October 13, 2017 Radio Commentary

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Weddings & Religious Freedom

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, October 13, 2017 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Who would’ve thought a little town would ostracize a local family business because of a Facebook post, but that happened to Steve and Bridget Tennes and their five children.  It seems the freedom of speech is limited in that neck-of-the-woods.

The Tenneses, who own a 120-acre farm in Charlotte, Michigan, were banned from selling their produce at the East Lansing Farmer’s Market, simply because they posted a message on Facebook to explain their policy about hosting marriages on their Country Mill farm.

In August 2016, in response to questions about services provided for the wedding venue on the family farm, they posted this on Facebook:  “Due to our religious beliefs, we do not participate in the celebration of a same-sex union.”  That statement reflects their Catholic faith.

For help they turned to the Alliance Defending Freedom, whose lawyer explained, “East Lansing officials changed their market policy to shut out Steve because they don’t like his Catholic beliefs regarding marriage.”  Although the Tenneses live 22 miles outside East Lansing, town officials decided to punish them for exercising their freedoms of speech and religious expression.  That unconstitutional punishment (a) denied them the right to sell produce, (b) decreased their income, and (c) diminished their quality of life.

For three and one-half months, the couple was banned from selling organic apples and cider in the largest market available to them.  In May, they filed a federal lawsuit against East Lansing, asking for an injunction that would allow them to return to the market while the case proceeds.  Continue reading →

October 6, 2017 Radio Commentary

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Two Study Committees: Homelessness and Growing Marijuana

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, October 6, 2017 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

You may be interested to know that our state senators will be formally studying homelessness in Georgia as authorized by S.R. 352 that passed last session with only two dissenting votes. The 15-member committee includes two appointees of the governor, three senators appointed by the Lt. Governor and ten state agency commissioners.

To learn how much homelessness costs the state, the committee will require input from three of those agencies – the Departments of Human Services, Community Health, and Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

Their discussions will include the many factors that may contribute to homelessness, such as a lack of affordable housing, a shortage of supportive housing and family wage jobs, domestic violence, high debt, substance abuse, mental illness, access to affordable healthcare, and release of individuals from institutions. Continue reading →

September 2017 Newsletter

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Act Now! Decatur City School Board to
Consider Transgender Policy

“This attempt at indoctrination and harm to our children must be stopped in its tracks. It’s a battle that we must all be engaged in – either through prayer or showing up to the school board meeting. If passed in Decatur, I can assure you it will be your school district one day.” – Tanya Ditty, Director, Concerned Women for America of Georgia

In a July 26, 2016 memo to his staff City Schools of Decatur Superintendent David Dude quietly began implementing radically new transgender guidelines. That memo, reprinted verbatim in bold font, is as follows: “To be clear, here are some examples of situations related to gender identity and how I expect them to be handled in compliance with this policy. For purpose of these examples, assume this student was assigned the sex of male at birth and now identifies as female.

  • This student should be treated the same as any other female student.
  • She should not be identified as anything other than female.
  • She should be allowed to use the female restroom.
  • She should be allowed to use the female locker room. · She should be allowed to try out for ‘female’ sports.
  • She should be allowed to room with other females on field trips.”

ACTION – Oppose. Attend CSD Bd. Meeting October 10, 6:30 p.m., 125 Electric Ave., Decatur, GA 30030. (b) Before the board meets at 6:30 October 10, call CSD Board members Mrs. Annie Caiola, Ch., 404 849-3919; Mr. Garrett Goebel, 678 561-0027; Mrs. Bernadette Seals, 404 377-8907; Mr. Lewis Jones, 404 862-3234. Email addresses are online.

A Parental Rights Amendment to the Constitution is LONG Over-due!
Since 2008 Congress has rejected at least a dozen¹ proposed Parental Rights Amendments, but a new bill to restore parental rights was introduced on August 1, 2017 by Senators Graham, Blunt, Isakson, Risch, Grassley and Rubio. S.J. Res. 48 refers to six areas U.S. parental authority may be or is being restricted, minimized, threatened, or globally influenced. S.J. Res. 48 states:

Senate Joint Resolution, S.J. Res. 48
“SECTION 1. The liberty of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children is a fundamental right.
“SECTION 2. The parental right to direct education includes the right to choose, as an alternative to public education, private, religious, or home schools, and the right to make reasonable choices within public schools for one’s child.
“SECTION 3. Neither the United States nor any State shall infringe these rights without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served.
“SECTION 4. The parental rights guaranteed by this article shall not be denied or abridged on account of disability.
“SECTION 5. This article shall not be construed to apply to a parental action or decision that would end life.
“SECTION 6. No treaty may be adopted nor shall any source of international law be employed to supersede, modify, interpret, or apply to the rights guaranteed by this article.”

  • To read the rest of this newsletter in PDF format, please click here.

September 29, 2017 Radio Commentary

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Distracted Driving and Barriers to Healthcare

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, September 29, 2017 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

When Representative John Carson’s H.R. 282 passed March 30th, it authorized a House Study Committee on Distracted Driving.  That ten-member committee appointed by Speaker Ralston met for the first time August 28th in the Coverdell Legislative Office building across from the Capitol and will meet at least four more times across the state – in Warner Robbins September 25th; in Savannah October 10th; in Alpharetta October 30th; and in Tifton November 7th.

Meetings are scheduled across the state to encourage the greatest number of residents to attend, publicly express their opinions about distracted driving, and recommend actions to improve the situation.

H.R. 282 says the increase in drivers over the past six years caused the number of accidents per 100 insured vehicles to increase, as well, but no mention was made of the number of accidents by uninsured vehicles.  Fatal auto accidents are rising in Georgia at almost three times the national average and deaths on Georgia highways are at their highest level since 2007. Continue reading →