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REGULAR MEETING MARCH 26, 2012 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />and that these are cases. He stated that we heard things tonight like it is difficult to <br />estimate the amount of discrimination because they have no Human Right Commission <br />but Indianapolis has had it going on for how many years. There are saying 10 cases and <br />he wasn’t sure if that was 10 cases a year on average. But if that City is 5 times our size, <br />you divide 10 by 5 that 2 cases a year and not all of those cases are legitimate. So he is <br />disappointed that this Council has not done due diligence and looked at the facts and tried <br />to establish that we have a problem and that the size of the solution doesn’t even match <br />the problem. He stated that he is sure that people are discriminated against in the sense of <br />malicious comments are made. But he doesn’t think we could every legislate people to <br />be nice to each other. The kinds of problems that we are going to see with this ordinance <br />are going to hurt people like himself, who have businesses and are doing everything they <br />can to lead a just life trying to live their values. He stated that he is a Roman Catholic <br />and worked real hard. He stated that one of the things that people attack about Catholic <br />and other Christians is you go to Church and leave you Church, and you leave all the <br />values behind. He stated that he has integrated those Christian values into his business <br />and he doesn’t see any exemption for faith inspired businesses to protect us from living <br />the way we want to and that is what America is about. He stated that they should be able <br />st <br />to live their own Christian values. He stated that he is a 1 generation American, his <br />father was born over there, his family came over, we lost lives on Andrea Doria, and his <br />cousin’s died. He knows that his family paid a heavy price to come here and one of <br />things that they admired about this country was that we had a freedom to practice our <br />religion and had the ability to go ahead and build our businesses the way they want to <br />with that faith inspiration. He stated that the Council will be taken that away because he <br />has no exemption for wanting to lead his beliefs in his business and furthermore is very <br />bothered by the fact that there is naivety in thinking that the Human Rights Commission <br />is going to be a way for people to extort businesses. He stated that he knows of someone <br />specifically that had issues through there and even though they were found not one <br />problem in the end, it cost them $40,000 to protect themselves and walk away and say <br />that there was no legitimate accusation. He stated that he has got plenty of research that <br />shows like Dr. Spitzer here, who is the one who lead the charge to reverse the APA; he <br />was the one who wanted to change it so that gay and lesbian was pulled out of the APA, <br />diagnostic and statistical manual. He has changed his opinion on that because he has <br />found so many people have left the lifestyle he knows personally so he is the guy that <br />lead it, when he started digging he had the intellectually honesty to take in the new data <br />and changed his opinion on it. He thanked the Council for the opportunity to be heard. <br /> <br />Rhonda Pottinger, 1121 Highland Village Drive, Mishawaka, Indiana, stated that she did <br />not come prepared to speak tonight but felt compelled as a mom and a grandma of five <br />(5). She stated that she has a passion to raise her children in a Godly way. She stated <br />that what she has to say won’t be popular but her supreme example was also not popular <br />and he was crucified for it. She stated that the Council opened this meeting tonight by <br />asking God to grant us knowledge and wisdom. By doing this she presumed we give <br />heed to what God says and redeem it as important and consider it to be the guide for life. <br />She stated that God has already answered this prayer for wisdom by addressing <br />homosexuality for us in the Bible. She was amazed to hear someone say tonight that it is <br />not addressed in the Bible. She has been reading it since she was a child and never <br />questioned it is in there. Even as a child when she read her Bible she understood clearly <br />that homosexuality was said immoral and it was called a sin. She stated that she loves <br />her children but if they choose this life style she will still love them but she will still stand <br />according to God’s word, not her feelings, nor her emotions, nor that she wants to please <br />somebody else, even though her personality is a pleaser. She submitted for the Council’s <br />consideration to be cautious and not to against what God almighty has already said in his <br />word. God is not just balanced by being in the middle of love and judgment, his love is <br />total and complete and so is his judgment. She stated that if we are no longer a Christian <br />nation then vote as you wish. If we are still a Christian nation then may your prayers and <br />votes not be for the favor of man, but for the favor of God himself. Times may be <br />changing but God has remained the same yesterday, today, and forever. She thanked the <br />Council for their consideration. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> 23 <br /> <br />