Liberals Going After Activities In Your Own Home

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Liberalism believes that the way to make society acceptable is to regulate against anything unacceptable to the political elite. Freedom be damned, they will even dictate to you through regulations what you are allowed to do inside the privacy of your own home.

California, being among the most liberal states in the union, is heading the effort to insert government into your household.

California County Bans Smoking Inside Residences

Sonoma County California, an area just north of liberal haven San Francisco, has approved a smoking ban that disallows people from smoking inside their homes in multi-unit residences. This includes condominiums, which are owned by the resident.

Supervisor David Rabbitt raised concerns over regulating what people do in their own homes. The vote to impose the ban was unanimous, regardless of his doubts.

City of San Juan Capistrano Fines Couple for Holding Bible Study in their Own Home

San Juan Capistrano is known in Southern California as being the home of one of the most visited Spanish Missions. The religious history of the area can be observed inside the mission, but studying the Bible with a group of other Christians is not allowed, and has been met with $200 of fines.

Chuck and Stephanie Fromm received two tickets from local code enforcement officers for holding a group Bible Study in their home, and appealed the tickets to a hearing officer who sided with the city.

“How dare they tell us we can’t have whatever we want in our home,” Stephanie Fromm said. “We want to be able to use our home. We’ve paid a lot and invested a lot in our home and backyard. . . I should be able to be hospitable in my home.”

The 18-year residents of Capistrano are involved in the Christian community. Chuck Fromm, in fact, is the publisher of Worship Leader Magazine. Worship Leader is an international 20-year-old magazine for pastors, worship leaders, musicians, vocalists, sound and visual techs, technology stewards, artists and others.

The Bible Study is held on Wednesday evenings, and normally draws about 20 people. The property is on a large parcel, which never causes parking problems. The study groups are also a quiet group, and the Bible Studies do not include singing or music.

The city, however, disagrees. According to the city, a code-enforcement officer gave the Fromms a verbal warning about the meetings in May. The two citations were issued in May and June.

The crime? The city said the Bible Study violated section 9-3.301 of the Capistrano Municipal Code, which prohibits “religious, fraternal or non-profit” organizations in residential neighborhoods without a conditional-use permit. The footnote on the section says it “Includes churches, temples, synagogues, monasteries, religious retreats, and other places of religious worship and other fraternal and community service organizations.”

Capistrano’s code-enforcement department is reactive, meaning officers only respond to complaints. This means that at least one neighbor complained, though Stephanie Fromm says most residents in the neighborhood are supportive of them.

“We don’t like lawsuits, but we have to stand up for what’s right. It’s not just a personal issue,” Stephanie Fromm said. “Can you imagine anybody in any neighborhood, that one person can call and make it a living hell for someone else? That’s wrong. . . and it’s just sad.”

If they would have said they were Muslim, Code Enforcement would have left them alone.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Sonoma County Supports Smoking Ban in Condos - Associated Press/Orange County Register

Capistrano Couple in Legal Battle for Hosting Bible Study in Home - Capistrano Dispatch