The Passion of the Peotter: An Inside Look at How an Ignorant Fool Squeals for Public Support

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“Waiit, it’s worse then I thought! Left to right, that’s a Greek, a topless woman, skip the green one for now, a Frenchman, a MEXICAN, and — Jeez, WHAT IS THAT GREEN ONE HOLDING IN HIS HAND?

LATE UPDATE: The Mayor’s resolution passed on a 4-3 vote.  Peotter, Muldoon, and the other one voted “no.”

I was busy yesterday, so I didn’t get to this earlier (although Vern did set the stage for it last week.) My sources have not yet filled me in on what happened at tonight’s Newport Beach City Council Special Meeting, but I’m guessing that it was an unhappy time for the Peotter.

But this is not what prompts me to write.  OK, partially it’s because I’ll be in LA tomorrow and am hoping that people who attended will fill in the details.  But mostly, I just want to give some of you an inside view of what happens when a homophobe starts squealing and shrieking at being called a homophobe and begs to be saved.  This message  went out to his mailing list prior to the meeting.  (I didn’t decide to write about it until he mentioned wedding cake, then I decided that this required an intervention.)

Peotter’s original writing is in bold red; my responses are in bold teal:

Boy What a Fire Storm!

Dear Sheldon,

I Need Your Help.

How can I help you, Mr. Peotter?

Last week I wrote in my email that I disagreed with the Supreme Court decision to a constitutional right to same sex marriage.

Is that all you did?  Let’s take a look:

I know, The Supreme Court (that would be 5 out of 9 guys in black robes) decided 10 days ago to overturn 5,000 years of Judeo – Christian tradition, by redefining and allowing gay marriage.

All of a sudden, a lot of the “important stuff” of the city didn’t seem so important.

I like how the White House is really quick on the “important” stuff like this rainbow lighting.

I do find it interesting that the homosexual movement adopted the rainbow as their symbol, as it was God’s symbol that he wouldn’t destroy the world by flood again….

Maybe they are “wishful thinking…”

Well, I may think that you’re an idiot — but that’s your right.  Just for the hell of it, though:

• 3 out of the 9 guys are gals
• they didn’t overturn “5000 years of Judeo-Christian tradition” — have you READ the Bible?  Do you know what was included in traditional marriage?  Getting rid of polygamy was the least of what we’ve already changed about the institution.
• “a lot of the ‘important stuff’ of the city didn’t seem so important” — so you’re resigning
• actually, while religious tradition has appropriated the rainbow to represent the promise you suggest, it’s real scientific significance is to show how (and when and where) white light can be naturally broken up into its distinctive and colorful component parts, so it’s a pretty appropriate symbol for a group that claims its distinctiveness

But unless you put this out using the City Seal or something, all you have to do is weather some predictable political fallout, which is protected by the same First Amendment that protects you here.

Now, based on that email the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual) Crowd wants me to RESIGN from the city council. LGBT claims that I am a bigot and homophobe.

You are a bigot and a homophobe.  What you said up there is bigoted against gays, and therefore homophobic.  Is this just occurring to you now? 

I have been called a racist, a homophobe and intolerant by the very people who have earned their living allegedly fighting hate, name-calling and promoting tolerance.

I didn’t notice the racism, but homophobia and intolerance — sure.  Man up, sir!  If you believe what you said, accept the criticism!  By the way, I’ll bet that most of your critics don’t “earn their living” fighting hate and promoting tolerance.  As for “fighting name-calling”: do you KNOW any gay men?

Can You Come to Tonight’s Council Meeting?

You seem to think that you’re in some trouble.

The LGBT crowd is rallying their supporters to come to tonight’s council meeting to harass me and ask for my resignation.

Again, they have every right to do so.  You picked the fight, Mr. Peotter.

The Mayor has agendized an item in response chastising me for using the city seal and trying to limit the free speech of the minority of the council.

Well that seems harsh.  Just because you … you … YOU DID WHAT?  You USED THE CITY SEAL to spread this message and you don’t understand why people are pissed off?  DID ANYONE EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT BEING ON CITY COUNCIL MEANS?

And you want to “limit the free speech of the minority of the council”?  But you’re asserting your free speech rights?  Is this some sort of performance art?  Let’s take a look at this resolution:

RESOLUTION NO. 2015-63 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING CITY COUNCIL POLICY A-20 RELATING TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS’ EXPRESSION OF AN OFFICIAL CITY POSITION OR POLICY AND AFFIRMING THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH’S SUPPORT FOR DIVERSITY, EQUALITY AND INCLUSIVENESS

WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach (“City”) is a diverse community comprised of people of different faiths, races, nationalities, ethnicities and sexual orientations;

WHEREAS, on July 6, 2015, Council Member Peotter sent out an email commenting upon the United States Supreme Court’s decision which held the United States Constitution guaranteed a right to same-sex marriage;

WHEREAS, the email expressing Council Member Peotter’s views on the decision by the United States Supreme Court contained a picture of the City’s Official Seal and also referenced that he was a City of Newport Beach Council Member;

WHEREAS, the City Council for the City of Newport Beach is concerned that the expression of private personal opinions authorized under the First Amendment may be construed as being an official City position or policy; and

WHEREAS, the City Council for the City of Newport Beach wishes to reaffirm its commitment to a diverse community that actively protects the rights of people of different faiths, races, nationalities, ethnicities and sexual orientations.

NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Newport Beach resolves as follows:

Section 1: The City Council of the City of Newport Beach hereby adopts City Council Policy A-20, which is attached hereto and incorporated by this reference, which requires City Council Members who wish to express opinions or make statements which are not the official policy or position of the City of Newport Beach, as determined by the City Council, ensure that said statement or opinion cannot be construed by the public as being a position or policy of the City of Newport Beach.

Section 2: The City Council of the City of Newport Beach hereby declares that it is, and has been, the official policy of the City of Newport Beach to not discriminate against any person on any basis, including, but not limited to, race, creed, color, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, disability, religion, marital status, or sexual orientation. The City Council of the City of Newport Beach affirms its support for a diverse community where its citizens, visitors, staff, and all members of the public are treated equally and fairly without regard to their race, creed, color, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, disability, religion, marital status, or sexual orientation.

[Sections 3 through 6 are non-substantive boilerplate, so I’ll skip them.]

WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU THINK STEPS ON YOUR RIGHTS HERE?  The idea that you should clarify, when trading on your status as a Councilmember, to say that you’re speaking only for yourself and not the City?  The reiteration of the City’s non-discrimination policy?  Spit it out, Peotter!

I would love to have you come to tonights meeting at 7PM where we will receive public input. If you would speak for free speech and religious liberties, that would be great.

Oh.  Now you are starting to piss me off.  You think that it’s your “free speech” right to fool people into thinking that you speak for the City?  You think that it’s your “religious liberty” to favor illegal — repeat, ILLEGAL — discrimination?

You WILL be Made to Care

YOU WILL BE MADE TO CARE!

Please tell me that this isn’t going to turn into a paranoid rant about wedding cakes….

Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Oregon refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple because owners felt it violated their religious beliefs and have been fined $135,000 with threats to lien their house if they don’t pay by this week.

They are LIABLE because Oregon law says that a business can’t discriminate against the public on this basis, just like you can’t discriminate against Blacks or against interracial couples if you provide services to the public.  They got a BIG FINE because they did things like giving out the home address of the couple, leading them to suffer from significant harassment.  The SIZE of the fine wasn’t for being anti-gay, it was for violating their privacy and leading to harm.

The City Seal is Gone

No, I just checked the City website.  It’s still there.

My last email had this picture of the city seal in its photo montage. I used this picture, in a picture montage, in a private email, from my personal email account, that stated it was paid for by Scott Peotter for City Council 2014. Yet somehow people were confused as to who I was representing.

If you can’t understand that you as a public official cannot use the City Seal to promote your private opinions, even if in a private email from your personal account, then you probably SHOULD resign, because that is pretty basic stuff.

LGBT activists alleged that I was purporting to represent the city, council, or constituents by its use, so at the request of the mayor I removed it.

But YOU DID IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!  That’s WHY there’s a resolution!  DO YOU REALLY NOT GET THIS?

Please feel free to email me at frightened@gays.com.

(OK, I admit that I made that email address up — but I didn’t want to out him.)

We’ll have more describing what happened at the meeting when it’s available.