Commentary, RAW Video ECSB Rescinds My Invocation Invite, Knows the Legal Peril, Will Pick Prayers by Personal Preference, Limit to Religions They Like

THIS IS RAW VIDEO.  http://youtu.be/2lf1zUXvOSg  It does not include my rebuttal comments from the end of the meeting.  I will upload that later.

Invocation update, Escambia County School Board edition:  The SB attorney said they could face some legal peril if they don't go to a (more inclusive, non-sectarian) moment of silence, but that she couldn't decide that for the board.  She argued that Galloway (May 2014) has not been fully sussed out in the courts, so turning away some (minorities) who want to give invocations might be OK.  She mentioned nothing about discrimination in choosing speakers.  One board member offered to have a Jew speak next time his turn came up.  Woohoo - DIVERSITY (within Biblical constraints, of course).  How progressive!  Basically the board all agreed that their practice of choosing invocation speakers based on each member's personal preference is OK.  They said nothing of requests from minority religions, except that mine was rejected out of hand - mostly for not asking nicely.  They seem OK with refusing non-believers (atheists, Humanists, agnostics) because their invocations would not be "prayers".

The one SB member (Hightower) who had invited me to speak (maybe in December) withdrew her offer.  After the meeting she said it was personal, not religious.  Because I called her out for waffling and because of a social media post she heard about, she was afraid I would deliver Pastafarian or Satanic prayer instead of a Pagan one.  That sounds like a religious issue, not a personal one.  That was not my plan, but there is nothing wrong with those religions and it's not their right to judge them.  She said she couldn't have the audience being "offended" by my prayer.  That's sad.  She ALMOST understands how consistent majority-only prayer offends non-Christians there for a government meeting.

During the public forum, I argued that these prayers do not fall under Galloway (for local 'legislative' bodies), but under school prayer rules, which forbid official-led prayer throughout the school system.  With nothing but Christian prayers for years (some by staff), I suggested they are endorsing one religion and refusing others equal opportunity.  I reminded them they cannot discriminate between religions allowed and that my previous invocations (elsewhere) were within the guidelines of SCOTUS, though theirs have not been.  No comment.

There may be a news story in the PNJ soon.  Video coming - their comments and mine.  The next step is a letter from an attorney telling why they are wrong and need change their discriminatory policies.  A moment of silence is most respectful to all.  If not that, even by Galloway, they MUST be inclusive.  Plan B: I could deliver some alternative invocations every month anyway (during the open forum, but not allowed during prayer time).

Oh, one more note:  I will have to confirm this, but I was told by Ms Hightower that the meeting doesn't officially start until after the prayer.  If that is so, I should be able to talk on the cell phone during the invocation.