Wednesday, December 7, 2005

THE WHOLE OF THE LAW

“For the entire Law has been obeyed when you have kept the single precept, which says, "You are to love your fellow man equally with yourself.”

(Galatians 5:14)

QUOTATIONS FOR THE DAY

“We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men."

(George Orwell)

“Duties are ours, results are God’s.”

(John Quincy Adams)

“True happiness is to understand our duties toward God and man; to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence on the future; not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears, but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is abundantly sufficient."

(Seneca)

A LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR

The following letter by Michael S. Heath, Executive Director of the Christian Civic League of Maine, was sent to Governor John E. Baldacci on Tuesday, December 6, 2005, to ask for his help in resolving the problem of public indecency in Augusta. 

The Honorable John E. Baldacci
Governor of Maine
Augusta, Maine

Sir:

Maine has long enjoyed a reputation as a place set apart, a refuge from the crime, vice, and corruption which plagues the rest of the nation. The honesty and integrity of her citizens and elected officials are still unmatched anywhere else in the world. Yet this reputation is in jeopardy because of the public indecency on display at a shop on Water Street in Augusta. Overnight, our fame has turned to notoriety, as news of this public indecency has been broadcasted to the four corners of the world, including Tokyo and Australia, Pakistan, and Vietnam.

The news spread rapidly not because such behavior was innovative or liberating or productive, but because it represents a new low in the morals of the American people. The shameful photos of our women standing on display in a shop window gave an opportunity to our foes throughout the world to shake their heads and gloat over our downfall.  The news also spread rapidly because such behavior is unique. No where else in the world does this occur.  One newspaper said that such behavior “brings a bit of New York to Maine.” It does not, for such behavior is illegal in New York City, and rightly so.

That such behavior is occurring only a mile from the Capitol Building in Augusta casts a shadow over our local and state government, calling into question their ability and even their desire to ward off a serious threat to the moral integrity and the safety of our society. We must not allow the goings-on in Water Street to become the new symbol for Maine.  The moral, political, and economic consequences are too obvious to ignore.

Therefore, I am requesting that you interpose your authority as governor to bring a quick resolution to this problem; and to that end I am requesting a meeting with you to discuss how this may best be accomplished. I am painfully aware that you have turned down my repeated requests for a face-to-face meeting on a number of issues. Nonetheless, the gravity of this matter requires me to request a meeting yet one more time.  If you decide again not to meet with me, I would request that you agree to meet with a delegation of Evangelical pastors to discuss how this very critical threat to our civil life can be addressed. 

Yours faithfully,
Michael S. Heath
Executive Director
The Christian Civic League of Maine

ATTORNEY WHO
ADVISED AUGUSTA NOT TO REGULATE
PUBLIC INDECENCY
REPRESENTED LAS VEGAS
GAMBLING CONCERN

Fortunately, Maine doesn’t have any show girls yet, or they would look much like the young women in the window of the lingerie store on Water Street in Augusta. What Maine does have however, are attorneys who are willing to represent out-of-state gambling interests, and who are ready to provide legal opinions which lead the public to believe that no law can prohibit people from dancing nearly naked in store windows.

In 2003, Stephen Langsdorf, the city attorney for Augusta, represented Shawn Scott, the Las Vegas-based gambling concern Capital 7, and Bangor Historic Raceway. Capital 7 was trying to obtain a license from the state. At one point, Shawn Scott and Capital 7 fought the release of a report which showed that the Chief Executive Officer of Capital 7, Hoolae Paoa, had a twenty year long history of arrests for among other things felony theft, wife beating, and contempt of court. 

During the meeting on Monday, Stephen Langsdorf advised the City Council not to attempt to regulate the public indecency at Spellbound because to do so would  put the city on what he called a “slippery slope” towards prohibiting constitutionally-protected activity.

COALITION FOR MARRIAGE
REVIEWS RESULTS OF
REFERENDUM VOTE

A large, enthusiastic crowd met at the League’s office in Augusta yesterday to discuss the outcome of the November 8th vote on gay rights. Paul Madore explained the various political factors behind the win by the gay rights lobby.  Madore referred to various regions and counties in Maine and told stories about the commitment of many dedicated volunteers.

One factor that did not go unnoticed in the victory of the gay rights lobby was the enormous advantage in money which enabled the use of phone banks to get out the vote on referendum day. The involvement of unions, and the strong organization of the gay rights lobby were thought to be other factors that contributed to a win by the “Vote No on 1” side. 

Whether or not the vote represented a victory based on the informed opinion of the electorate is open to debate. Instead, it seems that outside money was used to finally wear down the opposition of Maine voters to the idea of gay rights. 

What was most heartening about the Coalition for Marriage meeting was the large map of Maine dotted with green and red flags which showed the referendum results town by town. Almost without exception, the major urban areas, and the southern part of the state, voted in agreement with the out-of-state gay rights agenda, while smaller towns and the northern and western parts of the state voted for family values.