Nine object peacefully
By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – The first protest in the 14-year history of the annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast in Slidell did nothing to stop the growing popularity of the event as the largest attendance in memory turned out at the Slidell Municipal Auditorium to hear nationally-known guest speaker Tony Perkins.
It was the decision by the mayor’s prayer breakfast committee to invite Perkins as the keynote speaker that led to a small, but peaceful protest in front of the auditorium with nine people holding signs, and a leader using a megaphone to get their message across.
The protest was called after news went public that Perkins had accepted the invitation. Perkins is president of the Family Research Council, an ultra conservation organization formed by Dr. James Dobson in 1983.
Those opposing Perkins’ presence were critical of his outspoken Pro-Life stance, as well as his position on the LGBTQ issue involving the gay, lesbian and transgender lifestyles. They also made an issue that claimed he was against Muslims.
“Slidell has no room for the lack of inclusion,” said Madonna Enrique, who led the group with her megaphone. “Why are they bringing an anti-women, anti-LGBTQ and anti-Muslim person here?”
Most of the protest crowd was quiet, showing their signs that had similar messages. They claimed the city shouldn’t support the event with taxpayer dollars, but Mayor Randy Fandal said last week that the city does not spend a dime on the event. Tickets were sold for $20 each, with all proceeds going to the Community Christian Concern (CCC), the non-profit that provides year-round assistance for needy families and individuals.
One prayer breakfast attendee, Greg Johnson, who has built a following of over 30,000 on his “What’s Going On In Slidell?” Facebook site, tried to engage the group in a peaceful way, but when he did begin having a conversation with one individual, Enrique did her best to drown them out with her megaphone, saying, “we don’t want any discourse with them.”
Johnson offered to buy breakfast tickets for any of the group who wanted to come inside, but none took him up on his offer. He then left and said, “God bless you guys.”
The turnout inside continues to grow year-to-year, with virtually every public official in St. Tammany Parish showing up, particularly eastern parish officials, while dozens of church leaders also attended.
The Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast was started during the tenure of former Mayor Freddy Drennan, an outspoken Christian during his eight years in office. Pastor Morris St. Angelo and Councilman Bill Borchert founded the event that has received great community support for the past 14 years.
Drennan delighted the crowd by attending again this year and was one of four speakers to recite speeches from several of the United States Founding Fathers. Others to lead those speeches and then a prayer were Parish President Mike Cooper, Folsom Mayor Lance Willie and Rep. Brian Glorioso.
If the protesters thought Perkins was ready to deliver a divisive speech they left disappointed since he sounded more like a preacher than a public figure. He also hosts Washington Watch every week on various cable TV channels.
His message to the crowd was to decide what you will build with your life.
“What are you building with your life, in order to make a name for yourself?” he asked. “If you are building a name for yourself, it rarely lasts the test of time. All of us will build something in life, but it needs to be for God.
“This room of people has been entrusted with building this city,” he added. “If we build something to honor God, then He will bless you for that and He will make a name for you. The choice is before us all—will you build something for yourself, or for God?”
Hearing about the protest that was planned, the Slidell Police Department had over a dozen officers on the scene, inside and out.
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