Brown doing the right thing by staying away from Lincoln City Council meeting

Nebraska football will apparently get a reprieve from negative attention as it pertains to assistant coach Ron Brown.

According to a story that appeared in the Lincoln Journal Star, Brown said that he won’t testify against a Lincoln proposal that would add gender identity and sexual orientation to the city’s list of protected classes out of concern that a media frenzy surrounding his involvement would draw attention from the issue.

“A number of fellow Christians who have been working on legislation and working on the nuts and bolts of this issue told me, ‘Look, there's going to be so much media attention over you, it’s going to take away from the issue,’” Brown told the Journal Star.

“Everything inside of me said, ‘I don’t want the media to stop me from going.’ Then I realized it was going to be a circus, and everybody already knows how I think. My views stand the same.

“As I prayed about it, I thought it was not in the Lord’s will for me to testify.”

As part of a Lincoln City Council meeting at 3 p.m. Monday, a public hearing will be held on a proposal to add gender identity and sexual orientation to the classes of people specifically protected against discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations.

The Omaha City Council recently added similar protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to its civil rights ordinance. Brown spoke in opposition to the measure during testimony March 6 in Omaha, generating ample criticism and praise both locally and nationally.

During his three-minute appearance at the Omaha hearing, Brown challenged council members to remember that the Bible does not condone homosexuality.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman admonished Brown for giving 1 Memorial Stadium as his address, and said Brown’s personal views do not reflect those of the university. The university defends the right of its faculty and students to share their personal views, but they must clarify they’re not speaking on behalf of UNL, Perlman said.

Brown apologized to Perlman. Brown, however, wanted to emphasize that he's not staying away from Monday's hearing out of fear he might be fired.

The Journal Star ran an open letter that Brown wrote: http://huskerextra.com/sports/huskers/football/article_d2bea62d-692f-5c85-947d-c848bde4ab03.html

Despite what Brown’s detractors contend, I do not think he is discriminatory toward homosexuals. Prejudice? Yes. Discriminatory? No. Prejudice is an “attitude” and discrimination is an “action.” In his 20-plus years of coaching, I can assure you that not every player Brown has coached had beliefs that were in line with his but he has never once penalized them with lack of playing time.

Brown has the right to voice his opinion; however, the Bible needs to stay out of this issue and even by bringing the Bible into the equation he is off base. This statement has nothing to do with Christian vs. Atheist. I am as big a believer in God as anyone and am a lifelong Catholiche should be more sympathetic to the homosexual community because about 60 years ago he was being told which water fountain he couldn't drink from. **Yes I know he's not that old, but you get the point.** but nowhere in the Ten Commandments or Seven Deadly Sins does it say a thing about a homosexual lifestyle.

Brown has become a distraction that Nebraska does not need. He was hired, and as far as I know, is paid to coach football not his religious theology. If he wants to continue to preach there is a place where he can do it. It is called a church. Now, I know some here think that Memorial Stadium is a cathedral but that is not what I am talking about.

Brown needs to decide what is more important. Does he want to coach or preach? He should not be allowed to do both while at University of Nebraska.

In the meantime, thankfully Brown proves that he is a bigger man as well as more reasonable than his detractors believe.