The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet #327

"Pulling the Welcome Mat for Satan"

Mayor Carolyn Risher of Ingles, Florida
needs our support and encouragement
concerning her efforts described in the following news report.

Could it be? Satan, exiled from a Florida town by a gold-sealed mayoral proclamation, may be in the clear.

Ingles, Florida, Mayor Carolyn Resher's letter, in which she forbade the devil from ever setting foot in town, drew the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union, which says it will file a federal lawsuit unless the proclamation is repealed.

Gary Edinger, from the ACLU, says the proclamation is without question a violation of the separation of church and state because it called for action in the name of Jesus Christ.

"The Constitution protects private assertions of faith, but absolutely prohibits government involvement in the same matters," he wrote in a letter to Risher.

Inspired by the pastor of a local church, Risher sat at her kitchen table on Halloween night and crafted the five-paragraph communiqué, which was later typed on town stationary.

"Be it known from this day forward that Satan, ruler of darkness, giver of evil, destroyer of what is good and just, is not now, nor ever again will be, a part of this town of Ingles," it read.

"Satan is hereby declared powerless, no longer ruling over, nor influencing, our citizens."

The proclamation, which referred to Jesus several times, was inserted into hollowed-out fence posts at the four entrances to town.  The posts were painted with the words "Repent," "Request" and "Resist."

The ACLU wants the Town Commission to remove the posts, pass a resolution repealing the proclamation and insists that Risher reimburse the town for any public funds used.

My copy of the US Constitution does not say anything about separation of church and state.  It say's "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech...."

I ask, "Did Mayor Risher make a law establishing a religion?" No, she only expressed her thoughts which are obviously the thoughts of those who elected her to office.  If not, she will most likely not be re-elected next time.

I ask, "Is the ACLU trying to have government prohibit hers and her constituents free exercise thereof?"  They certainly are!

Rather straight forward language! The limitation is clearly on Congress. This, as the other articles of the Federal Bill of Rights, adopted in 1791, was intended to protect the people from intrusive acts by the new Federal Government; hence the language is phrased to prohibit action by the Federal Legislature. It does not suggest, aspire or pretend to create any new right, or to limit any other body, individual or corporate, in any regard whatsoever.

"We the people" must do three things to help Mayor Risher and at the same time start to reclaim our country.

1. Write letters of encouragement to her and the governing council of Ingles, Florida 32649 and the First Baptist Church - Ingles, W. Highway 40, Ingles, Florida 23649-4449. Phone 352-447-2858.

2. Write to the ACLU explaining to them why they are clearly out of line with our Founding Father's original intent when the Constitution was written and ratified. American Civil Liberties Union, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004

3. Encourage mayors all over the country to do the same thing Mayor Risher has done. If towns all over America act, the ACLU's effort against one town will be meaningless. There is strength in numbers. Don't let Ingles, Florida go it alone!

When you write to Mayor Risher tell her to take a firm stand against outside dictates to the management of her community. Ask her to tell people who don't approve of her proclamation to move down the road to a town that does welcome Satan.

I want to tell you all a story about a valuable lesson I learned from my father 30 years ago.  My dad was one of a three member board of supervisors in a small township here in Pennsylvania when interstate 81 was built.  Route 81 came through my dad's township.  The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation informed the township supervisors that one interchange would be placed in the township, entering and exiting onto a two lane township road. They said they would build four lanes for traffic on the township road for a stretch of 1/4 mile in each direction from the interstate.  They then dictated that the township shall within five years widen its township road to four lanes for two miles to the north where the township road meets a state road and one mile south to where the township road meets another state road.

Five years went by without any action by the township.  Letters began to arrive at the homes of the supervisors. The supervisors agreed to inform the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation that the township did not have any need for a wider road, didn't have the money to widen the road, and there; was not going to widen the road.  After several more years of letters and threats from state bureaucrats and lawyers the supervisors held firm.

When I questioned my father about their strategy, he said, and I'll never forget this, "Son, what are they going to do? take over our township?"

Today, 30 years later, that road has not been widened and the taxes of the township residents were never increased to cover the cost of a unnecessary project. My dad is now 81 years old and living with Alzheimers disease in a nursing home, but dad, even though you can't comprehend why I say this, "Thanks, for a valuable lesson in dealing with upper government mandates."

"We the people" all over America, had better take dad's advise while we still have a somewhat free country.

Mayor Risher, even if the ACLU takes their case to court and the court decides that the constitution says something it clearly doesn't say, and demands that you take the signs down, remember, the constitution was written to limit Federal Government power and has nothing to do with Ingles or Florida law.

Defy the order.  What are they going to do? take over your town!

"We the People" must defy all unjust demands from upper levels of government and the courts.  We must defy tyranny. If mayors all over the country will post this same proclamation and the ACLU and then the courts don't like, so be it. What are they going to do? take over your town!