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HIS BOOTS WERE MADE FOR WALKING

By Frank Vel

Walking from one end of California to the other, speaking out against the Briggs Initiative, taking eighty-seven (87) days to cover about 1203 miles, is not exactly my idea of fun. I can think of a large number of things I would much rather do. However, I feel it is a good way to make a positive statement....a statement that I believe the initiative is (1) unnecessary, (2) extremely costly, and (3) a clearcut violation of the Constitution's First Amendment rights:

1. UNNECESSARY: Schoolchildren are already protected by a great body of laws and regulations. The initiative in no way deals with child abuse or molestation. If a child is abused or molested, the police should be called immediately. And the reason they can be called immediately is that we already have laws covering this! No

sane person favors abuse or

molestation, whether by homosexuals or heterosexuals. California has strict rules governing teacher conduct. The

primary job of a school is to give students the best possible education. That is the important. thing....to provide good education. A person's sexuality has absolutely nothing to do with their being either a good or a bad teacher!

2. EXTREMELY COSTLY: The initiative covers not only school teachers, but also teachers' aides, school administrators and counselors. Cases of dismissal call for two-stage hearings, written findings and judicial review. The cost of these processes, plus investigation, secretarial, record keeping and administrative fees, could be astronomical. Also, we must face the fact that these persons will be without employment and will receive various forms of State and Federal aid. Some people have estimated that the cost could possibly be as high as seventy-five million dollars per year! We are in a period when taxpayers are expressing their anger with the high cost of government. The Briggs Initiative will push this cost even higher.

3. A VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTION'S FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS: Besides invading privacy, the Briggs Initiative defines advocacy as reason for dismissal. This affects the rights of any person to present what they feel is the truth.

The Briggs Initiative is antilabor. It would remove qualified persons from their jobs, even though they may be the very best available persons for those jobs. If this is allowed to happen to teachers, it could happen to any other profession or trade.

It seems obvious that Senator Briggs was seeking a method to propel himself to the job of Governor of California. He certainly could not do it if he ran solely on his record! It seems strange that he made headlines attacking Gays only after Anita Bryant made headlines the same way. It becomes apparent that Senator Briggs was desperate to get the public's attention. He failed miserably, dropping out of the governor's race with only two percent popular support. The Briggs initiative has failed

to garner political support. Indeed, none of his four Republican opponents in the primary favored it. These four, plus numerous other elected officials and candidates, have spoken against it. Even Ed Davis, who has never been described as being pro-Gay, has Isaid it was "UNNECESSARY."

There have been authenticated cases of fraudulent and deceitful tactics used by

only California, but also from throughout the entire country.

Walking acrosss the State of California in search of gaining freedom is a small price to pay. If it would help...I would glady walk to the ends of the earth!

CLEVELAND

solicitors of the Briggs Initiative. GAY

There are affidavits on file with the Secretary of State declaring that some people were told it was not necessary to be a registered voter in order to sign the initiative. Some people were told the initiative prevented children from being molested. There is a documented case in Orange County where a woman was solicited to forge signatures onto the initiative.

My walk is part of the activities of the NO ON THE BRIGGS INITIATIVE COMMITTEE. There are numerous other groups and organizations working to defeat the initiative. Responses are coming from not

HOTLINE 216-621-3380

NO ON BRIGGS INITIATIVE

Dorris, CA Frank Vel will finish a 1,203 mile "WALK AGAINST BRIGGS" on Saturday, 9 September at 11:00 A.M. in Dorris, California.

As a member of the Steering Committee of the NO ON BRIGGS PROPOSITION 6 INITATIVE COMMITTEE, and acting under its sponsorship, Frank commenced the borderto-border walk on June 19, 1978 his 40th birthday. His goal (successfully accomplished) was to take forth into inland communities the message of this Committee, essentailly opposition to Proposition 6, the AntiSchool Employees Initiative sponsored by Senator John V. Briggs (R-Fullerton, California).

Mr. Vel, a free-lance writer, community organizer and member of various Boards and Councils within the Gay community chose this form of peaceful, legal and non-violent method of reaching people in order to make a deeply personal statement of commitment as well as promote the work of this Committee.

He has been accompanied the entire distance by a support team consisting of Stephanie Allen who has done community organizing and route-scouting along the way; Bill White, who has accompanied the Walk with a self-contained recreational vehicle; and Charles James, who has taken on a variety of responsibilities, including the driving of the Support Vehicle. Mr. White has also walked an average of four to six miles a dayquite an accomplishment for a man in his seventies!

There have been one hundred and thirty three radio, television and newspaper interviews along the way. We of the Committee have read each of the written articles, and feel that they have been objective, fair, and have articulated our essential message. The members of the WALK have monitored the radio and television interviews, and report their satisfaction with the handling of our message.

While Frank has been out on his 1,203 mile stroll, the following things have happened to the Anti-Briggs community:

--The Proposition has been numbered; when the WALK started it had not yet been so.

-This Committee sponsored a lawsuit in the Superior Court of Los Angeles, alleging that there was massive fraudulence, forgery, perjury, and misrepresentation in connection with the signature-gathering sequence, and that there were serious defects in the counting procedures.

We "lost" the lawsuit, but feel that in significant ways we "won" the issue in that serious questions are being asked about the validity of Proposition 6 as a document. In an article on Briggs in the Los Angeles Times, page three April 30, 1978, Attorney General Evelle Younger stated that although Briggs hadn't violated the law, such a conclusion"... should not be read as an endorsement of the techniques used to solicit signatures or funds for initiative purposes."

--Twenty-one organizations have sprung up, from Humboldt

in North to San Diego County in the South, in opposition to Proposition 6.

-Rallies have been held in San Diego. Fullerton, Los Angeles, Ojai, Fresno, Merced, Tulare, Sacramento and San Francisco. Vel and Morris Kight, Chairperson of the NO ON 6 BRIGGS PROPOSITION INITIATIVE COMMITTEE have spoken at several of these.

... and the essential message of this Committee has become the subject of state-wide discussion:

1. That Proposition 6 is unnecessary in that a vast body of law exists to protect school attendees, and an equally important body of administrative law, both of which are vigorously enforced.

2. That while Proposition 6 does not indicate any specific cost, a group of CPAs and Public Administrators have determined that it could easily cost $200,000,000 to enforce, and that and Proposition 6 would thus duplicate present mechanisms, and that

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4. The role of teachers in our society is to teach, and they should be judged on their ability to do that, and do it well.

·

As for Frank Vel's future plans upon his return from Dorris. he has been scheduled as the speaker at various rallies, and will return to the Committee's headquarters as one of several of its fulltime, all-volunteer staff members, to work until 7 November, 1978, when Californians will have an opportunity to vote upon Proposition 6.

VACATION

NOTES

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