"[A] group of African - American women working for Oakland organized the Good News Employee Association (GNEA)..."




Adapted from "This Rock" Catholic magazine, December 2008, Will the government Tell Christians to Shut Up? By author Ronald J. Rychlak.

His bio:

"Ronald J. Rychlak is a professor of law and associate dean at the University of Mississippi School of Law. He is the author of Hitler, the War, and the Pope (2000) and Righteous Gentiles (2005)."

Now, this excerpt:

"Like many municipal governments, Oakland, California uses a closed e-mail system and several bulletin boards to carry out its business.

"The city's employee groups also use the bulletin boards and e - mail system to promote their activities.

""In 2003, a group of African - American women working for Oakland organized the Good News Employee Association (GNEA), which they described as a forum for people of faith to express their views on the contemporary issues of the day.

"They prepared a flier explaining that the group honored the Natural Family, Marriage and Family Values.

"GNEA posted its flier on the city bulletin board and asked for permission to spread more news about it on the city's e - mail system.

"Not only was GNEA's request to use the e - mail system denied, the flier was taken down and destroyed by city officials.

"City officials concluded that it violated a city regulation prohibiting discrimination and / or harassment based on sexual orientation.

"The most controversial sentence was: Marriage is the foundation of the natural family and sustains family values.

"According to the officials, the sentence is inflammatory, perhaps even a hate crime.

"They warned that statements like this could result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

"In 2007, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the city's action..."