Pastor John's Statement to the Forest Lake School Board

Note: Pastor John spoke to the Forest Lake School Board on June 26 against a proposal to rescind an explicit ban on KKK symbols, Confederate Flag, or Swastikas. The ban will remain in place for now.  

Greetings, thank you for providing the space for comment.

I am Pastor John Klawiter from Faith Lutheran in Forest Lake. I've served at Faith for over 9 years while also serving as an Army Chaplain for the last 5. 

While I’m not here on behalf of the Army, I can speak to my role in defending the 1^st amendment right to freedom of religion as it pertains to free speech.

I receive requests from Soldiers that seek religious accommodations to freely practice their religion while serving our country.

It’s not automatic. Not everyone gets what they want. I interview Soldiers to vet whether or not the religious practices they follow are aligned with hate groups or would potentially cause irreparable harm to relationships within the organization.

Someone defending our country would not be permitted to wear visible symbols of hate or intolerance—symbols that our county has fought wars to defend. Why? Because we know that this is not how you build a cohesive and united force.

Additionally, the rise of antisemitic incidents rose 361% following the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

By allowing the explicit language of discipline policy 515 to be removed, we are giving students tacit permission to express themselves in ways that contribute to further antisemitic behavior, endorses racist language, and creates an unsafe environment for students.

In coverage of the school board's process, I read that a rainbow symbol was used as an example of an offensive symbol. As a religious symbol, a rainbow is a reminder of God’s promise of love. As a Pride symbol, a rainbow has never been used as a threat to someone’s life. Nobody ever saw a Pride rainbow and feared for their life or safety. A rainbow is a reminder that no matter who you are, you are a created and beloved child of God.

Please don’t make this decision as a defense of your religious and moral superiority. Reinstating hate symbols is not the world that God intended.

I pray that you have not made up your mind tonight before listening to the voices of your community and constituents. We care about our students, too, and we need you to hear that this catastrophic policy change will have severe consequences. Thank you for your time.