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Contents © 1999
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

September 1999 LETTERS

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This following letter was written by San Diego pro-life attorney Rick Vattuone to San Diego Police Chief David Bejarano and Assistant Chief Barbara Harrison in response to the recent creation of a new position within the SD Police Department, "Special Assistant to the Chief of Police and Liaison to the Gay and Lesbian Community."

July 30, 1999

David Bejarano, Chief of Police

Barbara Harrison, Assistant Chief of Police

San Diego Police Department
1401 Broadway
San Diego, CA 92102

Dear Mr. Bejarano and Ms. Harrison:

I am writing to propose that the San Diego Police Department appoint a Special Assistant to Chief of Police and Liaison to the Christian Community. I am aware that several other minority groups have such liaisons. As I will explain, I believe there is a great need for such a liaison.

First, Christians within San Diego County are increasingly becoming the victims of "hate crimes". Within the past year, a woman was beaten and almost killed while she prayed at a Catholic Church. I have also read about and heard of numerous other attacks against individuals and churches, which are obviously motivated by anti-Christian animus. In at least two cases that I am aware of, the victim was directly involved in religious activities, and the assailant displayed anti-religious animus.

Second, it appears that many of the officers on your Department are themselves insensitive to the nature of religious and constitutional rights and hate crimes. Apparently, the Department does not provide training to equip officers to recognize and deal with the rights of Christians and the hate crimes often perpetrated against them. According to my research, these crimes, if investigated at all, are almost never reported as religious hate crimes. In this regard, I must point out that some, but by no means all, of the anti-religious incidents of which I am aware involve Christians engaging in First Amendment "pro-life" activities. Under the Constitution and laws of the United States and California, these individuals are entitled to double protection. Sadly, they are often the victims of double discrimination, first by the assailant, and then by the Police. I regret to say that the conduct some of your officers in handling free speech situations has sometimes been heavy-handed, if not illegal.

I have seen law-abiding picketers manhandled and thrown into the back of Police cars in violation of their constitutional and religious rights. In one case, an officer observed an attack on and robbery of a picketer, but refused to pursue the suspect or make a report of the crime. Instead, the victim was erroneously charged with and prosecuted for trespass. Of course, the victim later prevailed. In representing many such victims who have been prosecuted for exercising their rights, I have never lost at trial. With each victory, the constitutional and religious rights of my clients have been vindicated.

Even I have been the victim of a religious related attack and the failure of Police to investigate. During one incident, at which I was not a picketer, but merely a legal observer, a car swerved in an attempt to hit me and a knife was thrown at me as I walked near a road. The investigating officer had no interest in making a report of this serious crime. Since I consider myself a friend of the Police, I never pursued this matter.

Although we have attempted to maintain good relations with the Police, there may come a time when it is impossible to ignore violations of law by your officers and their insensitivity to religious hate crimes. The last thing I would want to do is file an action against an officer for violating a Christian's constitutional rights. I believe the appointment of a Special Assistant to Chief of Police and Liaison to the Christian Community would greatly reduce the chances of this happening.

Among other things, a Special Assistant and Liaison to the Christian Community would assist the Chief in understanding the plight of these victims and in formulating policy and training to assist officers in understanding the constitutional rights of Christians and in recognizing the various types of hate crimes directed against Christians. The appointment of special assistant and liaison would also help to reassure Christians that the Police department cares about them and is there to protect their rights too. It seems that prejudice and hatred of Christians is the last socially acceptable bias in our society. I hope you will agree that my proposal makes sense and should be implemented.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Please feel free to call with any questions or comments.

Sincerely yours,

Richard J. Vattuone

JUST THE OPPOSITE

I am a retired priest who has returned to his native state of Wisconsin after service in Los Angeles and Riverside, California.... I am the priest who wrote the letter published in your May issue on Bart Brewer, the ex-priest, now a fanatical fundamentalist [See Letters, May 1999]. As I said, I've known him for over 15 years, and am still trying to get him back to the Church by trying to convince him that we are not justified by faith alone, but also by our good works flowing from faith. I intend to send Bart a copy of the letters of the May issue.

Several months ago he sent me the name of a fallen-away Catholic turned fundamentalist, thinking his testimonies given to me will shatter my beliefs. It ended just the opposite. I brought back to the faith with the help of God this man who fell away 17 years ago. I am happy to say he's a fervent Catholic returned to his roots....

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Joseph Margola
Milwaukee, WI

NUGENT-GRAMICK RECORD IN EL CAJON

Editor: the following letter was sent to the Daily Californian on July 18.

Editor:

An article in the July 17-18 issue of The Daily Californian (Activists express distress over Catholic church's treatment of homosexuals, page A3) indicated that Roman Catholics are dismayed over the Church's treatment of gays and lesbians because of a recent Vatican decision to discipline Father Robert Nugent and Sister Jeannine Gramick of Baltimore, who run a national ministry for homosexually-inclined persons. The article went on to quote a Pueblo, Colorado Catholic layman, Larry Howe-Kerr, who said, "We need to be humble enough to realize we don't have the market cornered on truth."

Several erroneous assumptions in this article require correction.

First, Fr. Nugent and Sr. Gramick's "gay and lesbian Catholic" ministry, in many instances, directly defied Catholic Church teaching. True Church teaching, which adheres to the Bible, can be found in paragraphs 2357-2359 of The Catechism of the Catholic Church. While insisting on compassion for same-sex attracted persons, these paragraphs also make clear that "tradition has always declared that 'homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.' " In other words, the very fact that a person finds himself or herself attracted to a member of the same sex is disordered, regardless of whether or not the person acts on the attraction. Fr. Nugent and Sr. Gramick's ministry did not acknowledge this fundamental Church teaching, and therefore was subject to discipline.

Second, the article omits any discussion of the lengthy process the Vatican underwent to offer Fr. Nugent and Sr. Gramick the opportunity to correct their views and assent to Church teaching. This process lasted several months, and in the end, neither assented.

Third, the article gives the wrongful impression that ALL Roman Catholics are dismayed by the Vatican's discipline of Fr. Nugent and Sr. Gramick. This is untrue. True practicing Catholics -- those who assent to Church teaching, despite their own contrary personal desires -- are glad to see this correction of outright dissent.

Fourth, Mr. Howe-Kerr, a layman, is portrayed as a "spokesman" for all Roman Catholics. He is not. His assertion that the Roman Catholic Church does not have a corner on the market of truth is, quite simply, wrong. The Catholic Church, whose roots rest in Judaism, has stood the test of time. More so than any other religion, the Catholic Church teaches and adheres to truth, because it is the true Church founded by Jesus Christ.

Let me add that the determination of "truth" in the Catholic Church is not made solely by the Pope, any priest or bishop, or any layman (either male or female.) The body of truth which the Catholic Church espouses and believes rests on the two vital pillars of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. No one member of the Catholic Church possesses truth in its fullness; but together, the entire body of the Church, under its magisterium (teaching office), does.

Finally, those Catholics whom the article describes as "distressed" are people who, more than likely, want to change the Church to fit their particular wants and desires. Jesus said that we are to love the sinner but hate the sin. This is exactly what the Church is doing, by not condoning sinful and unhealthy homosexual activity. Homosexual acts are in violation of the teachings of the Bible, are sinful, and are therefore to be avoided. That is what the Catholic Church teaches, and that is why it rightfully disciplined Fr. Nugent and Sr. Gramick.

Sincerely,

Allyson Smith
El Cajon

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