Independence Day? Not in the House Speaker's office!

For all the good that is happening in Pennsylvania these days, beware of the continued erosion of our liberties. Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys when mounting their amazing victory at Fort Ticonderoga were challenged with their authority in demanding surrender, made this stirring declaration: "In the name of the great Jehovah and the Continental Congress". It's a good thing he wasn't answerable to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives! Consider this:

"It then recent days, news has spread like wildfire throughout the commonwealth that the office of House Speaker

Keith McCall (D-Carbon County) censored a prayer which was supposed to be delivered by a pastor from

Adams County. The edit involved two words: "Jesus Christ."

McCall's office has tried to explain this action in a variety of ways. First, his office said the censorship was an

effort to keep all prayers made in the House "nondenominational" claiming that they don't want the commonwealth

to get sued, and that they are simply doing what other states have done. Then, his office said they wanted to

avoid any controversial prayers because of an incident alleged to have occurred where a pastor from Lancaster

County made inflammatory comments in a prayer he gave. Finally, McCall is claiming that he is only continuing

a policy begun by former House Speaker Matt Ryan (R-Delaware County) - which was three Speakers ago.

Yet, when a muslim cleric was invited to pray in the House, he was permitted to pray in the name of "Allah."

Laurel Lynn Petolicchio, Constitutional Organization of Liberty


Happy 4th of July