Tory marvels at the MAGA Council from above.
Missing – Casey McKeon, the “intellectual.”
Extra – the wife of newly sworn-in celebrity chef Andrew Gruel.
The latest Huntington Beach City Council meeting, Tuesday 5/6/25, was a disgrace.
What we witnessed was not democracy—it was a distortion of it. Our elected officials turned a public forum into a stage for religious extremism, censorship, and performative outrage while ignoring real community needs.
Let’s start with Councilmember Chad Williams, who cited Matthew 18:6, a Bible verse referencing death by drowning, in a legislative session. (“Better for them to have a millstone tied around their neck and be tossed into the sea.”) This isn’t just reckless—it’s dangerous. Weaponizing scripture that suggests violence is not only unethical, it borders on incitement.
In the United States, we have a Constitutionally protected separation of church and state—but here in Huntington Beach, our council is actively eroding that line. Williams and others continue to collaborate with Calvary Chapel of Huntington Harbor, a tax-exempt church, to push political ideology. If a church is interfering with local legislation or campaigning, that’s a potential violation of the Johnson Amendment—and we will be calling for an investigation.
What about the Bane Act? Our council is dangerously close to violating it. The Bane Act protects Californians from interference, intimidation, or threats against their constitutional rights—including the right to free speech and political participation. When the City Council interrupts public comment, censors language, tells residents not to address them by name, or mocks community members like Natalie Moser from a hot mic (“Oh God”, Pat Burns)—they’re not just being unprofessional. They may be breaking the law.
This council demands respect while showing none in return. They cry foul at criticism, yet cheer for coordinated attacks against residents. It’s performative authoritarianism, hiding behind Christian nationalism.
And let’s not ignore this irony: the so-called defenders of children brought explicit content into our library, read sexual passages out of context, and showed disturbing imagery—all under the guise of “protecting” kids. Real children were in that chamber. This wasn’t about safety. It was about control. And when you start calling your political opponents “pedophiles,” you’re not engaging in civic discourse. You’re stoking hate and inviting violence.
Ask yourself:
• When was the last time this council addressed road repair, school funding, or ADA accessibility?
• What has this council actually improved in our city?
Instead, they’ve prioritized:
• Censorship
• Book bans
• $7,000 plaques no one asked for
• “Porn” warning signs
• And trying to control what families read in their homes
All while our community suffers.
We’ve gone from the “Fab Four” to a fully partisan 7–0 MAGA-aligned council. This council doesn’t represent HB—they represent chaos, Trumpism, and their own ambition.
We demand the following:
• A full Bane Act review of council conduct that silences public speech
• An investigation into any Johnson Amendment violations by local churches
• Censure of Chad Williams for using violent scripture in a legislative setting
• A formal recommitment to separation of church and state
And more than anything—we need new candidates to step up NOW. Not later. Not next cycle. If you care about Huntington Beach, if you’re tired of the circus, if you’ve ever thought of running: this is your moment.
This isn’t red vs. blue. This is community vs. corruption.
Signed,
Tory D. Johnson
Founder, Black Lives Matter Huntington Beach
#HuntingtonBeachMatters
#BlackLivesMatterHuntingtonBeach
#VoteNoToGraceyAndCo
#VoteYesOnAandB
#Perseverance
#WeWillNotBeSilenced
#ResistHB
#KeepOnFighting
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