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Well, it's the eve of

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the great debate in Cobb County

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tomorrow the county
commission there

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is going to vote on
money for the arts in

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a controversy about
family values and gays.

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Channel Five's Jim Kaiserski reports it's
one of the hottest issues

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ever to go before the
Cobb County Commission.

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Okay, you're against the art funding. 


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So many calls have come into the
Cobb County Commission

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about tomorrow's vote,

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the county was forced
to open a phone bank.

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Elva Dornbusch says most of

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the calls she's logged support
Commissioner Gordon Wysong,

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and that's a lot of calls.

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How many you think you got?

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Ah, oh gosh, about six thousand.

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County Commissioner Gordon Wysong

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has strong views about homosexuality.

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Homosexuality is
basically amoral in

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every society that we know

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of from recorded history forward.

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There hasn't been any
society that's adopted and

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endorsed homosexuality
as a normal practice.

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And I don't think this
should be the first.

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Wysong does not believe

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the County should
pay for anything

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contrary to what's
defined as family values,

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and that includes the
arts in a production

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that the Theatre on the Square.

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in Marietta. The Theatre is

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putting on a play with a
Christian theme right now,

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but earlier this year it put

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on "Lips Together, Teeth Apart."

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Wysong didn't see the play,

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but two people he sent to see it

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told him it had a gay theme.

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Michael Horne says it wasn't so.

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It was a respected Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

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It had no homosexual theme
as Wysong charges.

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Almost ten thousand
people saw the play.

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We received no letters of
complaint about the play,

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and in fact, our subscribers,

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which are 4100 people,

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primarily of Cobb County,

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throughout Cobb County,
voted Lips Together,

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Teeth Apart, their favorite
play of the entire season.

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Commissioner Wysong says

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that the production
in the Theatre on

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the Square in Marietta
raised his level of concern.

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But what really got him started,

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he said, were events in
Atlanta and Washington.

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In Washington there was
the Gay Rights March.

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Wysong says gays
there announced

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a goal of establishing
a curriculum in

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every public school which teaches

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acceptance of the gay
lifestyle. He's against that.

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The other event was the

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domestic partners
debate in Atlanta.

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It passed giving
homosexual partners of

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city workers the same benefits

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as heterosexual
marriage partners.

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And now the legislature will

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take up that issue next year.

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The Cobb arts vote, he says,

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will send a message
to legislators. 

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That heterosexual marriage
is sanctioned

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by the government and
homosexual marriage is not.

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Commissioner Wysong says
he believes a majority of

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the five county commissioners
will vote not to fund,

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quote, those
activities which seek

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to contravene existing
community standards,

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end quote. That would
mean a loss of

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about forty thousand dollars from

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the budget of the
Theatre on the Square. John? 

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We'll see how the vote comes out.

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Jim, thank you very much.

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Up next on eyewitness news at six...

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This is Georgia's News at Ten.

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The explosive controversy
over arts funding in

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Cobb County comes to a
boiling point tonight

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as county commissioners
vote to kill all arts funding. 

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Good evening.

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I'm Kevin Cokely and
I'm Karen Greer.

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The vote comes
after two weeks of

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emotional debate over the
Commission's resolution

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condemning the gay lifestyle in

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favor of so-called family values,

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and a proposal to restrict
arts funding. Earlier today,

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hundreds of people attended the
 second public hearing,

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and then tonight's
commission meeting,

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where are the vote cut
funding altogether.

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News at Ten's Lu Ann Sodano
 joins us now from

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Marietta. Lu Ann? 

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Kevin and Karen, the Commission room was
filled to capacity tonight.

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The overflow crowd spilled
out onto the Marietta Square.

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They all came to hear

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the final vote on the
plan to cut arts funding.

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The culmination of
weeks of heated debate.

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Harsh words among
opponents subsided for

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a few moments tonight
at the crowd anxiously

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waited for the Cobb
County Commissioners.

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The crowd was waiting

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for the Commission's
vote on whether to

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kill funding for the
arts in the county.

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Commission Chairman Bill Byrne began

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the meeting by saying that

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government spending must be
based on need and not desire.

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I move that we remove all local grant funding 

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for the arts and theater 
from the fiscal '94 budget

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and redirect those funds

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to the Department of Public Safety
for the purpose of purchasing

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video cameras for all our police patrol cars

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and to procure trained dogs for our K-9 unit

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in an effort to better enforce the laws 
within our community.

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Commissioner Bill Cooper
had reportedly been

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set to cast the lone dissenting vote,

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but tonight set the
record straight.

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My position has been very consistent,


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that I would not decide on the issue


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the proposed ordinance change 
or total cancellation of the arts grants


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until both public hearings had
been completed.

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Moments later, the vote was taken.

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Motion carries, 5-0.
Thank you, gentlemen.

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[clapping]

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Opponents of the measure say

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the Commission's action
could have a

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devastating impact on

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private funding for the
arts in Cobb County.

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If the community does not
give to the arts,

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then private contributors say that
the community does not value

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those arts organizations and
they will not give funds.

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The - There will be a domino
effect that's going to hurt

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the arts community well beyond

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this money from the
County Commission.

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The sponsor of the original measure

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to restrict arts funding doesn't see it that way.

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That this is going to become

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a cultural wasteland over a

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$125 thousand is ludicrous.

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It's not our job to support

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that business anymore than
it is to support a mall.

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There are lots of businesses

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in Cobb County that
would love to have a subsidy.

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Arts has no special rank in those businesses.

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Meanwhile, outside the commission
meeting room,

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the reaction to the
vote turned raucous.

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Neo-Nazis, we say no!

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Homophobia's got to go!

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Neo-Nazis, we say no!

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Homophobia's -

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Police stood by,
ready if needed.

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One man in the crowd
was from Athens, Georgia

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and came to
support the commissioners.

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We don't- We've got no hate 
against these people.

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They are the ones
that's saying we hate them.

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I don't hate homosexuals.


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I mean, I hate the deed. I don't- 
I don't agree with what they- 

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they are, but I don't hate them. 


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I mean, that's not- 
that's the Christian way.

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I disagree with any
sort of hate politics,

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and I was very proud of

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Cobb County when it began
to fund the arts. 

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The way it sounded tonight was that 
this issue didn't evolve

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evolve from homophobia,
but in fact, it did.

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It was in fear of lawsuits
and the funding of the arts.

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And I'm very disappointed
in Cobb County.

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If in fact Cobb County commissioners 
were fearful that a plan to restrict

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arts fundings to certain
groups would trigger lawsuits,

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they were right. 
The ACLU had planned to

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file a suit if that original
proposal went into effect.

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Things though it may not have

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changed even with this new plan

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to cut arts fundings
altogether for all groups.

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The ACLU said it is reviewing
its position

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 and may well in fact file suit.


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Live in Cobb County, Lu Ann Sodano.
Channel 46 News at Ten.

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This is definitely not
the end of this debate.

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Yeah, far from it,
right Lu Ann?

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Not at all.

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Thanks. An arrest -

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[...] County, we say no!
Homophobia's got to go!

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People angry about the outcome
were in the streets tonight

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after the Cobb County
Commission voted

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to stop using any taxpayers'
money for the arts.

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That unanimous decision to

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eliminate government
funding for the arts

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and the angry
reaction to the vote

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make up our top story
here on the night beats.

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The controversy erupted when

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some people complained
about a play.

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It touched on homosexual issues.

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The complaints escalated into

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a firestorm over family values.

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Tonight, the Cobb
County Commission

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voted five to nothing to

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eliminate all government
funding for the arts.

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Channel Two's Lynn
Harasin begins

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our live team coverage. 
Lynn?

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Monica, things are finally

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quiet here on the 
square in Marietta.

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That was hardly the case
a few hours ago.

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The three hours of public debate

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this afternoon seemed to have

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no effect on the commissioners.

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For weeks it was expected
that Cobb would get out of

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the arts business and
that's just what happened.

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[inaudible] anti-gay!
Cobb Commission KKK!

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Gay protesters and arts
activists expected

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the Cobb Commission's vote
even before it was passed.

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Commission Chairman Bill Byrne,

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surprised no one with
his recommendation,

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which he announced ten days ago.

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I move that we remove all local grant

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funding for the arts and theater

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from the fiscal '94 budget,

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redirect those funds to

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the Department of
Public Safety for

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the purpose of purchasing

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video cameras for all
our police patrol cars

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to procure trained
dogs for our K9 unit.

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Call a question.
Motion carries, 5-0.

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With that, Cobb County got
out of the arts business,

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and eleven Cobb arts groups will
lose their public funding.

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Still many people believe the
vote was really anti-gay.

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I'm angry and I'm very sad.

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It was Commissioner Gordon

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00:09:07,100 --> 00:09:08,630
Wysong who introduced

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both the anti-gay resolution and

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the original motion to
limit arts funding.

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There are no negative economic

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consequences from what we did.

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I've gotten letters from
businesses all over

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the country who have praising
us for what we're doing.

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One who said they're opening

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nine more branches
in our county.

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But the Chairwoman 
of the Board

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of the Theatre in
the Square says,

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she's been interviewed by
people all across the nation.

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And everyone, she says, 
is appalled.

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I am saddened to think that
we've gotten to this place,

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although I've said all along

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that was the agenda
to begin with.

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The worst part is that we had to

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do it in a very cruel fashion.

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That brought all
kinds of bad feelings in

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among all the Cobb County
citizens. I lay that at

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Gordon Wysong's feet.

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Commissioner Wysong told me he

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believes the whole issue
will now go away,

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but apparently it will not.

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Gay activists will hold a
news conference tomorrow

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on the square in Marietta
to announce their next step.

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We're live in Marietta,
Lynn Harasin, Channel Two

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00:10:07,910 --> 00:10:10,160
Action News Night Beat.
Lynn, thank you.

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Reaction to the commissioners'
vote was immediate,

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especially outside
the meeting room.

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Our team coverage continues now

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with Steve Filmer who reports on

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00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:19,000
the anger and the protests
that follows.

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On the Square, TV monitors 
blared the vote as it happens.

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Motion carries, 5-0.
Thank you, gentlemen.

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Shame! Shame!
Shame! Shame! Shame!

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00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,230
We live in Cobb County
for a reason and

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00:10:33,230 --> 00:10:35,555
we support the decision
that came down so far.

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00:10:35,555 --> 00:10:37,070
Gays, lesbians and

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00:10:37,070 --> 00:10:38,660
their supporters swarmed over

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00:10:38,660 --> 00:10:40,500
to the county office building.

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00:10:40,500 --> 00:10:43,000
Commission and the Klan
work hand in hand!

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00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:46,000
Commission and the Klan
work hand in hand!

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00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,475
It's always a tragedy
when a county in

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Georgia is seen by the
rest of America as

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being backwards, 
Southern stupid backwater

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and that's what's happening
in Cobb County again,

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and I'm ashamed of it.

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I'm not surprised at all. 
The thing is 

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00:11:02,540 --> 00:11:04,070
that I'm here to let
them know that as

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a resident Cobb County

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00:11:05,630 --> 00:11:07,640
I do-  I do not like
what's happening here.

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00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:08,930
I do not appreciate it.

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00:11:08,930 --> 00:11:10,370
Across the street stood

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00:11:10,370 --> 00:11:12,845
supporters of the
anti-gay resolution.

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00:11:12,845 --> 00:11:14,900
We don't have any
morals in the world

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00:11:14,900 --> 00:11:16,909
today and we need to reinstate

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00:11:16,909 --> 00:11:19,100
the morals for the children and

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00:11:19,100 --> 00:11:21,785
the generation that's
growing up behind us.

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00:11:21,785 --> 00:11:26,000
This is not an issue about taxation.
That's right!

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00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:29,450
This is an issue of American culture.

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00:11:29,450 --> 00:11:32,525
Police kept a lid on it all.
Within about an hour,

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00:11:32,525 --> 00:11:34,160
the shouting was over.

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00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:36,170
In many ways, this small theater is

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00:11:36,170 --> 00:11:37,340
where these big issues got

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00:11:37,340 --> 00:11:38,840
started and now the theater

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00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:40,595
is hanging out this black awning.

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00:11:40,595 --> 00:11:43,355
Not because the theatre
is going to close.

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00:11:43,355 --> 00:11:45,380
The people who run
this theater say it is

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00:11:45,380 --> 00:11:47,645
simply a statement
about how they feel,

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00:11:47,645 --> 00:11:49,850
about what's going
on in Cobb County.

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00:11:49,850 --> 00:11:51,650
In Marietta,
Steve Filmer,

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00:11:51,650 --> 00:11:53,795
Channel Two Action News
on the Night Beat.

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00:11:53,795 --> 00:11:55,520
So here's the bottom line on

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the controversial vote on

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00:11:56,660 --> 00:11:58,070
money for the arts
in Cobb County.

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00:11:58,070 --> 00:11:59,870
The county commission
voted unanimously to

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00:11:59,870 --> 00:12:02,345
eliminate county funding
for all arts programs.

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00:12:02,345 --> 00:12:04,445
There was an immediate
and angry protest

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00:12:04,445 --> 00:12:06,575
by gay activists and
art supporters.

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00:12:06,575 --> 00:12:09,065
The funding cut will take
effect on October first.

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00:12:09,065 --> 00:12:11,500
The money will be reallocated to
public safety.

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00:12:11,500 --> 00:12:13,880
Tonight police say-

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00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:17,100
It's Wednesday, August 25th, 1993.

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00:12:17,100 --> 00:12:20,500
World News This Morning
continues with Lisa McRee.

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00:12:20,500 --> 00:12:23,540
And for those of you who
are just joining us here,

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00:12:23,540 --> 00:12:25,130
the morning's top
news stories.

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00:12:25,130 --> 00:12:27,590
American planes have
made an airdrop

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00:12:27,590 --> 00:12:30,800
of food to starving Muslims
in the Bosnian city of Mostar.

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00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:32,270
The UN hopes a truck

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00:12:32,270 --> 00:12:34,550
convoy will get food
there later today.

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00:12:34,550 --> 00:12:35,870
ABC News has learned that

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00:12:35,870 --> 00:12:37,460
the Clinton administration may

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00:12:37,460 --> 00:12:39,290
help finance health care reform,

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00:12:39,290 --> 00:12:43,100
cutting $200 billion from
Medicare and Medicaid.

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00:12:43,100 --> 00:12:45,620
And Michael Jackson
responds to news of

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00:12:45,620 --> 00:12:47,570
a police investigation
by saying he

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00:12:47,570 --> 00:12:50,555
will be cleared of
any wrongdoing.

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00:12:50,555 --> 00:12:52,595
In Cobb County, Georgia,

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00:12:52,595 --> 00:12:54,500
the same county
commissioners who voted

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00:12:54,500 --> 00:12:57,200
two weeks ago to
condemn homosexuality,

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00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:00,035
have now voted to eliminate
funding for the arts.

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00:13:00,035 --> 00:13:01,760
Last night's five to nothing vote

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00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:03,905
came after a heated
public meeting.

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00:13:03,905 --> 00:13:08,075
More on that story from Cobb
County and ABC's Al Dale.

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00:13:08,075 --> 00:13:11,150
Gay activists, their
opponents, and members of

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00:13:11,150 --> 00:13:13,820
the arts community crowded
into the hearing room to

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00:13:13,820 --> 00:13:14,900
present their views to

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00:13:14,900 --> 00:13:17,765
the County Commissioners.
At issue, whether to delete

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00:13:17,765 --> 00:13:20,150
taxpayer funding of
arts programs that do

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00:13:20,150 --> 00:13:22,775
not reflect
family-oriented standards.

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00:13:22,775 --> 00:13:24,350
We have sexual deviants trying to

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00:13:24,350 --> 00:13:26,525
influence our schools,
churches, and government.

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00:13:26,525 --> 00:13:28,100
Commissioners, there are artists

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00:13:28,100 --> 00:13:29,450
who have chosen to enrich

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00:13:29,450 --> 00:13:32,870
the quality of life in your
community. Celebrate this,

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00:13:32,870 --> 00:13:34,880
don't condemn it.
The commissioner

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00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:36,080
who propose taking away

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00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:37,490
the funds and who authored

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00:13:37,490 --> 00:13:40,625
a previous resolution
condemning the gay lifestyle,

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00:13:40,625 --> 00:13:43,280
says he was motivated
by a rising tide of

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00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:46,100
homosexual rights
activities nationwide.

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00:13:46,100 --> 00:13:48,710
Holding that lifestyle up as

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00:13:48,710 --> 00:13:52,115
morally equivalent to a
heterosexual lifestyle.

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00:13:52,115 --> 00:13:55,100
That is offensive
because that's not true.

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00:13:55,100 --> 00:13:57,200
After three hours
of public hearings,

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00:13:57,200 --> 00:13:59,570
the commissioners voted
unanimously to cut off

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00:13:59,570 --> 00:14:02,525
all $100 thousand
earmarked for the arts,

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00:14:02,525 --> 00:14:04,100
not just projects that might

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00:14:04,100 --> 00:14:06,050
fail their family values tests.

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00:14:06,050 --> 00:14:10,500
I call the question. Motion carries, 5-0.
Thank you, gentlemen.

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00:14:10,500 --> 00:14:11,400
[clapping]

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00:14:12,670 --> 00:14:16,400
For some, bitter disappointment.

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00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:21,700
Very sad. I feel like Cobb County
has turned back in time.

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00:14:21,700 --> 00:14:25,170
Others were convinced a
victory had been scored.