A TV ad for Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s reelection campaign filmed inside a local Catholic church has been pulled from the airwaves since coming to the attention of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which had not been notified of the filming on its property.
The ad, which asked viewers to vote for Villanueva on June 7 for the sheriff’s race, showed him praying inside a church for a series of intentions, including help dealing with violent crime and the homeless crisis. The church was later identified as St. Alphonsus Church in East LA.
The ad first appeared on Los Angeles-area TV stations earlier this week. By late Thursday, May 19, the ad had been pulled from local TV stations and taken down from YouTube.
The sheriff’s campaign said it had received permission from St. Alphonsus, which is where Villanueva and his family attend church. But the Archdiocese said that the ad violated its prohibitions against the use of Church properties for political purposes.
Full story at Angelus News.
Good policy
It’s interesting that the race is non-partisan, as are sheriffs’ races elsewhere, but he identifies himself as a Democrat. In the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s race, no candidate specifies his or her political party. It’s about law enforcement, not partisan politics.
(Also, the San Jose mayor race is also non-partisan, yet one candidate goes overboard emphasizing that she’s a Democrat.)
He shouldn’t be campaigning in or using a church, but Democrats are often “given passes” for doing so, especially when in Black churches. Their notion of separation of church and state gets suspended when they are campaigning. One example, from the Christian Science Monitor:
https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2016/0425/Why-black-Baptist-churches-are-Hillary-Clinton-s-happy-place
I didn’t (photo)shoot the sheriff.
And, no one should.
Except church properties are routinely used to support and encourage illegal immigration. That’s not political? Puhleeeeze.
Church properties have also been used in pro-life ads. Abortion is most certainly a political issue.
The Church does take positions on moral issues, even if they’re political. That’s different than endorsing specific politicians, or implying an endorsement.
I will speak the truth, even publicly, about abortion, poverty, marriage, hunger, (just) war, gender, race, refugees and other moral issues. But, I won’t tell you or anyone else who to vote for. Christian moral principles should guide our formed and informed consciences and life is the pre-eminent issue, as all other issues are irrelevant for those who’ve been killed. I know of no so-called single-issue voters. But, there are some disqualifying issues. Many would never vote for a candidate who is supporting racism or abortion (to cite two examples).
When men’s territory gets invaded instant action occurs. When women’s spaces are invaded by men, no action occurs.
So no man has every come to your defense? Is that what you are saying? I have had both good and bad experiences. Some men, even ones I did know, have gone out their ways to help me. On the other hand, some have been just plain abusive. It seems to depend on the person.
Correction to second line: Some men, even ones I did NOT know ………….
The sheriff’s campaign should have known better.
It is good to know that Sheriff Villanueva goes to Mass.
Anne TE, are you saying that ALL men are NOT exactly the same?
Hmmm … I’ll have to think this one over.
As a dyed-in-the-wool liberal – I’m unable to make distinctions.
Thank you for the laugh, but so true for most liberals. Bye the way, I corrected the second line in my post to which you referred, so it makes more sense.
There are men out there, even some running for office who do not agree with boys and men being in women’s spaces — including their public shower rooms and so forth. Those are the ones for whom I vote, not that sick man in the Oval Office.
Pax tecum.