Victim of harassment lawsuit tells his story

 Larry Cirignano (right) in courtroom with Michael Gilleran, the attorney who helped him beat bogus charges by ACLU activist Sarah Loy that he assaulted her after she disupted his pro-marriage rally. Click HERE for more on the case, and HERE to read about a Worcester, Mass. reporter who helped smear Cirignano but who refuses to recant his discredited story. For MassResistance’s comprehensive account of Cirignano’s trial and Sarah Loy’s fraud, click HERE.

By Larry Cirignano

This week we celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day.  The Catholic Church venerates saints as role models for all of us to emulate, and to encourage us to strive to defend our faith and principles as they did, despite each of them being a sinner.

In early American history, back in 1597, five Franciscan friars were martyred, in what is now Georgia, for standing up against polygamy and defending marriage.

In early church history St John the Baptist, St John Fisher and St Thomas More were all beheaded for standing up for marriage. 

If we are going to continue as a society, we need to stand up for marriage as these brave saints did, by promoting families raising children, and by protecting our children as our most precious resource.

The family is an essential building block for society.  Families are the first protectors of children as the first providers of food, shelter, health care and education. The home is the domestic church and serves as the first hospital, school and restaurant that most kids will know.

Americans For Truth Speaker (Friday, Oct. 5) David Parker of Lexington, Massachusetts, in hand-cuffs after being arrested in 2005 at his son’s elementary school — after refusing to budge in his demand for parental rights. At right is the last page of “King & King,” a “children’s” picture book that was read to first-graders at the school. Those are the two princes kissing, the culmination of a story line in which the prince rejects princesses in favor of another man as his true love. The two princes get “married” and the caption for the “same-sex marriage” page reads: “The wedding was very special. The queen even shed a tear or two.” The principal at Esterbrook Elementary School in Lexington defended the “King & King” lesson and denied parents the right to be informed about it and to opt their kids out.

Dear Americans For Truth Reader,

There is a battle to preserve right and wrong in this country — and a campaign to teach children that “human wrongs” are actually “human rights.” David Parker, who comes to the Chicago area in a week (Friday, October 5) for Americans For Truth’s first annual banquet, is on the front lines of that battle.

David and his wife Tonia are concerned Massachusetts parents who simply didn’t want their son to be brainwashed by a politically correct education establishment that has lost its way.

We are honored and delighted to have David as one of two dynamic speakers at our Americans For Truth banquet next week — Friday, October 5 in Lombard (registration is extended until Monday; click HERE for information). If you live in the Midwest, and can drive (or even fly) in, I’d strongly encourage you to come see this man who is a hero for truth and represents all that is great about this nation.

Here’s my guarantee: your “freedom fighting” batteries will be charged for years to come by this exciting evening.

Our other featured speaker, Charlene Cothran, a former lesbian-activist-turned-Christian and founder of VENUS Magazine, is equally compelling. You won’t want to miss her God-honoring testimony of being delivered from homosexuality; click HERE to sign up by Monday using your VISA or MasterCard.

Get off the sidelines

Let’s face it: most people sit on the sidelines in this ongoing societal “war” over which values will be ascendant in our culture. David and Tonia Parker got off the sidelines. When faced with a school bureaucracy in Lexington, Mass., that asserted it had the right and duty in the nation’s only homosexual-“marriage” state to teach the acceptance of homosexuality to young elementary school children without even informing parents, they fought back. In 2005, the Parker’s five-year-old son Jacob came home with a “Diversity Book Bag,” which contained the book Who’s in a Family promoting the acceptance of “same-sex” families.

The rest is history, as David Parker was famously arrested at Jacob’s school, Esterbrook Elementary, for demanding his parental right to be informed before teachings that violate his and Tonia’s religious beliefs were foisted on their impressionable son.

The controversy grew in 2006 when the Joseph and Robin Wirthlin learned that their seven-year-old son Joey’s first-grade teacher at Esterbrook Elementary had read King & King, a homosexual romance kids book (who would think we’d ever be using those words together?), shown above, aloud to her young students without even notifying their parents.

From my good friend Robert Knight, director of the Culture & Media Institute, a division of the Media Research Center that examines how media bias undermines faith and traditional American values–PL:

Posted: 09/21/2007, Human Events Online

Most liberal media outlets reacted in similar fashion to Tuesday’s major Maryland Court of Appeals ruling, which upholds the state’s law defining marriage as one man-one woman. They presented it through the lavender lens of homosexual activism. 

CBS News’ Web site ran this headline: Maryland Court Upholds Gay Marriage Ban

Calling the law a “gay marriage ban” is as misleading as describing it as a “ban on polygamous marriage,” or a “ban on incestuous marriage” or perhaps a “ban on interspecies marriage.” For the record, the Court in Conaway vs. Deane notes that neither the 1973 law nor the legislative debate at the time address “sexual orientation” nor any “gay” issue. All the law does is reiterate the fundamental nature of marriage for legal purposes. 

To liberal journalists, however, a law merely acknowledging the timeless definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman is unacceptable.  Such a law must be depicted only as a negative, as a ban rather than an affirmation.

The CBS article itself was straightforward at the top, but devolved into passages like this:

Many of the plaintiffs have children, and they argue that their families are being denied the stability and legal protection that comes from having married parents.

Lisa Kebreau, 39, and her partner, Mikki Mozelle, 31, who live in Riverdale, have three children – ages 17, 2 and 20 months.

“We really wanted them to understand how normal and good their family is – that their family is just like any other family,” Kebreau said.

CBS quoted no pro-marriage spokesman in response who might have argued that kids deserve to have both a mother and a father. The story also did not explain the court’s key finding that “sexual orientation” is not a civil rights class such as sex, race and ethnicity.

The Baltimore Sun ran this headline: Court Upholds Md. Gay Marriage Ban

The story, a cardinal example of advocacy journalism, was devoted to homosexual activists and liberal jurists complaining about the ruling or vowing to create “gay marriage” by other means. Not a single pro-marriage spokesperson was quoted.

The Washington Post’s article gave a more balanced account, but spent most of its ink criticizing the decision and discussing how to circumvent it. The opening sentence reflects the Post’s bias, describing Maryland’s marriage law as “the state’s ban on gay marriage” and “the controversial law.”

In fact, the marriage law is not controversial, at least outside homosexual activist and liberal media circles. All 50 states have laws defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman (even Massachusetts, which still has no business issuing same-sex marriage licenses without a change in the law).

What is controversial is Baltimore Circuit Court Judge M. Brooke Murdock’s nutso January ruling striking the law down. Murdock wrote that the law violates a state constitutional provision guaranteeing equal rights. By her reasoning, any specific definition of a relationship or status could violate the rights of somebody who does not qualify.  Perhaps we should all be considered “doctors,” not just those folks who graduated from medical school.

Click HERE to read the entire article in Human Events Online

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 31, 2007

FOR MORE INFORMATION: SARAH RODE: (202) 488-7000 ext. 127

Homosexual couples begin applying for marriage licenses

Washington, DC – Polk County Judge Robert Hanson (not to be confused with convicted spy Robert Hanssen) has miraculously divined that the framers of the Iowa constitution really intended that Iowans of the same sex must be allowed to “marry” one another.  The unelected Hanson struck down Iowa’s Defense of Marriage Act on Thursday ruling that, “Couples, such as Plaintiffs, who are otherwise qualified to marry one another may not be denied licenses to marry or certificates of marriage or in any other way prevented from entering into a civil marriage pursuant to Iowa Code Chapter 595 by reason of the fact that both persons compromising such a couple are of the same sex.”   

Within two hours of the ruling homosexual couples began applying for marriage licenses. 

Addressing the decision, Matt Barber, Policy Director for Cultural Issues with Concerned Women for America (CWA) said, “Through his actions, Judge Hanson has arrogantly ignored the will of the people by cavalierly disregarding a law constitutionally enacted by Iowa citizens through their elected representatives in 1998.

“Once again we have another renegade judge abusing the authority he’s been granted and arbitrarily legislating from the bench.  Hanson is a judicial activist.  He’s just one man – a county judge – who has haughtily trampled on the concept of separation of powers, the elected state legislature and the people of Iowa in order to push his own radical agenda. 

“It’s preposterous to think that the framers of the Iowa constitution could have even imagined that the document they were drafting would someday be distorted in such a way as to force “‘gay’ marriage” upon Iowa. 

“This case proves once again that the only way to assure that the institution of marriage is protected – and not radically redefined into oblivion – is to pass a federal marriage amendment,” concluded Barber.

The case is expected to be appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court. 

Concerned Women for America is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization.

From Focus on the Family’s Citizenlink: 

County Judge Robert Hanson decided Thursday that he will make the laws for Iowa. He struck down the state’s 1998 Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional and ordered Polk County to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Roger J. Kuhle, an assistant county attorney, argued the issue is not for a judge to decide. The county, home to state capital Des Moines, is expected to appeal the ruling to the Iowa Supreme Court.

Dr. James C. Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family Action, called it another example of a judge legislating from the bench.

“Once again, we see an activist judge handing liberal activists what they have not been able to achieve legislatively or at the ballot box: government sanctioning of same-sex marriage,” he said. “This purely political ruling proves yet again that nothing short of a federal marriage-protection amendment is sufficient to preserve one-man, one-woman marriage in our nation.

“By striking down Iowa’s DOMA, Judge Robert Hanson has shown he believes the desires of adults should trump what’s best for children. His ruling represents social engineering at its worst.”

Click HERE to read the whole Citizenlink article

Our good friends at Concerned Women for America — Beverly LaHaye’s organization, which does so much to defend life and the family across these United States — have posted an online radio interview with Americans For Truth President Peter LaBarbera regarding Holiday Inn’s cancellation of our banquet. (We have secured another venue for the banquet, but the date is changed to Friday, October 5 — more information HERE.) 

TAKE ACTION:  1) To complain about Holiday Inn Select’s discriminatory treatment against people of faith and conservatives (another Holiday Inn cancelled an event for the Minuteman Project) — and their abrupt cancellation of Americans For Truth’s banquet reservation, write dennis@naperselect.com or call the hotel at 630-505-4900.
 

2) Call AFTAH’s Banquet Coordinator at 312-315-6152 to reserve a spot at the banquet on Friday, Oct. 5; or use our new and improved online credit-card donation page to sign up (there are more options and we no longer require you to use the Paypal system!);
 

You can also send your check for the banquet ($50/ticket or table of ten for $500) to AFTAH, P.O. Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522. Please pray that this event will be a success.

Click HERE to listen to the CWA interview online, or you can go to the CWA website to listen to the report. CWA writes:

No Room at the Inn

There is no room for Americans for Truth (AFTAH) at the Holiday Inn Select in Naperville, Illinois. The pro-family group was well into planning a fundraising banquet at that facility for October 6, when the Inn’s General Manager Dennis Igoe cancelled the group’s reservation citing safety issues for the hotel’s patrons. Those concerns stemmed from the possibility that homosexual activists would protest the event and resulting negative publicity for the hotel, not from AFT’s planned activities. Igoe’s actions were upheld by the Holiday Inn corporate offices, leaving AFT to scramble for alternate accommodations. Matt Barber, CWA’s Policy Director for Cultural Issues, speaks with Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth, on this situation putting it in context with the chain’s past actions.

Randy Thomasson of the VoteYesMarriage.com in California coalition writes:

Please forward today to your pro-family friends:

Dear friends, the following news is appalling. Please help place rock-solid marriage protection into the California Constitution by donating right now to VoteYesMarriage.com or by calling 916-265-5643 to discuss making a major gift. We need to raise $1 million in the next two weeks in order to qualify for California’s June 2008 ballot. Any U.S. citizen or legal resident may donate. Thank you.

Here is the media release issued Monday by the VoteYesMarriage.com coalition:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2007
 
California Governor and Attorney General
Say Marriage can be Eliminated in Future

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown file legal briefs saying the California Legislature can eliminate marriage rights and get rid of marriage

Sacramento, California — In legal briefs submitted to the California Supreme Court, which is considering whether to license “same-sex marriages” next year, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown both stated that a future Legislature could abolish marriage and yank marriage rights from a married husband and wife.

It was revealed today that Attorney General Jerry Brown [see PDF of AG Jerry Brown’s 8/17 brief] and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger [See PDF of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 8/17 brief ] said the following in their August 17 supplemental briefs responding to questions from the California Supreme Court:

Marriage can be abolished in the future by the California Legislature

BROWN: …the words “marry” and “marriage” have no essential constitutional significance under the California Constitution. Thus, the Legislature could change the name of the legal relationship now known as “marriage” to some other name without any constitutional impediment.

SCHWARZENEGGER: …The Administration submits that use of the words “marry” and “marriage” is not required by the California Constitution. Thus, the name of the legal relationship now known as “marriage” could be changed.

Marriage rights and marriage benefits for a husband and wife can be eliminated by the California Legislature

BROWN: …except for this essential ability to choose and declare one’s life partner in a reciprocal and binding contractual commitment of mutual support, any of the statutory rights and obligations that are afforded exclusively to married couples in California could be abrogated or eliminated by the Legislature or the electorate for any rational legislative purpose.

SCHWARZENEGGER: …except for the ability to choose and declare one’s life partner in a reciprocal commitment of mutual support, any of the statutory rights and obligations that are afforded to married couples in California could be abrogated or eliminated by the Legislature or the electorate for any rational legislative purpose.

“This is proof positive that the VoteYesMarriage.com initiative, which will prevent marriage from being abolished and prevent marriage rights from being eliminated, is absolutely needed to protect the sacred institution of marriage from activist judges and liberal politicians,” said Randy Thomasson, an organizer of the VoteYesMarriage.com California Marriage Amendment, which is aiming for the 2008 ballot.

“Protecting the word ‘marriage’ in the state constitution is useless if the politicians can still get rid of marriage and marriage rights for a man and a woman,” concluded Thomasson. “Clearly, the VoteYesMarriage.com amendment, which will override the judges and politicians and preserve everything about marriage for one man and one woman, is the only way to protect this special institution for future generations to respect and enjoy.”

— end —

VoteYesMarriage.com (ID #1276880) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization sponsoring The Voters’ Right to Protect Marriage Initiative. Please help us protect marriage once and for all in the California State Constitution by making an instant online donation or sending a generous gift to:

VoteYesMarriage.com
P.O. Box 1978
Sacramento, CA 95812
(916) 265-5643
(916) 290-0114 fax

Donate Online:

* Donations to VoteYesMarriage.com are not tax deductible.
* Please write your occupation and employer on your check, as required by state law

From MassResistance.org:  

Yes, it’s already affecting the legal system. . .

We recently met with a mother who was preparing to take her local school system to court over a particular homosexual-related activity that she felt was going to affect her child in a destructive way. But when she discussed it with her lawyer (who specializes in dealing with public schools) the lawyer told her that the recent ruling by Federal Judge Mark Wolf in the David Parker case would make it difficult for her to win!

As you can imagine, the mother was shocked and very upset. But this is how important the David Parker lawsuit has become, not only here but around the country. And the national homosexual movement knows that – and is prepared to pull out all the stops to make sure that this lawsuit does not get to an appeal.

This also demonstrates that the current Parental Notification Law (Ch. 71, Sec. 32A) is now effectively useless, and a STRONG replacement is desperately needed! (Call your state reps & senators to let them know how important their support for the NEW Parents’ rights bill S321 is!)