Yes, Rome is burning, but we still have work to do
With everything that is transpiring today in the Vatican, all these issues of seemingly “biblical proportions,” it’s easy to forget the more mundane but very real problems back here at home. Sometimes they seem to pale in comparison to the historic, global, and not necessarily good and holy, chaos in Rome.
We live in a small sleepy rust belt steel town of about 22,000 souls in west central Pennsylvania. Not much happens here, but the local city council in controlled by left wing Democrats (redundant, I know) who have subtly advanced ordinances aimed at “economic growth” through “equality” and “diversity.” As is always the case of late, this form of “tolerance” means advancing the LGBTQ agenda, and specifically allowing the unfortunate gender confused snowflakes here to use the restroom of their choice.
Friends were attending a recent city council meeting where the ordinances were being discussed, and begged us to attend as part of an ecumenical pro-family rally on the steps of city hall. I had plenty of reason to decline. I’m recovering from some pretty serious health trouble, so Catholic, pro life and pro family activism has been placed on the back burner. The day of the city council meeting I couldn’t sleep the night before, I had my first job interview since the strokes at 10:00am, an appointment with my spiritual director at 1:00pm, and the rally and city council meeting at 5:30pm.
Maybe that doesn’t sound like much, but after surviving 5 strokes, fatigue is my biggest issue, and I would have had ample excuse to bow out. I did so without any qualms of conscience many times over the last year, but my wife encouraged me to go, and its providential that we did. Today our local paper published a letter to the editor that I wrote while sitting in that cramped city council meeting. As you read it, I think it becomes obvious why this point needed to be made:
Letter to the editor
I attended the Johnstown City Council meeting recently where an ordinance to promote the homosexual agenda was debated.
Opposition to this agenda is neither hate, bigotry, intolerance nor opposition to equality. The speakers, however, prove once again that verbal engineering always precedes social engineering.
One of the first individuals I saw at the meeting was a registered sex offender whom I taught years ago. His status meant that I could not bring my young children with me into the classroom. I sincerely hope he has repented of his crime and reformed his life.
At this meeting he was helping to hold a large LGBTQ sign.
It is a fact that sexual predators are using this type of law to gain access to their victims and actively propagandizing for it.
The increase in this type of crime is well documented in the media and literature.
Innocent LGBTQ individuals should not suffer discrimination, but we must protect our wives and children from sexual predators. Women’s and children’s privacy, safety and personal security far outweigh the supposed rights of those suffering from an unfortunate gender identity disorder.
Opposition to this ordinance is not hate.
It is vitally necessary and it is our solemn duty to protect those we love.
Dr. Brian Kopp
This man said hello when he recognized my wife and proudly showed off his rainbow “marriage” ring to her. But his face stirred dark memories; a quick search on my cell phone found this violent sex offender on multiple internet registries.
I could easily have justified not attending this particular city council meeting. Compared to the real problems at the top of the universal Church, a city council meeting in a little town of 22,000 pales in comparison.
But we can’t fix the Church universal right now, so lets keep working and having an impact back here at home.
Fortunately the local ordinances were shelved at the last meeting. Maybe this letter will help wake up this sleepy little town so they stay there.
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