Shouldn’t it be 45/47? With the hyphen it just makes it look like you Dean Karskied it into office (getting appointed but telling folks he was ‘elected’. Well at least he lived in his district unlike a certain MARSHALL SELBERG! Funny that Donny trash talks Biden, then wears a hat that negates his existence. Maybe he really is a Very Stable Genius?)
On that note, I have to tell you it was a great day of love, protest and joy in Sioux Falls! And not because Sally Tomato got to play with his tanks! I started the day on the Pedicab picking up folks after the parade, then I made it over to the No Kings protest, amazing patriotism! That is all I saw! People proud to be Americans and proud to support a Democratic Republic! Then I made it to the Pride Festival, what a great setup at Yankton Trail Park. I gave tons of rides and wanted to do more, but had a chain/sprocket issue I could not fix in the field. Who knew you secondary motor chain sprocket needs to align with your axel sprocket? I know now MOM! But I am back at it next week! The highlight of the day was when my E-bike friend who tried to help me fix the bike suggested he tows me to the bike shop. So funny! Been a long time since I have done 8 MPH down the bike trail. Maybe I need to look at this perspectively, or am I just using another word incorrectly again? Can’t wait for the E-Bike insults VSG.
At another bizarre city council meeting last night 3 councilors (Neitzert, Cole and Merkouris) decided to vote against a Pride month resolution because they felt it was setting some kind of precedent. Let’s pretend for a moment that was true (it is not) wouldn’t you still support it without supporting the process? They could have easily voted for it while stating they didn’t like the process. It is NOT precedent. During the Huether administration there was a proclamation almost weekly. The only difference between proclamations and resolutions is that proclamations come from the mayor’s office and resolutions come from council (according to the city attorney last night). Here are the proclamations from 2016 that were presented at the regular council meetings;
Sex Trafficking Awareness and Action Month (January 2016)
Sioux Empire Water Festival Days – March 9 and 10, 2016
World Kidney Day – March 10, 2016
Social Work Month — March 2016
National Service Recognition Day – April 5, 2016
National Walking Day – April 6, 2016
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Action Day – April 19, 2016
American Legion Poppy Days – May 13 and 14, 2016
Historic Preservation Month – May, 2016
Bike Month – May, 2016
Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month – June 2016
National Health Center Week
Suicide Prevention Week – September 5-11, 2016
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month – September, 2016
National Mental Illness Awareness Week, October 2-8, 2016
Native American Day – October 10, 2016
Domestic Violence Awareness Month – October, 2016
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month – November, 2016
American Diabetes Month, November, 2016
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month, November 2016
The practice of presenting proclamations at the council meetings seemed to end in 2018 after Mayor TenHaken was installed. Not sure why, but that was a decision made by his administration (he still releases proclamations discreetly). But for Neitzert, Cole and Merkouris to argue this is out of the ordinary is just flat out false. In fact, TenHaken replaced it with the Siouxper Hero awards at council meetings. Why weren’t there any objections to that? Weren’t we setting a precedent?
As I told councilors last night, they are entitled to their personal opinions about the gay lifestyle, but as a non-partisan governing body they should all be in support of inclusiveness in our city which doesn’t infringe on their personal beliefs as individuals or their crazy beliefs as councilors about a broken process.
“. . . I am PROUD to stand with friends and colleagues who oppose bigotry, violence, segregation, and hatred. This is not the moment to argue. Rather, let us link arms, unified in our support for tolerance, acceptance, inclusion, and love.”
They can make whatever excuses they want to as to why they voted against the resolution, but at the end of the day they just looked petty and I applaud the councilors that voted for the resolution and especially councilors Starr and Soehl for challenging their fellow councilors to do the right thing, even if 3 of them can’t figure out what the right thing is.
I will be very careful with my words. Because being accused of being a homophobe a racist or a mysonygist is not a party. I’ve been accused of all three and it is hurtful. I judge people on face value. If you are an A-Hole, your other designations don’t matter to me. If I don’t like you, it is merely based on the fact that ‘I don’t like you.’ I could care less if you are female, gay or a minority. In some ways I actually feel bad for Paul, because I think he wants to say something, but feels like he cannot.
PTH said during the campaign at a mayoral forum hosted by Dem Forum that he was not ‘Homophobic.’ but his actions seem to speak louder than words.
‘Pentecostal congregations have historically condemned homosexuality, and most Pentecostal denominations have doctrinal statements condemning homosexuality, such as the International Pentecostal Holiness Church’s statement, “We have maintained a strong position against premarital, extramarital, and deviant sex, including homosexual and lesbian relationships, refusing to accept the loose moral standards of our society. We commit ourselves to maintaining this disciplined lifestyle with regard to our bodies.â€
I get it, it may go against his religious beliefs. But I often remind people the teachings of Jesus Christ (the guy they supposedly follow) and his whole ‘love your neighbor’ rant.
I have found when you treat people the way you want to be treated, all of that other stuff doesn’t really matter. One of the best things Paul could do right now is raise the rainbow flag above city hall, and say nothing. The actual symbolism of the rainbow flag goes beyond gay rights;
Equality is a beautiful thing, it puts us on a level playing field and what your pastor says on Sunday doesn’t really matter, and the main reason I haven’t walked into a church since I was 18 unless it was for a funeral or a wedding. Your faith in God and your beliefs are between you and God. Pulling a flag up the pole won’t change that. Don’t fight this Paul.
While some protestors showed up (I can’t remember if it was at the Terrace Park or at the Parade) they were quickly pushed away by love and song.
This year’s event by all accounts went off without a hitch, as it should. In fact the parade was full of love and positivity and a very large crowd turned out. The festival itself had record crowds and the most booths I have ever seen, which included banks, charities, travel agents, non-profits, youth organizations and CHURCHES!
The media did a great job this week promoting the event. While all 3 TV stations did stories on it, kudos goes to Stormland TV for countless stories about pride (I renamed them GAY TV this week).
The event organizers knocked it out of the park and should be commended.
But what was most fantastic about the event was it’s positivity. We can embrace diversity in our community. For a brief time this weekend whether I was at the Levitt, the parade or at the festival itself it put a big smile on my face to know that Sioux Falls has become more progressive, liberal and accepting while it seems the rest of the state is moving backwards. My running joke to friends over the weekend was, “You know, we live in a conservative state.” Could have fooled me. It’s the line of crap we hear over and over from our ‘supposed’ leaders, but I don’t see that in Sioux Falls, in fact I don’t see it in a lot of other major cities in South Dakota. There is a small number of whacky neo-con gun chucklers in our state that constantly bombard us with their message that we are a solid red state. While we do lean red, we are close to crossing that purple line (I think we already have). Don’t believe the ‘Red State Rhetoric’ we will eventually take back this state from the Fascist Red Baron Royalty who currently control Pierre, and sadly they won’t see it coming.
Hickey, who also is a Republican representative for Sioux Falls, says the decision is a blow to religious freedom.
“I’m not surprised,†Hickey said. “We can see where this is going, but people need to think about the end game: Gay rights trump religious rights.â€
Hickey is concerned that those who are morally opposed to gay marriage will be labeled as bigots and forced to behave against their conscience. He’s worried that he and other pastors will be forced to perform gay marriages at some point in the future.
He says he won’t perform same sex marriages, regardless of what the Supreme Court decides.
“They can put me in jail for that if they want,†Hickey said.
First off, the SC is still allowing states to decide whether they want to allow same sex couples to marry, and in good old South Dakota, that has been illegal since 2006. Secondly, even if it were legal in SD, I don’t think gays will be lining up outside Steve’s church to get married, it would be like going to Steve’s church to get an abortion, just not gonna happen.
As for how this will affect gay and lesbians in South Dakota, Himmel-Roberts said: “I think we tend to be 25 years behind everyone else. We have a state Legislature that is made up of extremists. Until we can get some middle-of-the-road and good old true South Dakotans with South Dakota values, we’re going to be a testing ground for all these ridiculous laws.â€
l3wis 
