HATE BILL AND ENDA: LOOMING THREATS
By Rev. Ted Pike
2 Jul 07
Defeat of the immigration amnesty bill was an unprecedented populist
victory proving again (as with defeat of "grassroots" lobbyist
legislation in the House and Senate) that when the American people
protest loudly and angrily enough Congress will bend to their will.
Yet even more threatening legislation may soon be voted on in Congress.
The federal hate crimes bill S.1105, having overwhelmingly passed
the House, remains in the Senate Judiciary Committee awaiting an
opening in the legislative docket. Spokespersons for sponsors Sen.
Kennedy and Smith say that only because of more pressing legislation
has S.1105 been delayed. With 43 co-sponsors, Kennedy's office says
they are confident of enough votes to pass the Senate.
In the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, another "hate
crimes" bill, ENDA, The Employment Non-Discrimination Act,
H.R.2015, is being readied for movement onto the floor of the House
as soon as possible. Although a few of the same feisty Republicans
who fought the hate bill in the House are members of the subcommittee,
they are numerically overwhelmed by hardline liberals promoting ENDA.
I was told by a House Judiciary spokesman that ENDA is being taken
very seriously and, like the hate bill, could move forward rapidly.
ENDA will empower the federal government to indict a businessperson,
landlord, civic organization, etc. for failing to hire or for firing
a homosexual because of his or her sexual orientation. H.R.2015 is
actually a hate law of the workplace because it will indict a combination
of bias against sodomites with violation of the law. This is the
definition of a hate crime in 45 U.S. states. H.R.2015 is nearly
identical to Oregon 's recently passed S.B.2 which makes it a stiffly
punished crime to discriminate against homosexuals in housing, employment,
use of public facilities, etc. Unlike Oregon 's law, however, ENDA
would have 50 times the clout, enforcing special protection for homosexuals,
transvestites, and transgenders nationwide.
Diminishing Threats?
On a brighter note, two bias and speech crimes bills that loomed
as a major threat earlier this year may have subsided. After four
months in committee, Henry Waxman's Executive Branch Reform Act,
H.R. 984, which would require 8000+ federal executive branch
officials to report any call or communication from concerned citizens,
seems to lack enthusiastic support from Democratic leadership. Similarly,
the Department of Peace and Nonviolence Act, H.R.808, which
would create a vast federal ministry of propaganda funded at $8.4
billion a year, has not moved out of the four committees in which
it has resided for four months.
I believe that with popular disapproval of the Democratic congressional
performance at an all-time high (about 75 percent) and the huge protest
against hate crimes and grassroots-persecuting legislation, the Democrats
are having to pull in their horns concerning promotion of these extremely
Orwellian and costly leftist bills. Instead, they are concentrating
on passage of the two biggest, most threatening hate bills, the Matthew
Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act , S.1105,
and ENDA, H.R.2015.
How soon will this legislation be brought to a vote? Probably no
one knows. There is the possibility, of course, that the hate bill
especially may be delayed even longer in hope that the suspicion
and ardor of the religious and conservative right will cool. Then
in a time of major distraction or emergency, S.1105, perhaps as a
rider, could be slipped through to a vote with less notice.
Of one thing we are certain: This is a time for total vigilance
and continued protest. These bills, the most dangerous legislation
in this Congress, have yet to be defeated. Can we do it? The success
of the American people in smashing both the grassroots lobbying bills
and now the immigration amnesty bill answers that question with a
resounding YES!
Here's what you can do:
1. Call your Senators toll free at 1-877-851-6437 or toll 1-202-225-3121.
Tell them: "Please do not vote for the hate crimes bill S.1105.
Hate laws have taken away free speech in Canada and many European
countries. If you vote for S.1105, I and my friends will do our
best to defeat you in the next election."
2. Come to www.truthtellers.org for
lists of Senators who might be influenced to vote against hate crimes
legislation.
3. Send your Senators and their legislative aides my powerful
flyer: Anti-Hate
Laws Will Make You a Criminal. Flyer and names are available
here at truthtellers.org.
4. Call your House members at the numbers given above. Say: "Please
don't vote for The Employment Nondiscrimination Act,
H.R.2015. It is I, not homosexuals, who decides whom I hire or
rent to. If you vote for H.R.2015, I and my friends will do our
best to defeat you in the next election."
Rev. Ted Pike is director of the National Prayer Network, a Christian/conservative
watch dog organization.
Let the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith teach you how they
have saddled 45 states with hate laws capable of persecuting Christians: http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/intro.asp.
Learn how ADL took away free speech in Canada and wants to steal
it now in the U.S. Congress. Watch Rev. Ted Pike's Hate
Laws: Making Criminals of Christians at video.google.com. Purchase
this gripping documentary to show at church. Order online at www.truthtellers.org for
$24.90, DVD or VHS, by calling 503-853-3688, or at the address below.
TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on this
topic. Call (503) 631-3808.
National Prayer Network, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas,
OR 97015
