|
REGULAR MEETING JULY, 10, 2006
<br />didn’t think anything of it. Except the girl in the locker room next to her had just gotten
<br />hired after she did. Fortunately, they had just formed the Human Rights Commission in
<br />the City of Niles, she saw it in the paper. She stated that even then she read the
<br />newspaper. She stated that she wrote them a letter. She told them about what had
<br />happened to her. They went down to Woolworth’s and they even had the nerve to have
<br />her test there, that’s how bold they were. She had 98, they asked why they did not hire
<br />her, and they could not justify it. So guess what? She was the first black person that
<br />worked at Woolworth’s, because, she had re-dress and reported and they did something
<br />about it. She stated that she could go on and on, but you get the point. There are many
<br />people who went before her who made it so that she could sit on this Council, and work
<br />at Indiana University, South Bend, have an education, and own a home. There are people
<br />that she can never thank because they are gone. However, now, she has the opportunity
<br />to stand up for people who need her, and cannot stand up for themselves. She stated that
<br />she would not be a moral person if she did not do this. This bill is not about special
<br />rights. This is about giving rights to people that don’t have rights, the same rights as
<br />everyone else. This is not about religion or the church, this is not about protecting
<br />anyone who breaks the laws. This bill is about human rights, social justice, and civil
<br />rights, yes, civil rights! It is not civil to disrespect or discriminate against human beings.
<br />This bill is about being able to report a perceived discrimination, by the way gay and
<br />straight people can report if the ordinance is amended. This bill adds protection where
<br />there is none. The Council has the power under home rule. In this bill there are
<br />protections for the church and other religious institutions. There is also a recognition and
<br />support for the Supreme Court Ruling against the Boy Scouts. This allows gay and
<br />straight people to file a complaint to move forward and gives the opportunity to stand up
<br />against injustice, discrimination, and prejudice. She hoped that everyone on the Council
<br />would join her and Councilmember Kelly and do the right thing. She hoped that an
<br />opportunity would not be missed to stand up for people who cannot stand up for
<br />themselves. By the way, these are people who are working, paying bills, parents, and law
<br />abiding. She is not talking about anyone who is acting in a disrespectful way, and based
<br />on how they look, or act, or people what they think about how they look or act, they are
<br />discriminated against. Councilmember Pfeifer stated that the Council has the chance
<br />tonight to make history. To change the course and send a message that the City of South
<br />Bend does not support discrimination and begged them to vote with her tonight.
<br />Councilmember Kelly stated Councilmember Pfeifer has done a remarkable job on this
<br />bill tonight and it is a pleasure to be able to work with her. He stated that his motivations
<br />are very simple on this bill. He has said it before and said it again, that he opposes
<br />discrimination in any form for any reason. People are entitled to their civil rights, it’s
<br />guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. Despite what anyone chooses to do
<br />with their life course, deserves their civil rights. That is all he is after and supports this
<br />legislation as much as he possible can. He stated that he has been through the depression,
<br />World War II, and spent a couple of years in the Navy and he has viewed a couple of
<br />cases of discrimination at that time. Those instances really turned him off and this is why
<br />he feels so passionate about the subject today. He served in Memphis, and saw
<br />discrimination against black people. These are not special rights, its civil rights and
<br />guaranteeing the rights that people already have. People have approached him and tell
<br />him that there is discrimination against gays and lesbians in the community, but they do
<br />not have recourse. This bill would allow for the recourse and give those cases
<br />investigated by the Human Rights Commission and then determine if there is grounds for
<br />action or not. Many cases will probably be thrown out, but at least give them the
<br />opportunity to be heard. That is all that is being asked of the Council tonight.
<br />Councilmember Kelly urged the Council’s support of the amendment to the Human
<br />Rights Ordinance.
<br />Charles Leone, South Bend City Attorney, 1400 County-City Building, South Bend,
<br />Indiana, stated that the starting point for looking at enforceability issues is Indiana’s
<br />Home Rule Statute. That act was added in 1980, in its current form and talks very
<br />specifically about the rights that cities have with respect to governing their own affairs
<br />and dealing with issues that are relevant to the city. The most relevant portion is Section
<br />IV of that Act, that talks about the abrogation of the old rule of law. The old rule of law
<br />was that unless the legislature specifically granted a power to the City that that City did
<br />4
<br />
<br />
|