ACTION, NOT JUST PRAYER, CAN KILL HATE BILL
By Rev. Ted Pike
18 May 09
On May 14, Dr. James Dobson attacked the "Pedophile Protection
Act" with Republican Reps. Steve King and Louie Gohmert, articulate
opponents of the federal hate crimes bill. Thanks to Dr. Dobson, millions
of radio listeners were made aware—perhaps for the first time—of
the hate bill's protection of pedophiles. But how did Dr. Dobson advise
us to respond? He said that for the "utter evil coming out of
Congress," the only remedy is national prayer.
I disagree. Much has been done through practical
action to slow and
help defeat the hate bill in this Congress…
1. Protest calls energized Republicans in the Judiciary to strongly
oppose the hate bill.
During the first three months the hate bills were in the House Judiciary,
(while the evangelical right was virtually silent and inactive), a
steady stream of callers from alternative talk radio and internet powerfully
motivated Judiciary Republicans to fight as they successfully did two
years ago. In 2007, feisty House Judiciary Republicans were similarly
encouraged and dramatized the hate bill threat during two and a half
days of hearings. As a result, 180 Republicans came together to oppose
the hate bill and so did the President, promising to veto both the
hate bill and The Employment Nondiscrimination
Act.
2. Callers forced Rep. Conyers to allow debate and amendments from
Republicans.
Rep. John Conyers, head of the House Judiciary Committee, hoped to
quietly introduce his longer, stiffer hate bill, HR 1913, into the
Judiciary in the last minutes before spring recess. He was confident
no one would know it was there for several weeks and he would be able
to hold a hasty markup session, shoot it through the Rules Committee
and on to passage in the House—leaving the political right in
the dust.
Yet several days before he introduced it in Judiciary, I discovered
his plans and trumpeted them across talk radio and internet. Callers
had two and a half weeks to bombard the local and federal offices of
Judiciary members and demand hate bill hearings.
During the last week of congressional recess, I also discovered and
publicized predictions by Rep. Barney Frank and homosexual leaders
that the hate bill would storm through a Judiciary markup session,
without testimony or amendments allowed, and pass before the end of
April.
As a result of our efforts, returning House members were greeted by
what Republican and Democrat offices described as "a ton of calls." Conyers
relented and allowed Republicans one and a half days to debate the
hate bill and propose many amendments during markup, something he had
tried hard to avoid.
3. Spirited Republican opposition in Judiciary and the House caused
Democrats to make critical blunders.
Democrats made a major strategic error by rejecting Rep. King's amendment
to exclude pedophiles from federal protection. Also, Rep. Alcee Hastings
made a dramatic but wildly injudicious promise that the bill would
protect all sexual deviancies, including pedophilia. He said this would
guarantee that their practitioners would no longer have to "live
in fear because of who they are."
Immediately following the first error, and then after Hastings' gaff,
I publicized through talk radio and the internet what I described as
the "Pedophile-Protecting Hate Bill." In rapid succession,
Faith2Action, World Net Daily, Traditional Values Coalition, FOX News,
Concerned Women for America, American Family Association, and now Dr.
Dobson have done the same. I hope this outrage engulfs the country,
exceeding even the "Tea Party" protests against the IRS!
4. Protest calling forced Senate Judiciary head Patrick Leahy to delay
swift delivery of the hate bill to the Senate for a vote.
On April 28, just one day before the bill passed the House, Sen.
Edward Kennedy quietly introduced hate bill S. 909 into the Senate
Judiciary Committee. His action was in rhythm with expected House passage
of HR 1913. I believe Senate Democrats were supremely confident that
their version could be approved without hearings in Judiciary and passed
by the Senate in the same week. They had (and still have) more than
enough votes.
It didn't happen that way. Why? It’s because protest, now from
the entire religious right, is inundating the Senate Judiciary members
with demands for hearings.
On Monday, May 4, I was told by Sen. Kennedy's office that in Tuesday's Judiciary
hearing a vote might be taken to fast forward the hate bill to a Senate vote.
I sent out an emergency alert. The next morning, phone lines to Judiciary members
were largely jammed by protest calls. There was no discussion of the hate bill
in Judiciary.
Then, informed that the next week's hearing would consider federal
aid to local law enforcement, I sent out another alert. For the second
week Sen. Leahy didn't have the nerve to bring up the hate bill.
Like Conyers, the last thing he wants is to publicly open the hate
bill issue. He doesn't want Republican Judiciary members asking the
Senate Democrats the now red-hot question: "Will you also refuse
to exclude pedophiles from special protection?" We may be bringing
Senator Leahy to an impasse. If he bulls the hate bill through Judiciary
without the much-demanded hearings, he will appear to be short-circuiting
legislative due process -- evidence to Congress that the hate bill
cannot face normal scrutiny. On the other hand, if he waits much longer,
he is in danger of losing support from wearying pro-hate bill senators.
Clearly, the Democrats have been thrown back. Was it through the prayer
and intercession for which Dr. Dobson asks? Absolutely! But, just as
much, it was made possible by careful, focused action.
Fighting to Victory
Our top priority now is to continue to demand
hearings in the Senate Judiciary. These hearings must include witnesses and allow Republican
Senators to raise objections and propose amendments. Such hearings
will again heighten the possibility of errors by Democrats, which can
increase public opposition. It also increases the chances that Senate
Democrats, sick of daily phone assault against the "pro-pedophile" hate
bill, may consider this bill an albatross around the necks of their
political careers. One by one, they may end hate bill support. If spirited
calling against this Pedophile-Protection Act continues, it is possible
that Senate Judiciary leadership may quietly decide to just let the
hate bill die in committee!
Rep. Steve King says phone calls are by far the most effective way
to impact Congress. He urges us to call the crucial 19 members of the
Senate Judiciary Committee (available on the Action
Page at www.truthtellers.org).
Call 1-877-851-6437 toll-free or 202-225-3121
toll. Call every other
day. Tell them: “Please hold hearings on the federal hate bill,
S. 909. If I and my friends hear that the Senator has voted for this
pedophile-protecting legislation, we will never forgive or forget!”
Dr. Dobson, is there really nothing we can do but pray? I believe
in the power of prayer as much as you. But I also agree with Scripture
that "faith without works is dead.”
Watch the dynamic 10-minute educational videos, Hate
Bill Lies:Exposed! and How
to Kill the Hate Bills, at www.truthtellers.org which
explains how the hate bill, S.909, ends freedom.
Please tell the offices of members of Congress to watch it! Also
at www.truthtellers.org, watch our gripping 82-minute documentary Hate
Laws: Making Criminals of Christians.
Let the Anti-Defamation League teach you how they have saddled 45 states with
hate laws capable of persecuting Christians, and spearhead attempts to pass the
federal hate crimes bill: http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/intro.asp.
TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on this subject. Call
(503) 631-3808.
National Prayer Network, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas,
OR 97015
