Hundreds attend rally in Tulsa

     Yesterday, hundreds of people attended our rally in Tulsa on behalf of Captain Paul Fields. The news story below, with a picture of Guy Rodgers speaking at the rally, was one of over a half dozen news stories covering the event.  After the rally, Rodgers delivered the ACT! for America petition, signed by over 53,000 people, to Mayor Dewey Bartlett.
     Yes, there were counter-demonstrators, organized by a group calling itself the “Say No To Hate” Coalition. Visit here to see the Fox 23 News story and video of the rally and the counter-demonstration.
     Rodgers’ message at the rally was straightforward: Captain Fields was given an unlawful order to attend a “Law Enforcement Appreciation Day” that included observing the local mosque’s Friday prayers and attending a class in Islamic doctrines—an order that violated his constitutional rights.
Rodgers asked:

Do you believe, in today’s politically correct culture, that a police chief, in Tulsa or anywhere else for that matter, would force a Muslim officer to attend Christian services and classes as part of a “Law Enforcement Appreciation Day”?

Rodgers went on to state that he would agree with a Muslim police officer who refused an order to attend such an event, as this would be a violation of the Muslim’s rights—in the same way that Fields’ rights were violated.
     As for the counter-demonstrators, they did not address the message of the rally, that the rights of Captain Fields were violated.  This is typical. Our opponents rarely, if ever, speak to the substance of our concerns.  Instead, they name call and engage in character assassination—in the name of tolerance, of course.  Apparently, in their politically correct world-view, standing up for the constitutional rights of a police officer constitutes “hate.”

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Downtown rally for Tulsa cop


By Glenn Schroeder

Hundreds rally downtown for a Tulsa Police Captain who they feel was wronged because of political correctness.  Paul Fields disobeyed an order to send officers to a law enforcement appreciation event at the Al Salam Mosque in Tulsa. For that infraction, Fields was suspended for two weeks.

Tuesday’s rally was organized by the group Act for America. Guy Rodgers is the organization’s Executive Director.  He has a message for Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett and Police Chief Chuck Jordan: “Before you lose in court do the right thing now and show the people of Tulsa that you’re listening to them.”  Rodgers argued “This is all about respect for the constitution, respect for the rule of law, and it’s about respect for the rights of a law enforcement officer who was given an unlawful order.”

Those attending a counter-rally would probably beg to differ. Said one woman wearing a 'Say No to Hate' t-shirt: “I think it’s amazing that so many Oklahomans that purport that they are Christians, have such hate in their hearts."

Mana Tahaie is Director of Racial Justice at the YWCA and a member of Tulsa’s 'Say No to Hate'  Coalition: “We know that Act for America is very strategic about using opportunities in communities to gin up Islamophobia.”

Last winter Fields was told by his superiors to send some of his officers to an open house at the mosque. He responded by saying he felt the order was unlawful and was against his personal religious beliefs.