South Elgin board ignored wishes of people it serves
February 6, 2013 4:14PM
Updated: March 8, 2013 7:28AM
South Elgin board ignored wishes of people it serves
I find it distressing that, even with those directly as well as indirectly opposed to the location of the Burton/AID Riverfront project, the village board decided to ignore what the citizens of this village wanted.
So much for “By the People, For the People.”
We are NOT against the project. It’s “location, location, location.” That the board ignored the wishes of the people they serve sets the stage for voting them out of office.
Scott Johnson
South Elgin
Same-sex bill does not protect religious freedom
On Tuesday, the Illinois Senate Executive Committee decided to rewrite state history by approving SB 10, which redefines marriage to include two individuals of the same sex. The bill passed out of committee by a 9-5 vote along party lines.
In response to this decision, Illinois Family Institute Executive Director David Smith said, “The state does not have the authority to redefine what culture and history has understood to be marriage as one man and one woman for thousands of years. The government merely recognizes and regulates it because it has a vested interest in the health, welfare, and inherent rights of children — the next generation. Proponents argue that the sole necessary feature of marriage is the presence of feelings of romantic love and that marriage has no inherent connection to sexual complementarity or reproductive potential. If that’s true, then there is no rational justification for prohibiting plural or incestuous same-sex unions.”
ADF legal counsel Joe LaRue, who testified in the committee hearing, said, “The bill to redefine marriage provides inadequate safeguards for religious liberty. It leaves churches and religious organizations at the whim and mercy of the courts, who will have to interpret the marriage redefinition law and how it interacts with Illinois’ public accommodation and employment non-discrimination laws.
“Simply put, this bill does not protect churches and religious organizations from having to rent their facilities to same-sex couples for wedding ceremonies, even when doing so violates the church’s religious beliefs. Nor does the bill protect churches and religious organizations from being forced to hire employees from same-sex marriages. The bill also provides no protection for individuals, like wedding photographers, who object to same-sex marriages but may be asked because of their business to participate in same-sex ceremonies.
“This law does not protect religious freedom as it claims. Rather, it promotes religious intolerance, bigotry and discrimination.”
Kathy Valente
Director of Operations, Illinois Family Institute
Carol Stream
