To the Editor:

Yorkville City Council and Staff:

There were many discussions preceding adoption of the ordinance that defines male/female impersonation as adult entertainment in Yorkville. Changing those ordinances will require more discussions.

We are seeing that regulation of drag content is quite difficult, and self-regulation is obviously not an option. It is not an unreasonable request for me to ask that current Yorkville ordinances be upheld until such discussions can take place.

It becomes an especially reasonable request when parts of the country are moving toward implementing the same laws that Yorkville currently has. A council loses credibility in the eyes of its constituents when that council practices selective ordinance enforcement. For example, it becomes difficult to respect council decisions about the letter of election law, with regard to page numbers on signature sheets, while that same council ignores adult entertainment zoning and licensing, negatively impacting crime, property values, and the welfare of children.

Jesus had similar conversations with the Pharisees about their oppressive regime. In Matthew 23, He pointed out that they “neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness.” He charged, “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” Jesus accused them of expending energy and resources to avoid offense in minor things of little importance (straining out gnats), while tolerating or committing great sins such as deceit, oppression and lust (swallowing camels). Although many feared the Pharisees, nobody truly respected them. God eventually delivered his people out from under their hypocrisy.

Molly Krempski

Yorkville