“If you have courage and convictions, your new soulmate will be Steve Deace. He delivers.” —Mike Huckabee
Steve Deace > News > Iowa Politics > An Open Letter to Readers

Radio shows

An Open Letter to Readers

by Jen Green

Des Moines city councilman Halley Griess has asked stevedeace.com to pass along this open letter about a very important meeting coming up:

“Friends,

As you may have read in the Des Moines Register recently,  the Des Moines Human Rights Director notified the City Council that they will be recommending changes to the Municipal Code to add ”gender identity” as a protected class.

It might be helpful to briefly provide my background.  In 2009, as a 23-year old law school student, I upset a 20-year veteran of the Des Moines City Council in Tom Vlassis.  This was accomplished only as a result of much prayer and God’s blessing, and certainly in spite of my weaknesses. Prior to the election, a local pastor called and asked me how I would have voted when the Council voted (a few years prior) to extend special protections for homosexuals, lesbians, and transgendered individuals.  At that time, I told him my convictions were based on the Word of God and that I would have opposed such a ordinance change.

Now the rubber meets the road, and I am forced to put my convictions on the line and do what I know to be right.  I do not believe “gender identity” falls into the same category as gender and race, and should not be considered a protected class (which is the same rationale that ultimately led to the Supreme Court’s gay marriage decision).  Unfortunately, the rest of the Council, to my knowledge, plans to vote in support of this measure.  I will be required to stand in the gap for righteousness–without a caucus or special interest behind me.

At this time, I do not know when the issue will come before the Council.  I do know that the Human Rights Commission will be having a hearing on the issue on Aug. 11 at 4:30 p.m., in Des Moines City Hall’s council chambers, 400 Robert D. Ray Drive.  Many of the other cities who have passed similar ordinances in Iowa have faced little opposition because no one stood up and fought (as was well noted in the Register’s article).  Please consider attending this meeting!

Over the next couple of weeks, will you please pray for me.  Help me find the courage to stand in the gap.  Please let me know your thoughts and any things that might be helpful as I prepare for the inevitable confrontation.  Please also be prepared to come speak at the hearing, and again at the Council meeting whenever the issue ultimately comes forward. Thank you in advance for all of your prayers on my behalf!”

Halley Griess, Des Moines City Council-Ward I

 

  • Anonymous

    Here’s what I think will happen when they actually take a vote and have people speak pro and con. It will be packed, homosexual’s will be full force, there will be some (few, fewer than homosexual) supporters there from Christian community and the homosexuals will push and shove to get into the front of the line in order to speak. How do I know? I was there a few years ago, that’s what happened;  I looked at the police officer who was standing right there in front of the door and said it is not right that they get to shove their way into the front before the room is too full and they will shut the door,  he just looks at me. So what happen was most of the speakers were pro homosexual.

    If our churches are not willing to come out in full force and stand behind people like Halley, then why don’t they just close their doors?  I don’t get it.

    Halley, I will be there – I will pray with you before the meeting if you want.

    • Henry T.

      “My feeling as a Christian points me to my Lord and Saviour being a Fighter!” 

      http://www.humanitas-international.org/showcase/chronography/speeches/1922-04-12.html

      Who said that?

      ADOLPH HITLER.

      Am I saying that Hitler was a Christian?  Absolutely not. When he finally got power in Germany he turned not to Christian symbols and ideology but to Pagan ones.  In his later speeches he said that Christianity was a foreign influence that did great harm to the “Aryan Culture”. Look at the Nazi parades and the images he used. Pagan through and through.

      But as he was rising to power Germany still was a predominately Christian country.  And Hitler knew how to “talk the talk”.  He did in this speech and again this is one of his earlier speeches where he had no power in Germany, he did feel the need to call Jesus “My Lord and Saviour” in order to play to a certain segment of the German populace at the time.

      And sorry, it is a fact that he got great support from Christians (as well as from Spirtualists and others so I am not trying to single out his supporters as all Christians).  Hey, go into a room and talk about Jesus being ‘my personal Lord and savior” and for certain Christians they just Lap it up.

      My only point in bringing up this speech is to prove this already obvious statement that The Devil Can Quote Scripture.

      A lot of people who believed themselves “Christians” supported Hitler.  I would say there was something wrong BIG TIME with their personal relationship with Christ just like there must be something wrong BIG time with Perry’s supporters and their relationship with Christ.

      FROM THEIR FRUITS YOU WILL KNOW THEM!

    • Henry T.

      Cecil here’s a term that might interest you for well I don’t know someday it might come in handy to understand this term.

       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi-curious

      I guess the question is just because a guy sleeps with a male from time to time that doesn’t make him gay does it?

      Say that most if the time a guy loves the women.  Loves going to the strip clubs and you know do whatever a red blooded guy likes to do with them behind the backs of their wives (well perhaps he doesn’t really try to hide it so much from her but she just is forced to look the other way).

      But every once in a while he likes to try something different on his plate and he might just do it with another male. Or perhaps a threesome. Who knows?

      Or perhaps chasing the women and having sex with them all the time was a way for him to “self medicate”.  A way to suck the gay out of him he thought. He becomes so promiscuous with the gals  as a way to try to deny his true nature.

      Or perhaps it is a way he sees to hide his homosexual nature.  After all if he frequently goes out with other men to have sex with women, then when these men hear rumors of him being gay they will think “Trust me, after what I saw him do to that woman last night he is no gay”.

      Or again, perhaps he is predominately heterosexual but has been known to ‘experiment’ from time to time.

      Bi-curious, interesting term that may someday become as relevant as “Cigars under desks”.

      • Henry T.

         
        Galatians 6:7

        ESV

        Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

        Conservatives don’t want to be anywhere near this when it finally blows up. It would be best if we chase him out of the race first.

        Because those who lack discernment and join with him will reap the wraith of God as well. Because GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED!

      • Henry T.

        http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/5156/

        “Thank you and good evening. It is a great honor to be in the presence
        of the Imam of 16 million Muslims around the world, a global
        humanitarian leader, a man of peace with a pluralistic vision for people
        around the world, His Highness, the Aga Khan, the 49th Hereditary Imam
        of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims. Your Highness, on behalf of 23
        million Texans, and over 600,000 thousand Muslims living in Texas, I
        extend our heartfelt appreciation for your 50 years of great
        international leadership. We are delighted to welcome you to the Lone
        Star State and participate in the celebration of your Golden Jubilee.”

        This guy at least claims to be a direct descendant of Mohamed!  I wonder what all his Christian friends at that televangelist event would have thought last weekend if they knew about this!

        Perry was obviously using that group of Christians last weekend. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that last weekend he was at that event and this weekend he was announcing his Presidential Run.

        He used those Christians last weekend. And by using them so politically he was basically giving God the finger.  He was mocking God.

        WELL GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED!

        Hosea 8:7

        For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath
        no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers
        shall swallow it up.

        The sad thing is a lot of Conservatives and a lot of people who believed themselves Christians will get hurt when it all comes falling down.

        Pray, Pray, Pray for discernment against evil!

        • Jake

           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1OXAi7rNMg

      • Jake

         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1OXAi7rNMg

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XXZ53VSZW55M4WOKG3BMQTM4FQ Big_Al

    You may change minds through politics, but you will not change hearts. 

    I agree with your stance and thank you for standing firm to your belief.  However, I also think we need to rememeber what we are called to do as Christians. 

    I think way too many Christians today are too concerned about winning minds and not hearts.  You can’t legislate morality, and you can’t win hearts through politics.

    • Brad

      So are you saying to surrender and not shine the light through law?

    • JGH

      Can’t legislate morality? Am I to assume that is a joke? Hhmm…lets see: Murder, theft, assault, taxation, speed limits, so on and so forth. Maybe you just mean you can’t legislate sexual morality? Oh, wait, I guess there is that ‘rape’ thing. Actually, I’m having a hard time thinking of any legislation that isn’t a judgment on morality. In fact, it seems to me that a ‘gender identity’ ordinance is kind of legislating that lgbt morality is superior to traditional morality.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jan-Woodman/1140537721 Jan Woodman

    So, this will mean EQUAL number of URINALS vs TOILET SEATS!!!  May GOD please RETURN to earth now!!!!

  • Gramps

    No special protections for homosexuals, lesbians, and transgendered individuals without including heterosexuals, who are also often discriminated against themselves!

  • Marvin

    Right or wrong… you have to love it when a politican like Griess uses God to try and elevate himself and justify his actions.  Keep in mind that this is the same guy who attacked the Polk supervisors in the Register and then when when it got too hot, sent an under the radar apology to these same supervisors and his city councilmates.

  • Shane

    It’s obvious to all but the naive that Halley didn’t write this. Just listen to him when he speaks out on an issue. No, this was written by someone else and he has claimed it as his own. 

Deace on TV