Currents

NEWS & COMMENTS - CURRENTS (Tucson Weekly)

God And Country To the Editor:

Regarding Dan Huff and Dave Devine's "Grassroots Goliath" (Tucson Weekly,  October 17): The Christian Coalition and the Pima County Interfaith Council are  very much alike. Both groups consist of people with strong religious principles,  and both want the government to enforce those priciples on unwilling others.
Admittedly, the two differ on specifies. The Coalitioneers get their  excitement from the grimmer passages of Paul and the Pentateuch, while the  libido of the Councilistas is directed more toward the Sermon on the Mount. Yet  both represent a threat to the liberty of non-believers. The Pat Robertsonites  lust for state regulation of reading, viewing, speeach and more intemitae  matters; the compassion-mongers of the PCIC crave vastly expanded spending on  social programs, which would rob the taxpayer of free time and money.
Rather than yielding to the pleas, demands and threats of either group,  our elected officials should undertake to maximize our freedom. If Ralph Reed's  flock would rather not lie with mankind as with a women, they should have the  option; if the followers of St. Francis in the Foothills want to sell all that  they have and give to the poor, that should be their prerogative. But by the  same token, infidels whose beliefs demand neither chastity nor charity should  not be forced to practice either virtue to satisfy the consciences of others.
-- William Flack

To the Editor:
Regarding Dan Huff and Dave Devine's "Grassroots Goliath" (Tucson  Weekly, October17): I am a third-grade teacher at Mission View Elementary in  South Tucson and am involved in issues affecting the Santa Rita Park and South  Tucson communities. Last May, I initiated a meeting over business and residents'  concerns about the homeless/transients in our area and park. I invited the PCIC  to attend, since I had positive dealings with the folks at the school. I knew  they were homeless advocates, but felt they deserved to participate and speak  out.
My naivete'. The PCIC folks who showed up tried to take over the meeting,  insulting me, threatened my job, and ended the session by praying for me and all  the other folks who dare to speak out about our concerns. Our grassroots goals  of empowernment and dealing with an onerous situation didn't take with them.
Your articles on the PCIC glossed over the amount of anger and resentment  many in our community feels toward this group. PCIC attacks the so-called "power  structure" not in the foothills or the development community, but in reality  they go after many people who already engaged in the community and trying to  accomplish good works.
The PCIC modus operandi is to buddy up to a group on a project and then  try to take it over, completely. They are an anti-neighborhood lobbying  organization with a strong religious flavor. They espouse having allies and  communication, yet the words that have come up since I started to do research on  them heve been: "racist, fascist, bullying, into intimidation and weird.
" I am not sure where their espousal of caring about families, kids and  community comes into keeping Santa Rita Park the city's homeless/transient park,  where there are bare-bones recreational facilities and no sports leauges at all  for kids or youth.
Where do the kids in South Tucson have to go for a league of  any kind?   What has the PCIC done about South Tucson?
The PCIC folks feel that its time for them to be accountable to the  community.  To not only clearly demonstrate a track recordfor what they put  forth, but an authentic willingness to work with other folks in improving our  community.  The PCIC has needlessly alienated many folks engaged in working for  positive change.  I thinks it's time for them to stop their squaking their talk  and start walking it.
-- Mitch Sternberg