'HOMEGROWN TERRORIST' BILL FOUNDERS
By Rev. Ted Pike
28 Feb 08
The populist right was stunned last November when The
Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorist Act passed
the House of Representatives with only six dissenting votes. This
bill would set up a federal commission to study and make recommendations
to Congress concerning the “national problem” of “streaming" internet
extremism in America. Online extremism, this bill contends, "radicalizes" unstable
persons and groups, leading to domestic acts of bias-motivated violence.
Far right alternative talk radio and even “homophobic” evangelical
broadcasting lie in the crosshairs of this sinister legislation.
(See, In
Search of 'Homegrown Terrorists') Alone among major Christian/conservative
watchdog groups, the National Prayer Network sounded the alarm against
the Senate version, S.B. 1959. This version seemed certain to quickly
pass the more liberal Senate. Yet, today, the Senate's Committee
on Homeland Security says the bill has lost virtually all momentum.
Despite spectacular passage in the House with eight public hearings
last fall, Democratic leadership seems to actually want it to languish.
Why?
During this hotly contested Presidential race, Democrats portray
themselves as supporting Christian family values. They want to avoid
accusations that they are trying to censor Biblical, anti-homosexual
sentiments on the internet. Many calls of protest informed Democrats
that this bill could become highly controversial, inviting scrutiny
and anger from the right. “Homophobic” pastors and Christian
talk show hosts might correctly suspect they could come under investigation
as “domestic terrorists.” After all, Sen. Kennedy said
last fall that hate crimes against homosexuals are “domestic
terrorism.” Could pastors be accused of inciting such violence
when they preach from Scripture? Absolutely. Kennedy's hate crimes
bill would punish pastors who advocate "bias" against sodomites
equally with those who, influenced by them, commit violent crimes
against homosexuals! 1
It's not too soon to conclude that the Homegrown
Terrorist bill
may well be defeated, like virtually all other anti-Christian, anti-freedom
bills in this session of Congress.
Unprecedented Victories in Congress
Never in my memory has the liberal social agenda been more completely
routed as in the first half of the 110th Congress. As a veteran opponent
of hate crime laws, I always dreaded Democrat control of the House
and Senate. I feared it meant certain passage of bias crimes bills,
including the infamous hate crimes bill.
Yet, when such control materialized, God and the people inspired
Republican firebrands in the House to defeat or immobilize the very
worst "civil liberties" legislation the Anti-Defamation
League, architect of hate laws worldwide, could contrive! These included:
Sec. 220 and
the Shays-Meehan amendment to The Legislative
Transparency and Accountability Act (the lobby refom bill) , The
Executive Branch Reform Act, The Department
of Peace and Non-violence Act, The Employment Non-Discrimination
Act (ENDA) -
now stalled on the Senate calendar since November and the most dangerous
of all, The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention
Act. In addition,
massive calling from a broad spectrum of Americans defeated legislation
promoting immigration policies unfair to the American people and
the “Fairness Doctrine” giving liberals equal time on
conservative talk radio.
People Power Impacts Congress
What's next? To perpetuate their "family values" charade,
Democrats may not introduce or resurrect more anti-Christian hate
or bias bills in this term of Congress. But history predicts that
next January the Democrats will quickly revert to their family and
free speech-destroying agenda. They will reintroduce virtually all
the bills we defeated in this session of Congress -- and more. Under
a possibly Democrat administration their chances of passage are great.
To repeat our victories, we must repeat our strategy of last January.
In case you have not read my detailed description of that strategy
2, here is the short version:
When ADL's hate bill was introduced on January 5, 2007 , it seemed
unstoppable. Yet, the National Prayer Network encouraged hundreds
of thousands of listeners to alternative talk radio and readers of www.rense.com to
visit www.truthtellers.org and
obtain the names of all members of the House Judiciary Committee,
which would soon deliberate the bill. Throughout January and February
2007, many thousands called, faxed, wrote or emailed all members
of Judiciary, loudly protesting the hate bill. 3
Until that time, most House Republicans had shown themselves very
lethargic in opposing it. Example: In 2005 House Republicans
gazed on mutely as the Hate Bill was attached to the Children's Safety
Act and passed in only 45 minutes!
Yet, yawning, jaded Republicans came alive in response to thousands
of protest calls which avalanched their personal offices in January
and February 2007. A chorus of protests from the populist right indicated
hate crimes legislation was a red hot concern for many voters. This
firestorm effectively created at least 11 fighting Republicans in
the Judiciary alone. Their influence quickly spread throughout 180
House Republicans.
Although most Republicans naively voted for the Homegrown
Terrorism bill, thinking it promoted national security,
throughout 2007 they spiritedly opposed Anti-Christian hate and
bias legislation. These included the Shays-Meehan amendment to
the lobby reform bill (persecuting
Christian activist groups) and ENDA (discriminating against Christians
in the workplace in favor of homosexuals). Their feistiness
effectively daunted Democrats from aggressively moving forward
highly controversial anti-freedom bills. When 180 Republicans
(and 57 Democrats) finally shouted “NO!” to
the hate bill/arms bill passage in December, Democrat power brokers
were forced to strip the hate bill as an amendment of the arms bill.
The evangelical right, virtually oblivious to the hate bill's presence
in the House Judiciary, had entered the hate bill fray in mid-February
2007. Their massive calling powerfully increased momentum against
the hate bill and other bias crimes legislation throughout the spring.
This movement encouraged President Bush to threaten veto of the hate
bill and ENDA, casting a wet blanket over the liberal bias crimes
agenda. Yet the many victories for freedom over the last year would
have been impossible without the lobbying groundwork laid by the
populist right at the beginning of the year.
Back into Battle
Much anti-family, pro-hate law activity and legislation is going
on in America today, especially in state legislatures and in local
communities. The National Prayer Network will continue to expose
and educate against these trends. Yet ten months from now, I will
again be on high alert on the federal level, sounding the alarm on
talk radio and the internet every time an Orwellian bill is introduced
into Congress. At www.truthtellers.org will
be posted the names of every member of the committees to which such
bills are assigned. Protest must be immediate and incessant. Once
again, we must create massive fervent opposition to all bias-crimes
legislation. We can again energize House Republicans to present an
even stronger vanguard of criticism and delay!
Although many Christian/conservatives are deeply disappointed by
the demise of Rep. Ron Paul’s bid for Presidency, we should
be encouraged. We have shown that during critical moments of emergency
and opportunity, if America calls to God and to key members of Congress,
we can save freedom! I have no idea how proactive evangelical
watchdogs groups will be next January. Realistically, their record
has been very largely one of inattention, lack of imagination, and
missed opportunities. 4 But count on the National Prayer Network
to sound the alarm.
The rest is up to you.
Endnotes:
1. The present federal hate bill derives its authority from the
original federal hate law, passed in the late 1960s but lacking enforcement
authority. It says in U.S.C. title 18, section 2A: "Whoever
commits an offense against the United States [a hate crime] or aids,
abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures its commission is
punished as a principal."
2. See, 2007:
Year of Failure for Orwellian Bills
3. Conventional lobbying ethics, as practiced by Christian/conservative
organizations, encourage citizens to call members of Congressional
committees only if they are constituents of a member. Considering,
however, the extreme danger posed by hate and bias crimes legislation
and the fact that members of Congress make laws which profoundly
and adversely affect all Americans, I assert the right of every citizen
to protest to every member of Congress -- even if it causes them
annoyance.
4. The repeated failures of most new right watchdog groups to warn
of imminent hate bill passage are recounted in my video alert, "Betrayed:
How New Right Leaders Endangered Freedom."
Rev. Ted Pike is director of the National Prayer Network, a Christian/conservative
watchdog 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
