Pastors Press Conference Against Proposition B
Pastors from across the City of San Antonio proposed the simple truth to residents of San Antonio. It proved to be an incredibly significant event for freedom!
As members of the San Antonio Faith Community, we are concerned about the impact of Prop B on the safety of our neighborhoods, our city, and the negative repercussions it will have on our police officers. This proposition will inhibit the ability of the San Antonio Police Department to recruit and keep the best officers because it infringes upon the officers’ rights to freely associate and negotiate with the City of San Antonio. We are calling on you to vote “No” on Proposition B, for the good and safety of the City, and to preserve the liberty of our public servants to organize.
Chapter 174 of Texas State Law, which Prop B would repeal, serves the public good. It does so by providing a balance between the rights and freedoms of our police officers and limiting the power of local municipalities. At the same time, Chapter 174 protects the people of San Antonio from police lockouts and/or strikes which would leave our City unprotected. Prop B would remove these protections from the citizens of San Antonio, and it removes the right of assembly from police officers, including their ability to represent themselves before the City of San Antonio.
Human rights are recognized by governments, but are granted by our Creator. The Declaration of Independence recognizes this truth in its opening statements, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights . . .” Among these rights recognized in the First Amendment of the Constitution is the right to associate. Prop B denies our police officers this right given to them by God, recognized by our Founders, and enshrined in our Constitution.
Many people of good will are concerned about fair and equitable police policies, questions of racism and equal treatment, and related policing issues. Yet, Prop B addresses none of these issues so vital to us all.
As members of the faith community, we oppose the taking of such rights from those who have sworn to protect us. The Decalogue, the Confessions and Catechisms of Catholics and Protestants alike, speak to the proper role of government and the rights of the individual. The Westminster Confession of Faith, as well as the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message have sections dealing with Civil Government. The Catholic Catechism specifically acknowledges the right and freedom of association. All of these documents acknowledge the sovereign rights of the human person, and the appropriately limited role of government. We, therefore, stand with our public servants in the San Antonio Police Officers Association in asking you to vote “No”, “Against” on Prop B.
Speakers included:
•Pastor Rob Wallace of Embassy Christian Center
•Pastor Charles Flowers, Faith Outreach Center Int’l and SA In Black, White & Brown
•Pastor Gene Loeffler, River of Life Church
Director of Lighthouses of Prayer Int’l
•David Moore, Retired Police Officer & Vietnam Veteran, founder of Unite San Antonio
•Rev. Fr. Lawrence Christian, Pastor of St. Ann and St. Joselito Parishes and Episcopal Vicar of the ArchSA
* Rabbi Avraham Scheinberg, Pastor Gene Loeffler, Pastor Charles Flowers, Pastor Steve Branson, Pastor Martin Medellin, Pastor Greg Young, Pastor Alfred Villarreal, Pastor Daryl Crain, Pastor Alex Flemming, Pastor Rob Wallace, Pastor David Norman, Pastor Robert Welch and Don Larson, Director of Communications for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in San Antonio.