McPherson, 604 Arthur, 50317, 280-7415h

Chris Coleman, 3512 48th Pl, 50310-2611, 276-7644h, 237-1622m, dsmcoleman@aol.com

George Flagg, 3101 Onandaga Pt, 282-8295h, 243-5244o

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