Letter to the editor

Dear Editor,

I am writing to you regarding two important issues that the state of Wyoming is dealing with: the legalization of marijuana, and special rights for the homosexual/transgender group.

First, the legalization of marijuana is being nefariously disguised as an agricultural opportunity to cultivate hemp. It is all cannabis containing THC.

The Crook County and Wyoming State Farm Bureau Federations have affirmed resolutions against it. Additionally, the Crook County and Wyoming Republican Parties are also against it.

The drug/crime cartels are known to promote the terms “medical” and “hemp” to get a foot in the door, so to speak, in order to legalize it in states, and from there it is almost impossible to stop the ball rolling towards full legalization. I have seen the devastating effects of so-called medical marijuana in a small town in California.

The “medicinal marijuana dispensaries” were allowed to come in, multiply, and ended up squeezing out legitimate businesses. Crime increased dramatically while restaurants closed their doors and prostitution increased. And worse yet, there was an elementary school only blocks away.

No one stopped users from smoking their medicinal marijuana in public, on sidewalks or anywhere else because the police were overwhelmed with crime, and so was the court system. The town literally went up in smoke, the stench of which could be smelled any time you walked down main street.

The cartels got rich and the law-abiding citizens suffered for it. Statistics in Colorado confirm this at the website http://www.rmhidta.org. ANY form of legalization of marijuana would be a detriment to this state.

Secondly, special rights legislation for homosexuals/transgenders is, and has been, disguised as “non-discrimination” legislation. The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, Crook County and Wyoming Republican Party have all passed and reaffirmed resolutions rejecting special rights for any one group of people.

We all have equal rights under the U.S. Constitution. In our great country of the United States of America, the homosexual/transgender may freely practice their lifestyle, as long as they don’t infringe on the rights of those that don’t agree with that lifestyle. To give someone more rights takes away the rights of others.

In other areas of the country where these special rights laws have been instituted, pastors were forced to perform gay weddings against their beliefs and told that they couldn’t preach from the Bible. Churches have been forced to hire homosexuals/transgenders on staff, and Christian counseling became illegal. Even Christian business owners were fined to the point of losing everything.

The number of civil lawsuits increased dramatically against Christians in a vicious attempt to suppress people of faith, or those who disagreed with a lifestyle choice. Additionally, military chaplains were court-martialed and discharged from the service for praying in Jesus’ name aloud, and counseling soldiers from the Bible.

These are shameful, reprehensible acts by local, state, and even the federal government against hard-working, patriotic U.S. citizens all because of a malicious agenda for special rights that found a way to subvert and twist the law. The U.S. Constitution protects the religious rights of all U.S. citizens in the First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law…prohibiting the free exercise thereof…,” and, as proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, are unalienable rights that are truly endowed by our Creator.

President Trump signed an executive order reaffirming our already constitutionally protected rights as U.S. citizens and Christians. GOD Bless America!

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Burian