Inclusive Prayers at City of Carrollton

Inclusive Prayers at City of Carrollton

Inclusive Prayers at City of Carrolton
Tuesday, July 12, 2011

By Mike Ghouse

I am proud of my City, the city of Carrollton for adopting inclusive prayers prior to the City Council Meetings. Tonight was my fifth time this year and we began this process about three years ago. We are a blessed city to have taken the lead in the nation to say who we are and we are blessed with Mayor Matthew Marchant and a great city council and staff.

 

LET'S PRAY

 

Dear creator and causer of the universe,

in your name we want to create a cohesive and peaceful Carrollton with care kindness and dignity to every one of the 130,000 residents of this beautiful City.

Dear God,
please accept our gratitude in every name we call upon you; Manito, Yahweh, Elahi, Ishwar, Allah, Mahavira, Buddha, Wahe Guru, Ahura Mazda, mother earth and Jesus Christ.

Guide us to talk act and believe that we are one nation under you

Guide us to value and practice the principles of liberty and justice for all of your creation without prejudice.

 

We have gathered here this evening as representatives of a diverse community.

Thank you lord for inhabiting our city with all of your creation; represented by every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, culture and religion. We see you as one, none and many and in every form; male, female, genderless and non-existent, being and non-being, nameless and with innumerable names.

 

Help up to preserve the diversity and plurality you have chosen for us. 

As we undertake this mission we are painfully aware of the ignorance,

the prejudice, the fear, the mistrust and the hatred that divide people in our world today.

We recognized that these destructive attitudes are found not only in the other, but in ourselves as well.

Dear God, purify our hearts and minds

Dear God, give us wisdom and give us the courage

Dear God, help me welcome Anthony Wilder and Bob Garza to serve us.

Dear God, guide our Mayor, council and the staff to have an open heart and mind towards your creation and help them make the decision that you would be pleased with.

In your name we bow, Amen.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker, writer and a frequent guest on Hannity show and nationally syndicated Radio shows and Dallas TV, Radio and Print Media. He presides America Together Foundation and is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Over 1000 articles have been published on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, India and cohesive societies. Two of his books are poised to be released this fall on Pluralism and Islam. He is available to speak at your place of worship, work, school, college, seminars or conferences. His work is encapsulated in 27 blogs, four websites and several forums indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

 

Carrollton City Council candidates asked about race, civil unions, immigration changes

By DIANNE SOLÍS
Staff Writer
dsolis@dallasnews.com
Published 13 June 2011 10:36 PM


CARROLLTON - The runoffs for two City Council seats feature both the expected and the unexpected. There's debate on the budget and the effects of the recession, but in this diverse city of 130,000, there are also questions rising on civil unions and immigration.

In Place 2, former council member and attorney Bonnie Kaplan faces software developer Anthony Wilder. Kaplan won 37 percent of the vote and Wilder 32 percent in the May 14 election.

In Place 4, Bob Garza, a retired telecommunications manager, faces Cathy Henesey, a hospital human resources manager. Garza had 37 percent of the vote and Henesey 30 percent last month.

Early voting for Saturday's runoffs ends Tuesday.

At a candidates' forum last week organized by resident Mike Ghouse, questions were asked about social issues. Ghouse is Muslim, an immigrant from India and an organizer of events centered on religious tolerance and cultural understanding.

Wilder missed the forum, citing scheduling conflicts.

Ghouse asked what the candidates thought of civil unions of gay or lesbian couples. Six years ago, the mayor at the time, Becky Miller, was criticized for participating in a gay pride parade. Gay groups moved quickly to defend her.

The city doesn't offer domestic partner benefits. Kaplan said couples "have the right to be in the kind of relationship they want." The day will come when civil unions are recognized more broadly, she said.

Garza noted that the issue is unresolved at the federal level. "One of my top goals is that I will represent everyone fairly and equally," he said.

Henesey noted that many companies offer domestic partner benefits. After the forum, she said she supports domestic partner benefits for city employees and added that civil unions can involve any two people who are committed but not married.

Issues of racial profiling and opposition to Islam merged into questions on immigration laws.

In 2010, the city was sued by a black businessman beaten by a Carrollton police officer as he prepared to sell a used vehicle to a customer and took off the license plate. The businessman had a concealed weapon, and a police video of the beating included his statement that he had a concealed weapons permit.

"Racial profiling is something that may be happening. . It certainly is something I won't tolerate," Garza said.

Kaplan said her home was painted with a swastika years ago when she moved to Carrollton.

"I am really Irish Catholic," Kaplan said. "My husband is Jewish."

But the incident deepened her sensitivity to discrimination, she said.

Asked if immigration law is a federal or state issue, the three candidates said it is a federal issue.

Henesey, though, said the city should adopt the federal government's volunteer program called E-Verify for its contractors to make sure only legal residents are hired.

Under the E-Verify program, Social Security numbers are checked to see if they are valid. In 2007, the state of Arizona  passed an immigration law that included mandatory use of E-Verify, and that 2007 law was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court three weeks ago. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce fought against E-Verify in the Supreme Court case. # # #