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03-26-12 Common Council Meeting Minutes
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03-26-12 Common Council Meeting Minutes
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REGULAR MEETING MARCH 26, 2012 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Kevin Mitschelen, 16061 Petro Drive, Mishawaka, Indiana, stated that he pastors a <br />downtown church that often ministers to the homeless and other street people, said that <br />everyone is broken inside including himself, but the government cannot heal the <br />brokenness, only God. <br /> <br />th <br />Phil Niswonger, 741 S. 30 Street, South Bend, Indiana, stated that he has been citizen of <br />South Bend for over 60 years. In American or anywhere in the World there should be no <br />persecution, there should be no harassment and there should definitely no bullying. He is <br />sensitive to that bullying because he was and educator for over sixteen (16) years in high <br />school as well as the college level and that should not happen. It is a problem that we <br />have in this country a lot caused by broken families. Also, he stated that he had the <br />opportunity to be an employment counselor and in Human Resources for over twelve <br />(12) years. He stated that he worked with the City of South Bend in employment <br />counseling for seven (7) years. Recently, he has been the housing committee <br />Chairperson, for the River Park Neighborhood Association for three (3) years and for two <br />(2) years they have been working on a city ordinance for the third time now for the <br />landlord tenant ordinance and hope to submit that to the Council pretty soon. In all of <br />that time, and in all the education experiences, employment counseling experiences and <br />housing experiences, he has not come across any cases where someone who was <br />discriminated against, fired from a job as a result of their sexual orientation. The only <br />except to that would be in the case of bullying and unfortunately some kids tend to bully <br />someone who is rather shy or looks different, not necessarily because of their sexual <br />orientation. A lot of time they don’t even know what that means at that point in their <br />lives. He stated that there are existing protections especially in employment. If someone <br />is fired from a job beyond their work job performance there are remedies for that and <br />employers are very sensitive to that. He stated that people long for acceptance and that <br />was mentioned a few times here this evening. He stated that he is sensitive to that, but on <br />the other side he thinks that the primary reason for this ordinance is not for non- <br />discrimination and personally feels that is a rouse and thinks that the ultimate purpose is <br />two-fold, one to be accepted. Secondly there are unforeseen consequences that have been <br />alluded to by the presenters here this evening and that are our values will decline will be <br />undermined, the core values that formed our country and sustained our country for better <br />or for worse. He stated that he thinks it’s a rouse because other state who have changed <br />their marriage definition many of them have used this kind of ordinance as a base of <br />operation to change the definition of marriage. He stated that if that is the case and the <br />intent by some of the Councilmember’s or others in the audience that marriage can only <br />be genetically consummated between opposite sexes. <br /> <br />Pat Mangan in closing quoted from the Word of God on the sinfulness of homosexuality <br />and said while God is merciful He is also just, and warned of God’s judgment. Mr. <br />Mangan emphasized that this was the Word of God and not the work of man. <br /> <br />In Rebuttal, Councilmember Gavin Ferlic reiterated that there is evidence as members of <br />the South Bend Human Rights Commission continue to state that they receive reports <br />alleging discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and unable to investigate <br />because they are not empowered to do so. He stated that the city has the authority to pass <br />such a measure under state law and will be able to enforce it. He stated that those <br />organizations whose beliefs oppose the gay lifestyle are exempt from any discriminatory <br />prohibitions in the bill. Councilmember Gavin Ferlic stated that the Council can take <br />action to allow the Human Rights Commission to address this discrimination. He stated <br />that it is a matter of basic fairness to amend our City’s Human Rights Ordinance to <br />prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. <br /> <br />st <br />Councilmember Scott advised that this is something dear to the constituents of the 1 <br />District and also all the businesses that he has been in have taken this seriously and <br />progressively. He did take the words from Dr. Fred Ferlic “that there should be no <br />discrimination in a forward thinking city.” He thinks for us to get the most talented and <br />the brightest people here we should have no barriers. He stated that he has a comment <br />from one of his customers “ We sponsor twelve different employee resource groups that <br />service as vital communication links between senior leadership ideas and thoughts of <br />employees from various backgrounds and experience and ethnicity, gender, sexual <br /> 26 <br /> <br />
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