[Vision2020] The conditional use permit hearing

[Rose Huskey]

The outcome of last night's Board of Adjustment hearing was a
disappointment, but not unexpected.  After initiating ordinances which
effectively banned University of Idaho expansion into the central business
district a number of years ago the BOA (Board of Adjustment) inexplicitly
welcomes the same intrusion by New Saint Andrews College.  

 

Prior to the beginning of the meeting last night attendees were warned that
any mention of religion could taint the findings of the Board if the
petitioning party, i.e. New Saint Andrews College, felt that anti-Christ
Church  rhetoric violated their first amendment rights
<https://www.google.com/search?q=1st+amendment> .   

 

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,
or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to
petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

 

I think that warning was, in itself, a violation of constitutional rights -
ours. Freedom of religion was not on the agenda, the petition of an
educational institution to expand its footprint downtown, which is
prohibited without special permission, was.  Even if opponents of the
conditional use permit had raised issues about the theology of the school
(which, in truth are anathema to many community members, and conceitedly
include discrimination based on sexual orientation, distorted and inaccurate
understandings of race based slavery, the insistence of female submission to
male headship, and distain for fact-based science) those community members
had every right to exercise their first amendment rights to free speech -
which they were explicitly instructed not to use.  

 

It could be argued that such expression was not germane to the conditional
use permit process, but as long as the board did not (and could not) compel
NSA administrators, faculty, and staff to reject their beliefs the free
practice of their faith was never in jeopardy.  

 

Moscow has, it turns out an Alice in Wonderland like ordinance that provides
church associated bigotry a free pass which un-churched community members
are denied.  The disgusting discrimination practiced by New Saint Andrews
and its parent company Christ Church is protected under the guise of
religious freedom.  

Ordinance 13-6 of the City of Moscow
<http://www.ci.moscow.id.us/records/Ordinances/OR_2013-06.pdf>  states:

 

"19-4. Exceptions. A. 

This Chapter shall not apply to: 

1.              A   religious corporation, association, educational
institution, or society, trust or any entity or association which is a
wholly owned or controlled subsidiary or agency of any religious
corporation, association, society, trust or corporation sole. 

 

So, in a fell swoop last night the bigots won the battle that the secular,
state university, which is legislatively banned from discriminatory
practices, lost several years ago.  

 

Would the BOA grant a conditional use permit to Fred Phelps and his creepy
followers?  What about the National Policy Institute
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Policy_Institute> , The League of
the South <http://www.dixienet.org/> , or America
<http://www.americaspromiseministries.org/> 's Promise Ministries?  My guess
is they could and they would on the grounds that their repugnant
philosophies have equal standing with those of community members who value
inclusiveness and human dignity.  You know what?  Ethically and morally they
don't.  

 

Moscow is on the edge of a precipice - shall we just go ahead and change the
name of Main Street to Hate Street and hand the key of the city to Doug
Wilson et al, or do we begin to reclaim what we appear to have lost?

 

Rose Huskey

 

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