COLA: “Government Has Washed its Hands like Pontius Pilate”

Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action, COLA, shares the same position that the Church has taken where it concerns the preservation of Section Fifty-three of the Criminal Code.  While the grassroots organization was never an interested party in the extended litigation, it has remained in the Church’s corner since it joined government in defending that piece of law in 2013.  COLA, according to President Geovanni Brackett, stands firm in its conviction that the group does not support homosexuality.  In fact, it chided the Barrow administration earlier for choosing not to appeal the controversial Supreme Court decision.  Using a very familiar biblical reference, Brackett said that government has acted like Pontius Pilate by washing its hands of the initial position.

Geovanni Brackett

Geovanni Brackett, President, COLA

“Our organization, probably about a year and a half or two years ago when there was a big march for the nation with the churches, we had an executive meeting with our membership and our organization unanimously supported the position of the church.  We’re not in favor of homosexuality.  Yes, I’m a Christian but COLA, the organization, is not a Christian organization per se; but we are a national organization that has to take a position on national issues.  So it is only fitting that we’ve already stood with the churches and any ruling against what the churches’ position was would have been against what we stand for.  We are not in favor of sodomy and we are not in favor of the laws being amended.  COLA is out here today to continue to show that support to the churches, that we stand on moral values and that we stand on maintaining the status quo.  We believe that we’ve been blessed to live in a nation whereby we know many people who are CEOs, members of Cabinet and government who may have different sexual orientation, who are homosexuals or lesbians.  But you don’t see us advocating for them to be thrown out of their jobs.  They have access to education, access to the best healthcare and we believe strongly that we have been very tolerant in allowing our society to actually tolerate their lifestyle.  Now to come and to legalize it as to say now that will be the new status quo, is against what we stand for.  Secondly, we believe that every country or every nation has the right of the democratic right for its citizens, through democratic means, whether referendum, to initiate what societal norms will be and we don’t want a minority group who have millions of dollars to influence our society through the courts.  We believe that the government was never serious about standing with the church.  We believe that they have been like Pontius Pilate by allowing another group to execute what they initially wanted to do.”