An Oregon city councilwoman who voiced her opposition to displaying "In God We Trust" inside a government building received a death threat from an individual calling himself an "American Citizen for saving Americans for America."
Klamath County Commissioner Tom Mallams mentioned displaying the motto in the county's public hearing room last December, and David and Carol Warren ran with the idea. "We believe God wants us to do this," Carol toldThe Oregonian.
Commissioner Mallams said he did not anticipate posting the motto to be a problem, since "it doesn't say 'the God of the Bible.' It's not 'Allah.' It's not 'the God of the Jews.' It's just acknowledging that there is a higher power out there that sets boundaries for what's right and wrong."
As for atheists, Mallams and Warren said, "they don't have to look at it."
Klamath Falls city councilwoman Trish Seiler found that argument "disingenuous," asking "What the heck is a generic God? There's nothing generic about it."
She later voiced this opinion in an editorial in the Herald and News, in which she stated that "that's what the Constitution and the Bill of Rights call for. Separation of church and state."
But according to the author of a letter Seiler received after penning the editorial, the United States was founded on "Christian morality." The author then wrote, "Maybe we could have the privilege of seeing your wonderful Muslims behead your [expletive] ugly [expletive]!!!"
At yesterday's Klamath Falls city council meeting, Seiler read from a statement she had prepared, stating that "evil walked into my home a couple weeks ago. It came in the form of an ugly, crudely written, profane piece of hate mail."
"All of us on council have received anonymous phone calls from people angry with a particular statement or position. It’s part of the job. Not this time. This time the terrorist who wrote the cowardly, anonymous, bullying letter I received has called for my death. And not just any death, but death by beheading."
"This terrorist, like many bullies in my life, has underestimated me," Seiler stated. "I have more strength, intelligence, and tenacity than some may think. I’m on the side of our Constitution and Bill of Rights."
Watch a report on the hate mail from KOBI5 below.
Leave a Comment
Related Post