The Rev. David Johnson and his Rick Perry for Jesus event

Several months ago I published my contract with the citizens of Texas. In that 
contract I said that I would return prayer to the schools and I would allow judges 
who so desired to post the Ten Commandments in their court rooms because seven 
of the ten are the foundation of the secular law.

In reaction to my contract, Governor Rick made a deliberate trip to Palestine, Texas 
to deliberately show his support for prayer in the school. Well, the press caught him 
saying amen to a prayer in which Jesus was invoked.

Then Governor Rick had to back up on his prayer in the school issue. The press 
wrote several articles about the issue and about Governor Rick reversing himself and 
they even quoted the corrupt Tony Sanchez's lackies on the prayer issue. No one 
discussed WorldPeace views on prayer.

Then the Rev. David Johnson decided that he would have a Rally for School Prayer 
in Palestine. So WorldPeace made about 250,000 automated telephone calls to 
Waco, Tyler, Nacogdoches, Lufkin, and Palestine and the surrounding areas to 
promote the event; and in addition, wrote all 333 churhes in these cities informing 
them of the event.

Well the event took place last night, December 17. Of course the corrupt Tony 
Sanchez who has only made statements on two issues, prayer and education (about 
which he has no concrete plans) did not attend. According to this morning's 
American Statesman he was in South Texas speaking. The prayer issue is a non- 
issue with him. Just what you would expect of a corrupt Mafia connected liar. (Liar 
as further evidenced in the Austin American-Statesman article this morning on his 
appointment application.)

After myself, my wife, my campaign manager Dan Kerr and Kurtyce Cole my 
Treasurer arrived, we placed my handouts and campaign buttons on the table where 
people were signing petitions to bring back prayer in the schools. Kurtyce and my 
wife began to hand out flyers to the people.

Other than a very brief hand shake and four sentences of conversation, the Rev. 
David Johnson avoided me. He had already told me through a conversation with my 
secretary that I would not be allowed to speak because I was not an "elected 
official". (Well Rev. David if you were not going to let me speak, one excuse is as 
good as another.)

The event would probably have been canceled had I not called all over the area. 
Governor Rick wanted out of the issue. The event was flat. About 400 people 
attended but it ended in exactly one hour without much of a summation or what to do 
or even a call by Reverend David to make sure everyone signed the petitions. All of 
a sudden it was over and everyone was looking at each other.

I sat toward the front with my wife. Kurtyce and Dan stood in the back of the 
sanctuary along with the church deacons. The deacons then insisted that Kurtyce 
and Dan sit down. After they sat down, the good deacons removed all the flyers 
and the campaign buttons from the petition table. No matter, because virtually 
everyone received one either coming into the church or leaving through the only open 
door. As people left the event, My wife and Kurtyce handed a flyer to everyone 
unless they said they already had one. A lot of people had on the 
WorldPeace campaign buttons which is also typical at events we attend.

During the event, the good Rev. David Johnson not only did not allow me to speak 
but he also deliberately refused to even acknowledge my presence. He refused to 
comment on the fact that I had significantly promoted the event and many people 
were there because of my efforts. Many people came up and told me so. I would 
say my efforts increased the attendence by 25% to 33%.

Well Todd Staples read part of Governor Rick's letter to the Rev. David Johnson. 
Of course the letter said nothing. Just that there were a lot of different religions and 
he supported them all. No commitment on school prayer. No commitment to do 
anything. 

There were a few atheist out front protesting. About 10 who were guarded by 6 to 
8 police officers. And there were the faceoffs by the religionists. All in all a happy 
protest. Nothing like the heated battles during the sixties.

In a word, the Rev. David Johnson did not hold the event to promote returning 
prayer to the school. This was not a God event. This was a Republican preacher's 
political event. Prayer in the school is a non-partisan issue. If stamping "In God We 
Trust" on our coins is not an establishment of religion, then a moment of silence to 
acknowledge God in our schools does not establish religion.

I am the only candidate to take a stand on the pray issue. I am the only candidate 
who, like in all the other issues, has a concrete agenda with real goals and 
objectives and concrete plans. Perry Sanchez are lost and apathetic about prayer in 
the school.

I found it interesting that everyone was talking about "In God We Trust" on our 
coins. And one student who spoke also talked about "one nation under God" in our 
pledge of alligience and the song "God Bless America". (I wonder if you can sing this 
in the schools?) It sounded like he had read my position on the prayer in the school 
issue. There is little doubt that I have set the agenda on this issue.

At any rate, Reverend David made it clear that he was promoting Republicanism 
over God under the guise of returning prayer to the schools. He was promoting Rick 
Perry who could care less; the guy who gives about $500 per year to charity 
according to his tax returns. The Reverend David made it clear that God does not 
want Democrats promoting prayer in the schools. 

My signature statement is "How can we manifest peace on earth if we do not include 
everyone (all races, all religions, all nations, both sexes) in our vision of peace?

To Reverend David I would ask, "how do you expect to return prayer to the school 
if you exclude Democrats"? And how do you expect to return prayer to the school 
when you call upon Rick Perry as opposed to God. How do you restore prayer to 
the schools when you deny WorldPeace?

If there is one thing that I have learned in this campaign and in Kurtyce Cole's 
campaign for Houston City Councilman as we visited numerous Black churches, it is 
that God is acknowledged by many preachers but money and power are 
worshipped. If Rev. David was going to hold a Rick Perry rally then he should not 
have billed it as a "return God to the school" event. 

John WorldPeace
The next governor of Texas

December 17, 2001