Springfield, Missouri is the third largest city in the state of Missouri; it is the county seat of Green County. According to the most recent census data, the population is about 160,000. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population of nearly a half million includes the counties of Christian, Dallas, Greene, Polk and Webster. Springfield’s nickname is the Queen City of the Ozarks and is known as the Birthplace of Route 66 as well as the home of several universities including Missouri State University.<\/p>\n
The proposed law now includes protections for homosexuals, as well as other citizens who lodge complaints with the city regarding “…racial, religious and ethnic group tensions, prejudice, intolerance, bigotry
\nand discrimination, and any breach of the peace… ” To which I say big whooping deal.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nIn the following video recorded last August at one of the Springfield, Missouri City Council meetings, the speaker Reverend Phil Snider<\/a>, of the Brentwood Christian Church<\/a>, waits until 2 and one half excruciatingly long minutes into a 2 minute 50 second speech to reveal he\u00a0 supports gay rights as stated in the outset of his presentation.<\/p>\n
Prior to providing clarification he torments us for\u00a02 minutes 30 seconds repeating the arguments used in the 1950s and 1960s against racial equality as arguments against gay equality without once making it perfectly clear, that is, until the 2 minute 30 seconds point, which if you were anything like me, you would have stopped listening at least a dozen times to this speaker’s archaic offensive verbiage–I listened only because I was asked to. After 2 minutes 30 seconds of this speech(??) the speaker announces, as he did at first, he is\u00a0 in support of the proposed ordinance, Council Bill 2012-226, up for discussion before the council. The proposed law now includes protections for homosexuals, as well as other citizens who lodge complaints with the city regarding “…racial, religious and ethnic group tensions, prejudice, intolerance, bigotry
\nand discrimination, and any breach of the peace… ” To which I say big whooping deal.<\/p>\nRev. Snider offended me on so many levels with his presentation.\u00a0 He insulted my intelligence and my tolerance<\/em> by quoting\u00a0 archaic racism, or homophobia, or gay, or bashing whatever you may call it. Rev. Phil Snider is definitely not Johnathon Swift, and this is no Earnest Proposal, meant as satire.<\/p>\n
I say this is not the way to win supporters; it is quite possible the anti-gay conservatives will adopt Rev. Snider’s speech and just delete the last 30 seconds.<\/p>\n