Father Nathan Monk at Pensacola City Council

Father Nathan Monk tells the City Council, "We have the right to redress our government without fear of being arrested," and is nearly arrested.

I think more people should be involved in their communities. Father Monk was interviewed on "Freedom Watch" tonight and was very clear in his message. Father Monk stated that if we honor our military men and women, the ones fighting for our rights, we should not backdown.

I remember back this summer, that a woman was arrested in Arizona for speaking up in a council meeting, with the Mayor telling the council she had the floor - still the Chief of Police, arrested her.

If we give up our rights, our civil liberties, then what? We have given up a great many rights already, all in the name of fear. Yet our boarders remain open, unsecure. When is enough, enough?

http://www.pensacoladigest.com/2011/12/messer-okd-for-city-attorney-bonuses-questioned/
“”Much of the afternoon’s discussion was spent on two proposed ordinances recommended by the mayor’s office that seemed designed to stop both homeless individuals and the Occupy movement from sleeping on city property or using city restrooms beyond their intended purpose...

Councilman Sam Hall, recently voted council president, is proving to be a strict parliamentarian. At several points in the meeting he cited Robert’s rules and told speakers they were “out of order,” even asking some to be removed. He also alluded to at least two previous interactions with citizens which he believed violated Florida law on cyberstalking, including an email sent to council members which, Hall believed, made an implicit threat against one council member’s elderly mother. (For what it’s worth, I was also copied on the email in question and did not interpret any threat.) He asked all citizens to tone down rhetoric and stick to rational arguments.””

http://www.pensacoladigest.com/2011/12/council-urges-civility-threatens-priest-with-police-removal/
“”Father Monk chided the council members — and Council President Sam Hall in particular — for their actions at Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting. At that meeting, several citizens had spoken in opposition to the proposed anti-homeless ordinances, and in doing so made unflattering comparisons to historical figures (one person mentioned Heinrich Himmler’s “Final Solution“) and questioned the Christian charity of any council member who would support the ordinances. Council members DeWeese and Johnson took offense at the accusations, and Hall had asked Police Chief Chip Simmons to remove several speakers he deemed “out of order.”

At last night’s meeting, Monk told the council they had no right to dictate the content of their speech, and suggested that they instead examine any actions by the city that would prompt such comparisons.

“As Americans, we have the right to redress our government without fear of being arrested,” he said. “Whether or not they’re connecting dots from Hitler to George Wallace to Barney … you should be asking, ‘well what are we doing that’s allowing people to connect those dots?’ It was a sick and gross abuse of power.”””

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