Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington Holds His Ground Against the DOJ

Christianity is under attack in Bossier Parish by the DOJ.

Via Amanda Crane at Bossier Press Tribune:

The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office has been denied federal funding for its mention of God and use of religion in the Young Marines and Youth Diversion programs.
Sheriff Julian Whittington received notice that funding would be restored only if he signed a letter “pledging that no prayer or mention of God would be allowed” in the programs. However, Whittington said he is appalled by the government’s decision and refused to sign the letter, forgoing the $15,000 grant award.

Be sure to read the whole story.

Sheriff Whittington is standing his ground and says the program will continue with or without the government's support.

This issue came about, in part, because the Young Marines Program has been such a success in reforming troubled kids.  Because the program was so successful, local judges began ordering troubled kids to the Young Marines Program rather than sending them to jail.  Because the YM was never intended as a "diversion program," the Louisiana Law Enforcement Commission, who partially funds the program through a grant, suggested that the Sheriff's office establish a new diversion program for court-ordered juveniles.

In December 2012, the Sheriff's office submitted their grant proposal for the Young Marines funding and in response was told that the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, would not fund the program as long as God or prayer was allowed, even if that prayer was voluntary.

When asked to provide a letter saying no mention of God or voluntary prayer would be allowed, Sheriff Whittington refused and withdrew his grant request.

Then, in February 2013, the Sheriff, submitted a request for funding for his Juvenile Justice Delinquency Program and was refused on the same grounds.

So, now the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office has been refused funding for two programs aimed at helping troubled kids just because Sheriff Whittington is standing up for core values, religious freedom, and voluntary prayer.

Shame on the DOJ.

You can read more about the Young Marines program here.

La. State Senator Barrow Peacock proposed a resolution (PDF) asking the Louisiana delegation in Washington for review of this decision, which passed with unanimous approval:

Peacock on Wednesday got unanimous Senate approval of Senate Resolution 192 asking the Washington, D.C. delegation to review the basis for denying funds for the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office Young Marines Program. 

"This program has had prayer that has been led by teens who are in this program, and when it hasn't been led, they had a moment of silence," Peacock said.  "But now they are being told by our federal government, by the Department of Justice, that there can be no prayer activity or they will not fund this program."

Sheriff Whittington sees further implications beyond just the Bossier Young Marines:

The Young Marines Obligation states, “From this day forward, I sincerely promise, I will set an example for all other youth to follow and I shall never do anything that would bring disgrace or dishonor upon God, my Country and its flag, my parents, myself or the Young Marines. These I will honor and respect in a manner that will reflect credit upon them and myself. Semper Fidelis." 

When it comes down to it, though, Whittington said this isn’t a situation that effects just Bossier Parish youth.

“This is an American issue,” he said. “How do they think they can do this? Now you’re telling me that we can’t have voluntary prayer or even mention the word God?”

Sheriff Whittington's concerns about the "bigger picture" can be seen in U.S. Representative John Fleming's report that attacks against Christianity have been occurring at an alarming rate in the U.S. military to the degree that he has offered an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would guarantee service members the right to practice and express their religious beliefs freely without fear of reprimand.

There has been a little local noise to chip in and help fund Whittington's youth programs but the bigger picture, it seems to me, is a government that is too big.  The Civil Rights Division of the DOJ has no business in a state run program for troubled kids.   They want to put grant money on the table but you have to forsake God to take it.

Kudos and support to Sheriff Whittington of Bossier Parish who vows to find the funds within his own department, and without the feds,  to keep the programs going.


(Photo credit:  The Shreveport Times)

Update:  Thanks to The Dead Pelican for the link!

Tuesday's Loose Thoughts

Real life has trumped blog life again...well, at least since school started three weeks ago.  My site stats are in the tank, negative numbers, almost, but between school and taking care of my mom, by the time I get to my computer I'm brain dead.  I pretty much quit checking my sitemeter ages ago when I realized that I'm not making any money blogging and that I'll probably die of old age before I join the "million hits" club.  It used to bug me but it doesn't anymore. 

Anyway, there have been some stories that I've been following.  This Gibson guitar thing is just bizarre.  Powerline has a great encapsulation of the whole thing if you're behind the curve like I've been.  And the Michelle Obama twist makes even more crazy.  Gotta love it.  Doesn't the DoJ have anything else to do besides harass one of the few companies that still produces an American product?   Major fail.

Elsewhere, this post by Doug Powers is enough to make one's skin crawl.  "Federal family"?  Really?  Doug:

If my “family” was $14 trillion in debt I’d put myself up for adoption. Oh, and the “federal family” member who would have normally caught the spelling error in “preperations” was out tending to family, so we can forgive that oversight.

This has helped soften the image of the federal government to such a degree that the IRS is now considering referring to themselves as America’s “little audit buddies.”

Seriously.  Skin creepy crawlies.

And then we have Darryl Hannah getting arrested at the White House for a another Hannah-esque liberal unicorns and rainbows sit-in:

"Sometimes it's necessary to sacrifice your freedom for a greater freedom," Hannah said in Lafayette Park before her arrest.  "And we want to be free from the horrible death and destruction that fossil fuels cause, and have a clean energy future."

The video at the link is just bizarre; Hannah is arrested and frisked to a round of thunderous applause and chants of "Darryl, Darryl, Darryl!" She beams and basks in the moment like a red carpet event.  Irrelevant celebrities I can do without.

All I have to say about this one is that streaks were made to be broken.  

And finally, the tale of Obama's Uncle Omar gets weirder and weirder.  The Boston Herald reports today that Uncle Omar had a valid Social Security number even though he's an illegal alien ordered to be deported.  How'd that happen?    Mark Krikorian explains how it could have happened.

Oh and one last thing:  I watched the George Bush interview about 9/11 on Nat Geo last night.  Powerful stuff.  Powerful.  Catch it if you get a chance; it was well done. 

DOJ is FUBAR

In case you needed further proof that Obama's Department of Justice is FUBAR, consider the decision by Eric Holder and company to sue the Berkley school district on behalf of a 29 year old teacher who was refused a three week leave of absence (in December!) so she could perform the hajj.

Mona Charen reports that this teacher had only been on the job for nine months when she made her request.  In Berkley, as in most school districts, they like their teachers in the classroom, especially when preparing for high stakes testing.  Safoorah Khan, the teacher requesting leave, is a math teacher.

In the end, she quit her job so she could perform her religious duty and filed a complaint to the EEOC, got a lawyer, and now the DOJ has taken up the case.  The rationale for the DOJ is to combat “a real headwind of intolerance against Muslim communities.”

Seriously?

As Charen points out, this district just wanted a teacher in the classroom.  They didn't refuse this request because of her religion; they refused it because they also have a job to perform which is educating the children of the district.  They didn't tell Miss Khan that she'd be fired for performing the hajj on her own time.  The refused to give her three weeks off during the school year.

I wonder if the Berkley school district allows for sabbatical leave?  Couldn't she do her time, file for sabbatical and then go, if this fell during a school year?  Or, as Charen suggests, wait until such a time that she could do this during her summer vacation?

Ridiculous.  Even more ridiculous is that DOJ would look twice at this considering they refused to prosecute the New Black Panther Party for blatant voter intimidation caught on tape.

FUBAR.