Dangerous Government Intrusion

Dangerous Government Intrusion
The relentless pursuit of the truth- www.cinopsbegone.com – Sunday, December 11, 2011

Los Angeles (CalCatholic.com) – Writing in the most recent edition of the archdiocesan weekly The Tidings, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez cited a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision and two bills in the California legislature as examples of governmental actions that undermine healthy families and parental rights.

Under the heading, “We need to stand up for parents and families,” Archbishop Gomez wrote: “There was a time not too long ago, when American society encouraged family values and tried to strengthen the bonds of parents and children. Recent events in our state and nation remind us that’s not always the case anymore.”

“America needs strong families to nurture the values and virtues we need to live as a free and just people,” Wrote Archbishop Gomez. But last week the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that will make it harder for American parents.” “The court’s decision in Brown vs. Entertainment Merchants Association involved in a 2005 California law that banned the sale of violent videogames to minors,” the archbishop continued. “The court said the law violated video-game makers’ rights to freedom of speech.”

“That may be true,” Archbishop Gomez wrote. “However, as a pastor, I found myself more sympathetic to Justice Clarence Thomas’s dissenting opinion.” “Justice Thomas said that America’s founders would find it ‘absurd’ to say that freedom of speech includes ‘a right to speak to minors’ without going through the minors’ parents,” the archbishop explained.

“In his dissent Justice Thomas offers a kind of ‘mini-history’ lesson,” said Archbishop Gomez. “He explains how important the family was in the thinking of America’s founders. He explains how our government has always respected the role of the family and worked to strengthen parents’ authority and rights.” “Unfortunately, trends in our country – and in our state – seem to be moving in the opposite direction,” the archbishop continued.

“Right now there are two bills in the California legislature that our state’s bishop believe represent a dangerous government intrusion into parents’ rights,’ Archbishop Gomez noted. The first Assembly Bill 499, would let children 12 and under decide for themselves to get vaccinations or get other medications to prevent sexually transmitted diseases,” said the Archbishop. “By passing this bill, in effect government would be encouraging young people to engage in activities that are contrary to their parents’ moral values – and to lie about it or keep it secret from their parents,” wrote Archbishop Gomez. [The 2 bills were promoted and signed by the governor.]

“A second bill, Senate Bill 48, would require school textbooks to teach about the sexual orientations of figures in American history,” the archbishop wrote. “This amounts to the government rewriting history books. It is also another example of the government interfering with parents rights to be their children’s primary educators.” He concluded: “As we pray for another this week, let us commit ourselves to promoting the God-given rights of parents and families in California and in our nation. Let us work to become a people who no longer resort to abortion, birth control, in vito fertilization, and divorce. Let us build a future for our nation in which children grow up in families based on God’s law and natural law. And let us ask Mary the Queen of the Family, to help us with the grace we need to stand up for parents and the family in our day.”

George H.Kubeck, Laws are passed by Calif. politicians. Please start a petition mailed to ‘Gov. Brown’ and ‘Lt. Gov. Newsom’. Do not use the Catholic label when you run for office. You are lying to the public when you do so. Gov. Jerry Brown, c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173, Sacramento, Ca. 95814 - (916)445-2841 – fax (916) 558-3160