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  • As many as 65 people filled the second floor of the Appanoose County Courthouse Monday morning as several local pastors were there to deliver signed petitions asking the county recorder to deny granting same-sex marriage licenses. Photo by Michael Schaffer

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April 29, 2009

Petitions against same-sex marriage

By Michael Schaffer - Managing editor

Area residents responded in person Monday morning and came to the Appanoose County Courthouse as several pastors delivered petitions to the county recorder asking her to not grant same-sex marriage licenses.

Monday was the first day same-sex licenses could be issued by any of Iowa's 99 county recorders as a result of a recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling.

Terry Chapman, pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Moravia, presented Appanoose County Recorder Teddy Walker with 195 signatures asking her to deny same-sex marriage licenses.

"I do not believe the Supreme Court made a law. I don't believe they can," Chapman said. "And I believe that the Legislature and the Senate of our state and the governor and the attorney general are cowards. And so we're coming to the people that deal with the people. Asking them to take a position."

Chapman said the people of Iowa deserve an opportunity to vote on the issue.

"That's all we're asking for is an election, to let the people of Iowa vote on a constitutional amendment to define marriage," Chapman said.

He said what will make Iowa attractive for same-sex couples seeking to get married is the lack of a residence requirement.

"The other states that allow gay marriage you have to live in that state. Iowa does not have that," Chapman said. "And so we're going to have people from other states coming here, going home to their states and suing, taking this through the courts and leaving out the will of the people there."

David Welch, pastor of the Plano Christian Church, had with him more than 200 pages of petitions with eight signatures per page. He said the petitions came from various churches in Appanoose County and other individuals who support traditional marriage.

Welch said part of the gathering was to pray for traditional marriage and for the county recorder.

"There was 65 people here and I didn't think there was going to be anybody here," Welch said. "And so when I brought my petitions I thought I would be the only one to do it."

Welch admitted presenting petitions to a county recorder, who does not have the ability to change the law, may not stop anything now, but could come the next election.

"I think it's going to be effective in this regard. People have to begin to realize that the government is not representing us. They're representing money from outside of the state," Welch said. "Tim Gill has pumped thousands and thousands of dollars into the state for pro-gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender rights."

One man in the gathering said same-sex, or gay marriage was not the proper way to word what was approved.

"I'm opposed to homosexual marriage," said Joe Walker, who was standing near the south entrance of the Courthouse. "I think it needs to be called homosexual marriage instead of gay marriage because gay marriage makes it more acceptable to the general public then to call it homosexual marriage. It is homosexual marriage. That's what they are after."

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So, the question this week is, “Will it stay or will it go?” The United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. wants to close three Farm Service Agency offices in southern Iowa, which includes the FSA office in Centerville, and consolidate the operations in order to save money. Tuesday afternoon a meeting was held at Faith United Methodist Church to allow farmers and other producers who use the Centerville FSA office to make comments about the closing to John R. Whitaker, state executive director Iowa FSA. Many questioned if the meeting Tuesday was necessary because the decision had already been made.

A. Yes, because Washington will listen.
B. No, because the decision to close the Appanoose County FSA office has already been made.
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