*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
| The following is the ASCII version of the Citizens Project Newsletter|
| _Freedom_Watch_ for August 1993. |
| |
| |
| The Citizens Project is a Colorado Springs, CO - based group of |
| volunteers who seek to prevent extremists from eliminating our |
| fundamental freedoms. |
| |
| |
| Slight reorganization of the articles was necessary in order to |
| convert this text from a newsletter multi-font format to an |
| electronic 80-column one. No alteration of wording was done. |
| |
| Distribution of this document or portions thereof is strongly |
| encouraged under the following conditions: |
| |
| 1. This material is copyrighted, but may be copied verbatim, |
| in part or in entirety, with the condition that Citizens Project l
| is properly credited. |
| |
| 2. There is no profit derived from sale of publications in which |
| Citizens Project material is quoted; otherwise, express |
| permission is required. |
| |
| 3. If portions of this newsletter are included in materials |
| distributed by any other organization, the price of those |
| materials must not be greater due to the addition of the Citizens |
| Project materials. |
| |
| |
| Please contact us if you have any comments or questions, |
| |
| Citizens Project, Doug Triggs & Amy Divine, Coordinators |
| PO Box 2085 * Colorado Springs, CO 80901 * 719-520-9899 |
| internet email: citizens@cscns.com |
| |
| "Honoring American Liberties in the Pike's Peak Region" |
| |
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
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FREEDOM WATCH
The Citizens Project Newsletter
Vol 2, No.4 August 1993
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CITIZENS PROJECT GENERAL MEETING
Citizens Project held its second General Meeting at Palmer High
School on July 11. 400 people braved the driving rain to celebrate
our first anniversary with a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday."
Following a strong keynote speech by local attorney Greg Walta,
members of the Board of Directors detailed past activities, present
situation, and future direction of Citizens Project. Participants
then broke into neighborhood groups to talk about local issues and
discuss forming smaller affiliated groups.
The General Meeting
Local attorney and evangelical Christian Greg Walta (author of
the Walta Amendment) spoke on the subject of whether Citizens
Project is anti-Christian. His comments, reproduced on page two,
are powerful and to the point.
Colorado College professor Bruce Loeffler detailed a number of
inaccurate images that some in our community entertain about
Citizens Project. Is Citizens Project a front organization for gay
rights, anti-Christian, or radical left? After discussing these
myths, Bruce summed up our response succinctly: "Poppycock!"
[Bruce Loeffler, as you may recall, has recently become famous for
his Forum article in the July 13 Gazette-Telegraph, which was
followed by an avalanche of letters to the editor discussing
diversity, religion in our public schools, and the religious right
in general.
Dave Porter discussed Citizens Project's revised vision and
mission statements and detailed the process by which the Citizens
Project steering committee developed these statements. Our vision
and mission statements will guide us in our community work in the
future (see box on Page 4).
Amy Divine spoke of the past accomplishments of our
organization and about our goals for the coming year. Some of
these goals include informing our participants about the positions
of school board candidates in the upcoming November school board
election, continuing to research groups whose objectives threaten
constitutional freedoms, launching a "Many Voices" campaign to
encourage local media to more accurately represent the diversity of
our community, and organizing "Dialogue Dinners" where small groups
of individuals with different backgrounds and beliefs can meet
informally to foster greater understanding.
The Neighborhood Meetings
After the larger general meeting, participants broke into
smaller meetings based on their neighborhood. Groups discussed a
number of issues, including school concerns, community values,
censorship, and Amendment 2. Some groups plan to continue meeting,
while others will meet again when appropriate neighborhood issues
arise. Citizens Project will support these and other neighborhood
groups that form. Our Neighborhood Group Handbook is available to
those who are interested in starting or joining a group (see the
box on Page 3).
Our Thanks To You
We at the Citizens Project office are gratified by the turnout
at the General Meeting. We appreciate your support by attending
meetings, by your interest in our activities, by your willingness
to volunteer, and by your continued financial support.
Citizens Project has come a long way in the last year, and we
look forward to more progress in the future. We agree with Greg
Walta when he said, "Times are going to be tough in Colorado
Springs." But with your assistance, we will continue to promote
the traditional American values of tolerance and diversity in our
community.
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CITIZENS PROJECT GROWTH
Citizens Project started in June 1992. We are now just over
one year old, and we have seen quite a number of changes over the
last year.
We have expanded from two people to over 6,000 participants.
We have moved from a cramped basement to downtown offices (albeit
still cramped). We have changed from a part-time operation to a
full-time organization with two paid staff and a multitude of
volunteer workers essential to our activities. We have expanded
from pocket change financing to a budget of nearly $80,000 per
year. Through our "Celebrate Diversity" campaign, our research
and seminars, and our work in schools and local politics, Citizens
Project has helped our community take notice of the increasing
number of people who believe pluralism and tolerance are values
worth celebrating and are not afraid to say so.
Citizens Project has encouraged new discussion about the
growing polarization of values and about the importance of
diversity in our community. Judging from the stories in our
local newspapers and the letters to the editor, those discussions
are most timely. We must be doing something right!
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Page 2
VALUES AT CITIZENS PROJECT
The following speech was given by Greg Walta, keynote speaker
at the July Citizens Project General Meeting. Greg is a Colorado
Springs attorney and an evangelical Christian.
Recently, I have noticed a strong effort to portray Citizens
Project as an anti-Christian organization. I come here tonight as
a Christian to rise to the defense of this organization and to the
defense of the Constitution that Citizens Project has been serving
and protecting for the last year.
Separation of Church and State in America
Part of this effort against Citizens Project began months ago
with an attempt to portray the constitutional doctrine of
separation of church and state as alien, un-American and
anti-Christian. This is a sad attempt at revisionist history.
The truth is that the doctrine of separation of church and
state was created by our Founding Fathers because they knew the
bitter fruits of sixteen centuries of religious war in Europe,
where one religious sect after another attempted to gain control of
the governments of Europe, and to use the power of the government
to persecute those who believed differently. Even in the Twentieth
Century we can see from Sarajevo to Belfast that the bitter fruits
of religious war have a long life.
And the truth is that before we had separation of church and
state, among the groups most commonly persecuted in the American
colonies were the dissident sects, the forbearers of the modern
Charismatics. The truth is that the Episcopalian, Presbyterian and
Congregationalist framers of our Constitution rose to defend these
small sects from the tyranny of theocracy by adopting the First
Amendment to our Constitution.
At least into the 1960s, Christian evangelicals recognized
that separation of church and state was essential to protecting
religious freedom in this country. Indeed, evangelicals were
especially vocal in insisting that president John F. Kennedy swear
allegiance to the First Amendment and renounce all fealty to the
Catholic Pope in governmental matters.
It is ironic that now, some two hundred years after their
freedom of conscience was provided protection by the First
Amendment, some evangelical leaders call separation of church and
state an "anti-Christian myth." When these same leaders attack
Citizens Project for its defense of the separation of church and
state, they betray a lack of understanding of America's history as
a democracy, and a lack of understanding of the concept that
Christians should support freedom of conscience and religion not
only when their views are being persecuted, but also when they have
the power to impose their will on others. Christian evangelism is
a voluntary enterprise, and it cannot and should not be coerced.
Tolerance and Diversity in Colorado Springs
There has also been a sustained effort in Colorado Springs to
portray tolerance and diversity and respect for the free will of
others as anti-Christian. This is a continuation of a
centuries-long struggle within Christianity between those who
adhere to the biblical first principles of love, tolerance and
respect for the rights of others, and those who attempt to find in
the Bible mean-spirited rules to exclude people different from
themselves. We have seen this struggle a number of times in the
past.
* We saw it in the Inquisition where Jews, Protestants, and
non-conforming Catholics were put to death because they dared to
think for themselves. But in the end the forces of tolerance and
respect for diversity within Christianity won.
* We saw it in the institution of slavery, where the Bible
was used for centuries to support the odious concept that whites
were chosen by God to own and enslave blacks. But in the end those
within Christianity who demanded respect for all members of the
human family won.
* We saw it in the institution of racial segregation, where
leaders like Jerry Falwell and Jimmy Swaggert preached that it was
the biblical plan that blacks should live a separate and inferior
existence from whites. But in the end, thank God, Martin Luther
King and other Christians who believed all of us were created equal
won.
* And we saw it when the Bible was used to support job
discrimination against women. Here, once again, the forces of
respect and tolerance within Christianity won.
Tolerance is not, nor has it ever been, anti-Christian.
Indeed, the best of Christianity has always fostered respect for,
and consistently fought for the dignity of, all members of the
human family, and for the right of freedom of conscience.
Christians in Relation to Citizens Project
In my view, Christians have nothing to fear from Citizens
Project. Indeed, this organization supports ideals that are in the
best traditions of Christianity. Let me give you some examples:
* It is not anti-Christian to speak out against Kevin Tebedo
when he says to an audience composed of all different religions at
the library debate: "In the end all your knees will bow to Jesus
Christ whether you want to or not." This is not the language of
respect; it is the old language of religious conflict and war.
* It is not anti-Christian to oppose Operation Rescue when it
pickets a doctor's home and frightens his or her family.
Christians should be supporters of everyone's right to a peaceful
home and family--they should not be zealots who invade a person's
home.
* It is not anti-Christian to oppose government-sponsored
prayer to children in the public schools. One must remember that
these children are a captive audience. Prayer should not be the
business of government. Rather, it is a matter for individuals,
for churches, and for families. To impose one sect's version of
worship on children attending compulsory public education can only
lead to religious conflicts, and it invades the right of parents to
conduct the religious education of their children. This concept is
as American as apple pie.
* It is not anti-Christian to oppose discrimination against
homosexuals. Indeed, regardless of whether or not one sees
homosexuality as a sin, it is hard to see how Christianity can be
used to persecute or demean homosexuals. Christ befriended
adulteresses, criminals and sinners of all kinds--how can it be
anti-Christian to follow the model of Christ?
The latest question is whether a student speaker at a
graduation ceremony can as a matter of free speech ask the audience
to join in a prayer. That is a difficult question. But, given the
fact that so many of our valedictorians recently have been
immigrants from the Far East, those Christians who support this
position should be prepared to rise with that valedictorian and
join in a prayer to Buddha.
In Closing
The people in Citizens Project have been courageous and have
shown good judgment and common sense throughout the past year.
We've been lucky to have you here.
Without question, times are going to be difficult here in
Colorado Springs. But in God's good time, people will find ways to
reach common ground together, and I know Citizens Project will play
a key role in that effort! Thank you.
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Page 3
CP Neighborhood Groups
Interested in working with others in your neighborhood? Want
to get more involved in your community? Consider joining or
starting a Citizens Project neighborhood affiliate!
A neighborhood group can offer you the opportunity to meet
with your friends and neighbors on an ongoing basis to discuss
neighborhood and community issues of concern. Citizens Project
wants to encourage people who would like to be part of an
affiliated neighborhood group to take the time to become involved.
If you're be interested, call the Citizens Project office
for a copy of our Neighborhood Group Handbook. Or, call the
neighborhood group coordinator for your zip code:
80903 Greg Walters, 471-0056
80906 Judi Ellias-Ochs, 540-5791
80907 Jim Musante, 520-9453
80904/05 Ellene Shapiro, 632-2124
80829, 80863, and 80866 Ken Farmer, 685-4634
80840, 80908, 80920, and 80921 Sue Murray, 488-9356
80909 Stacia Lewandowski, 444-0133
80918 Jay Norman, 260-5966
80919 Gene Finkelstein, 594-4505
80915, 80917, 80922, 80831, 80817,
80910, 80911, 80913, 80914, 80916,
80925, 80926, 80929 Marj Webster - 630-0930
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NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP MEETINGS
Neighborhood groups that have already scheduled meetings are
listed below. If yours is not listed, call your coordinator for
information.
80904/05: August 8th, 4pm
Thorndale Park - Uintah and 24th
80909: August 29th, 6pm
Call for details
80918: August 15th, 7pm
Denny's at Flintridge and Academy
80919: August 15th, 7pm
Eagleview Apartments Clubhouse
830 Vindicator
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Page 4
OUR VISION AND MISSION
Citizens Project has developed the following vision and
mission statements to guide our work in the future.
Our Vision.
We envision a community committed to working beyond ignorance,
prejudice, and fear, where differences are respected, individual
rights are protected, and diversity is celebrated.
Our Mission.
Citizens Project is a grassroots organization in the Pikes
Peak region dedicated to upholding the traditional American values
of pluralism, freedom of religion, and separation of church and
state. In accomplishing our mission, we will abide by the following
principles: 1) we are committed to open and inclusive activities in
which all voices in the community can be heard, 2) we are committed
to modeling integrity by treating others with dignity, respect and
equity, and 3) we are committed to developing plans of action
appropriate to upholding the traditional American values of freedom
of religion and separation of church and state within the community:
* we will study and investigate issues and organizations
affecting the Pikes Peak region,
* we will inform and educate fairly and accurately,
* we will advocate the cause of victims of prejudice and
discrimination,
* and we will confront those who threaten the rights of others.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
Special Newsletter. This August newsletter is a special
mailing to celebrate Citizens Project's first anniversary, to
inform you about our last General Meeting, and to invite you to
consider participating in Citizens Project neighborhood affiliate
groups.
Upcoming CP Intro Meeting. Our next Citizens Project
introductory meeting will be 7 PM September 8 at Calvary United
Methodist Church, 4210 Austin Bluffs Parkway. If you want to learn
more about Citizens Project, you are welcome to come.
CARE Seminar. CARE (Colorado Alliance to Restore Equality)
will host a three-day seminar called "Developing A National
Approach For Securing Civil Rights" October 22-24 in Denver. For
more information, call CARE at (303) 592-5333.
Planned Parenthood Walk. Planned Parenthood will hold a
4-mile pledge walk September 19 in Denver's Cherry Creek Park (near
the Cherry Creek Shopping Center). For more information, call
598-8588.
R.A.P. Forum. The R.A.P. (Reduce Adolescent Pregnancy)
Coalition of Colorado Springs is having its Seventh Annual Fall
Forum October 1 at the Colorado Springs Marriott. For more
information, all 475-5407.
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* *
* I AGREE! We must promote increased tolerance and compassion for *
* others in our community. I want to join the thousands of *
* concerned residents who joined Citizens Project to stay informed *
* and to challenge intolerant activities. *
* *
* [ ] Please add my name to your mailing list. I look forward *
* to receiving Freedom Watch, the Citizens Project newsletter. *
* *
* [ ] I have enclosed a contribution in support of your mission *
* and to help offset the cost of printing and mailing. Here *
* is a check for: *
* *
* [ ] $20 [ ] $35 [ ] $50 [ ] $100 [ ] Other $_______ *
* *
* Name____________________________________________________________ *
* Address_________________________________________________________ *
* *
* Please return to: *
* Citizens Project, Box 2085, Colorado Springs, CO 80901 *
* *
* Because we lobby to protect civil liberties, contributions are not *
* tax-deductible. *
* *
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CITIZENS PROJECT
Box 2085
Colorado Springs, CO 80901
(719) 520-9899
Doug Triggs and Mike Shaver
Editors
--
Citizens Project * PO Box 2085 * Colorado Springs, CO 80901 * 719-520-9899
Doug Triggs & Amy Divine, Coordinators * internet email: citizens@cscns.com
---------"Honoring American Liberties in the Pike's Peak Region"----------
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