To the Mayor and City Council of McKinney:

We, the undersigned, want to say something that has been drowned out by anger and political outrage:

Thank you.

Thank you for upholding the Constitution.
Thank you for following the law.
Thank you for protecting religious liberty.
And thank you for refusing to treat Muslim families differently from anyone else.

On August 4, the McKinney City Council voted 7–0 to approve the McKinney Islamic Association site plan. City staff had already determined that the project complied with the property's existing zoning and applicable development requirements. The City was not being asked for a rezoning, variance, or special exception. Under Texas law, city staff explained that approval of a compliant site plan is a ministerial function.

In other words, the Council did its job.

The McKinney Islamic Association has been part of this community since 1997. Muslim families in McKinney are our neighbors, doctors, engineers, teachers, business owners, parents, taxpayers, volunteers, veterans, and friends.

Yet this routine land-use decision became the center of a disturbing campaign of fear and anti-Muslim rhetoric.

Congressman Keith Self personally urged the Council to reject the mosque project, warning publicly about “child marriage” and “honor killings.” We reject rhetoric that portrays ordinary Muslim families as a threat simply because of their religion.

Religious liberty cannot depend on which religion is asking for it.

The First Amendment does not say freedom of religion for Christians only.

Property rights do not disappear when the property owner is Muslim.

Equal protection does not disappear because a crowd is angry.

And the Constitution does not become optional when protecting a minority is politically unpopular.

We Also Thank Former Mayor George Fuller
We especially thank former McKinney Mayor George Fuller for standing up when it would have been easier to remain silent.

Fuller spoke publicly for fairness and against the demonization of his Muslim neighbors. He was booed, called a “traitor,” and physically confronted while leaving the Council chamber.

That should trouble every McKinney resident, regardless of politics or religion.

Courage is not defending constitutional rights when everyone agrees with you.

Courage is defending them when the room is booing.

Thank you, Mayor Fuller.

We Reject Politics Built on Fear
A recall effort has now been launched targeting Mayor Bill Cox and Councilmembers Justin Beller, Geré Feltus, and Ernest Lynch. Under McKinney's charter, organizers are seeking 5,805 qualified voter signatures.

We respect the constitutional and democratic right of every resident to petition their government, criticize elected officials, campaign against them, and seek their recall.

But we equally have the right to say:

We will not support punishing elected officials for refusing to discriminate against a religious community.

Whatever other disagreements residents may have with City Hall, the August 4 mosque vote should be remembered as an example of elected officials following the law despite extraordinary political pressure.

The consequences of doing otherwise are very real. The U.S. Department of Justice recently opened an investigation into Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, examining that city's denial of a mosque proposal and whether its land-use practices comply with federal religious-land-use protections.

McKinney should never become known as a city where constitutional rights depend on whether the majority approves of your faith.

The Loudest Voices Do Not Speak for All of Us
There are thousands of McKinney and North Texas residents who reject hatred toward Muslims.

We reject attempts to portray Muslim neighbors as foreign invaders.

We reject conspiracy theories about Muslims somehow “taking over” America.

We reject politicians exploiting religious fear for attention, clicks, donations, or votes.

And we reject the idea that the loudest or angriest people in a Council chamber represent the entire community.

We are here too.

We are Christians, Muslims, Jews, people of other faiths, and people of no faith.

We are Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals, and people who are tired of partisan politics altogether.

What unites us is something much more basic:

The Constitution applies to everybody.

McKinney has spent decades building a reputation as a community where families can live, businesses can grow, entrepreneurs can invest, and people from different backgrounds can build a future together.

Religious hostility threatens that reputation.

Companies notice what happens in communities where they may invest. Employees notice whether their families will feel welcome. Entrepreneurs notice whether government respects equal treatment and property rights.

But even beyond economics, there is a larger principle at stake.

America works only when we defend the rights of people who are different from us.

Defending religious liberty does not require agreement.

Defending property rights does not require approval.

Defending free speech does not require comfort.

It requires defending those principles especially when they protect people you may disagree with.

That is what happened in McKinney.

Our Message
To the McKinney City Council: Thank you for following the law and standing firm under enormous pressure.

To George Fuller: Thank you for having the courage to speak when others tried to shout you down.

To our Muslim neighbors: You belong here. You are part of McKinney, part of Texas, and part of America.

To Congressman Keith Self and others promoting fear of Muslim Americans: Your rhetoric does not speak for us.

And to everyone watching McKinney:

We refuse to allow hate to define our community.

We choose religious liberty.

We choose equal treatment.

We choose our Constitution.

We choose our neighbors.

We choose one McKinney.

Sign this petition if you stand with the McKinney City Council for upholding the Constitution, stand with George Fuller for speaking against religious hostility, and stand with Muslim families who deserve the same rights, dignity, and freedom as every other American.