Just when you think it can't get any uglier, ugly takes a growth spurt
All Christians and their values attacked on Floor of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Iowa Senate<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
 
 
4/25/08
Tamara Scott
 
The last two sessions of the Iowa General Assembly have been incredibly ugly for Iowans who care about traditional values, wish to promote personal responsibility, encourage healthy living, and keep a culture of life in the state.   
 
Just when it seemed things couldn't get any uglier, ugly took a steroid-sized growth spurt.  With less than 48 hours until the end of this General Assembly, Senator Matt McCoy, who represents the south side of Des Moines, stood to his feet to create a bully pulpit (pun intended) from the Iowa Senate Floor where he singled out Chuck Hurley, President of the Iowa Family Policy Center (IFPC).  As McCoy spoke, hatred raised its ugly head when he directed words of disdain for one person solely based on that individual's beliefs. 
 
Hurley, a former State Representative, has been instrumental in helping Iowa families work to preserve eroding freedoms such as raising children in God-fearing homes and protecting them from increasingly anti-Christian practices and philosophies in public schools.   Chuck's alleged wrong-doing was his courage to go against the tide of today's ever-changing trends and stand firm on the foundations of Biblical truth.    
 
McCoy, a practicing homosexual, berated and belittled Chuck Hurley, who wasn't even present during the tirade that lasted several minutes.  All because of an IFPC memo which gave parents suggestions in protecting their children from the promotion of homosexuality through the Day of Silence in public schools.  From hearing McCoy's comments, it was clear that Christian students have no place in the public schools unless they can be silenced on Biblical issues.  Likewise, the truth of the Bible and the beliefs of Christians have NO PLACE in the Iowa public square.     
 
McCoy masterfully intermixed the emotional misery of a mother who lost her son to violence while seemingly branding all Christians as villains, calling them 'obstructionists' only because they refuse to fall-in and march in lockstep with homosexual forces.  Invoking the 'victim' mentality often used in homosexual arguments, McCoy then asked everyone in the chamber to stand in respect for this life lost.  Many senators felt compelled to stand out of respect for the loss even though they might have disagreed with the diatribe surrounding the emotional plea.   It was unfortunate that Senator McCoy misused his elected position to propagate his premeditated poison while coercing Senate colleagues to take part in his personal vendetta.  
 
Many of America's forefathers credited the Creator above in their crafting of the best government on earth – our Republic.   Thankfully, they saw the need to ensure our liberties as individuals and grant us the freedom to disagree.  However, we might never have benefited from their wisdom if someone like Sen. McCoy had been in power and banished their voices simply because they were Christians. 
 
McCoy is right, hate speech does, unfortunately, happen, and this day like many others it was directed at Christians by those who hate them.   This day it was coming from Sen. Matt McCoy and directed at Chuck Hurley because Chuck dared to speak the truth.  In Galatians 4:16 Paul asks the question, "Am I your enemy because I tell you the truth?"  Sen. McCoy would apparently have to answer Paul by saying, "Yes" - that is, if he would have allowed Paul to speak at all.