By: Diane Benjamin
Citizens have forgotten history. Getting away from repressive government is why people took a treacherous journey by boat across an ocean to get here. It’s why they fought a war to found a new country. They wanted to be free.
Free to practice the religion of their choice.
Free to govern themselves.
Free to shape their own future.
The week Tari was on WJBC. He and Scott Laughlin agreed that freedom of religion no longer exists because the courts have ruled. Thanks for erasing that part of the 1st Amendment guys. Listen here: https://audioboom.com/boos/4612796-tari-renner-bloomington-mayor-5-25-16?t=0
Citizens have no duty to comply with government edicts when it violates their Constitutional rights. Courts making bad decisions have been our history. Eventually their rulings are immaterial. As a Poly Sci professor Renner should know that. Is killing babies settled Tari? Scott? Anybody?
I just threw that diatribe in, it wasn’t the reason for this story.
Around 8:30 Tari declares the future of transportation: multi-modal. Therefore bike paths, massive subsidized buses, and high-speed rail that isn’t high-speed.
Government declared what type of energy we are required to use – the most expensive possible. It must be killing leftists that oil prices dramatically decreased. When gas is affordable their multi-modal plans self destruct.
Government told kids they must have a college education. Massive debt later good jobs don’t exist.
Couldn’t be a conspiracy to squash the middle class, could it?
Expensive energy, massive debt, higher taxes to enact it all – what happened to freedom?
Later in the interview Tari says he likes being Mayor because that’s where you get things done.
That would be HIS wish list, not the citizens. How are those roads coming?
Those multi-modal dreams will only happen if citizens are bankrupted. The American love affair with cars will continue – even with millennials. They travel by car, they grocery shop by car, they lug clothes to the laundromat by car. They pack vehicles to escape city life for camping and hiking. Public transportation puts a huge lid on experiencing nature, and no they won’t rent a car for the weekend to do it.
Now go back to the top of this story. America wasn’t founded so government can shape the future, Henry Ford did that. Government can’t be allowed to dictate lifestyle and force socialism by allowing you to keep a little of your money.
If you love Europe Tari, go live there.
Citizens: Elect people who know history and the Constitution, then term limit every one of them.
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Bloomington may have a bus service but with the route changes, it primarily provides routes along the Main Street Corridor. According to the City, majority of its population, including the Mayor, lives on the East Side–east of Veterans. He can’t have it both ways.
Exactly! The professor and rubber stamp 8, should take Sociology 101 to learn about how cities evolve so they can understand that the downtown will NEVER be what it was like days gone by. The majority population on the eastside dictates that’s the place to be for businesses. The professor is either stupid or is somehow getting some personal benefits. This guy bucking human nature is extremely unlikely.
It scares me that Tari is teaching students. Indoctrination. Scary times. Very scary times.
Bullshit. Tell me what churches have been closed by the non secular government we have?
None.
You are simply a gutless liar. You refuse to engage with me at all.
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Can’t have a discussion with the uniformed.
Religion can’t be shoved to inside churches only. It’s 24 hours a day regardless of government indoctrination
Is Tom related to the woman who is banned?
She copies leftists talking points. Tom rarely says anything of substance.
Churches have not closed, but their ability to provide the services they provided this country for years is in decline! Why? People used to tithe to their churches. Now the government takes so much, individuals are less likely to tithe on their gross rate of pay. So we tithe to the Government…and the government tries to be God. It’s shameful, really shameful! Real freedom means you chose where your money goes and those that were elected to represent you truly represents you.
People still tithe their churches. There are less people going to church is the issue. I know in the Catholic faith, their are less people going into the priesthood and the amount of people attending on the regular is less. Less parishioners, less donations and you cant keep offering some services or close down completely. It’s more than just the government when people decide how much to give. Some people like farmers may have a bad year, so they can’t give as much monetarily but they offer to help their church in other ways. You figure it out and don’t make excuses. There will always be taxes. There will always be bad economies. But somehow we all figure it out.
Mr. X nailed it. Less people are religious, our don’t follow a religion based on attendance. It’s a good thing, people are finally waking up to the fact that it’s FICTION!
No, since I’m personally acquainted with my Savior, I’d say the devil is having a great time deceiving people. Sad that a country founded on biblical principles can’t run away from them fast enough.
Sounds like a great ‘story.’
Actually, it’s great our country is leaving it in the dust. Our country, and the world, will be far better off when it’s long forgotten.
It’s not Islamophobia, and I’m an Atheist, I don’t ‘prefer’ any religion.
Why do you care what other people believe then? Must be tough to have no real reason for living other than for yourself.
I don’t care, I could care less what others believe. What does bother me is when people use it to govern. Whether it’s to support or protest a law/ordinance/war/whatever, based on religion. There’s is NO place in any government for religion.
It’s not tough at all, I sleep fine at night. You don’t need religion to live a happy, moral life with your family.
BTW, I’m not one of those crazy Atheists who gets all bent out of shape when someone wishes me Merry Christmas, or says bless you when I sneeze 🙂
So, you feel entitled to change our founding documents because they mention our rights come from God and not government?
Our founding documents where written in the late 18th and early 19th century. We’ve come a long way. They’re living documents. Don’t say they’re not, because if they weren’t, there would be no amendments to them.
And no, I don’t think any of that wording should be removed, they’re historical, and history shouldn’t be changed. And I certainly don’t feel entitled to change them. That was common belief at the time. We’ve evolved since then.
Supreme Court rulings don’t make it living however.
I also don’t really see any data that supports churches are being hurt by taxes and the like. Its simple: more people go to church, more tithing is done.
Churches aren’t the targets yet. It’s individuals forced to go against what they believe just because they have a business. They will get to churches.
The ObamaCare mandate to provide contraception, Yes. Not issuing marriage licenses for gay couples, No. They may go after churches’ ability to claim tax exempt status since it is so easy to set-up a church by IRS standards. They already had undercover agents in mosques. Does that still count as government oppression?
I copy leftist “talking point”? Aren’t Points on this blog right wing “talking points”? Yes, they are and more…I dare you to go to my blog..
I’m on all the leftist email sites. Some of your comments are word for word. If you have any original thoughts, I might consider letting you back.
Tom, nowhere in the above article does it say anything about “churches have been closed by the non secular government.” Government, by definition, is secular. There is no reason to call someone ” a gutless liar” simply because you do not agree with their comments or beliefs. We have a Mayor here that provides that service.
In the radio broadcast, the Mayor is referring to the Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage, which is a misnomer and instead should be referred to as a civil union for gay couples. I haven’t read the ruling. It is my understanding the ruling has to do with rights under the law–civil rights–not “religious freedom.” The Amendments need to be framed within the context of the Bill of Rights–Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness…
I believe the concept of Freedom of Religion is misunderstood. I believe a short time after the Constitution was signed, someone in government tried to persecute those who had different religious beliefs than the original settlers. Someone in government tried to silence the press. Someone began arresting (or killing) those gathering to voice their opposition to government actions. Thus, the First Amendment was drafted. It is unconstitutional to PREVENT someone from practicing their religion unless that practice violates the Bill of Rights. If certain religious congregations choose to provide a formal ceremony for gay couples, that is their right. Additionally, there is the concept of separation of Church and State. The Supreme Court is not dictating what can or cannot be practiced by an organized religion.
The Mayor routinely pontificates (pun intended) about things he knows very little about.
Diane, what a great monologue and dead on target with each and every thought.