Posted on 05/19/2017 8:30:22 AM PDT by Kaslin
The peacemakers are not allowed to be blessed in Montgomery County, Virginia.
The sheriff was ordered on May 17 to remove decals bearing a portion of a well-known Bible verse from patrol cars.
The decal, which had been posted on vehicles in March, bore the words, “Blessed are the peacemakers…Matthew 5:9.”
“Our intent was, and still is, to honor our fellow brothers and sisters in law enforcement,” Sheriff C.H. Partin wrote in a statement to Fox News.
The sheriff said the decals were removed at the request of the county’s board of supervisors.
“In the midst of National Police Week, we want to focus on those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities,” the sheriff said. “The last thing that I want is for this to become a distraction to the men and women who serve their communities selflessly every day.”
I could not imagine any elected leaders giving such a detestable order – so I reached out to the board of supervisors to verify the report. It turns out – they really gave that detestable order.
“In my mind, there’s nothing wrong with the statement itself,” supervisor Chris Tuck told me. “Any individual can put that on your car however they would like. However, based on our legal advice, when you put, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ and make the reference to Matthew 5:9, there are some serious concerns about the Establishment Clause and Separation of Church and State and the First Amendment.”
Mr. Tuck tells me the board made its decision after first consulting with their attorney.
Their attorney told them “the decals would be a violation of the First Amendment based on the current case law because of the reference to Matthew 5:9.”
It sounds to me like the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors is in desperate need of an attorney who understands the law.
Mr. Tuck told me they could’ve ignored their attorney’s advice – but that would’ve put the county at risk for hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.
“I don’t believe the citizens of Montgomery County want me to get into a situation where hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax money may end up having to be given to the ACLU,” he said.
Blessed are the attorneys for they shall inherit everyone’s money…
I was curious, though – who raised a complaint about the decals in the first place?
“The first notice we had was an inquiry by the Roanoke Times,” Mr. Tuck told me. “That was the first that the board received.”
Well, there you have it, folks. This is why people don’t like newspaper reporters. They stir up a stink when there’s no stink to stir.
The wave of stupidity continues to wash over America un-abated.
To paraphrase Shakespeare:
First - kill all of the lawyers
Second - kill all of the politicians
Third - kill all of the journalists
The article is wrong. The sheriff was not ordered to remove it. He was advised to remove it. The board of supervisors has no authority over a sheriff, who is an independent constitutional officer.
the tree of Liberty is dry as a bone.
Montgomery County has the city of Christiansburg within it.
Guess they have to change that next.
They should get a new decal that says:
“Evil are the demons who made us remove our ‘Blessed Are The Peacemakers’ decals!”
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion...”
So where is the US Congress in this story? And how is a decal on a patrol car a “law respecting an establishment of religion”?
Just think if we had a real media, that posed real questions, to the real idiots in public life.
Just think...
Sigh...
They should get a new deal that says:
“Evil are the demons who made us remove our ‘Blessed Are The Peacemakers’ decals!”
Yep! That’s exactly what I would do....and IF anyone asks, I’d say the ACLU and the Roanoke newspaper.
G-d just pisses off a lot of liberal, commie ‘RAT politicians. Their day of reckoning is going to come.
So replace 'em with decals that declare: County Supervisors say: "Blessed are the Revenue Officers"
125 days to go!!
lol excellent idea- and add “And we did remove it, the decal is no longer there- so don’t bother looking for it”
So does Yehova. (He told us to call out his name, not hide it.)
.
.
Most Sheriffs are elected officials, and do not serve at the pleasure of any board of supervisors.
Tell’m to stuff it!
.
A point worth repeating in bold.
.
>> “It sounds to me like the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors is in desperate need of an attorney who understands the law.” <<
Amen!
Meanwhile; a little to the south in Unicoi County, Tennessee; sheriff vehicles have ‘In God We Trust’ stenciled on the back of their vehicles. Personally, I like it...a lot.
Aren’t they all elected? I agree the board supervisors should stuff it to where the Sun doesn’t shine.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.