THE POWER OF HATE BILL PROTEST
By Rev. Ted Pike
4 May 07
Today, our House of Representatives passed the federal hate crime
bill. You may wonder in frustration, "What's the use? I called
for hours, protesting H.R. 1592. It made no difference!"
But our protests have made an enormous difference. This morning
spirited Republicans (including Lamar Smith, Howard Coble, Tom Feeny,
Steve King, Mike Pence, Louie Gohmert, Mary Fallin, Tom Price, and
Bob Goodlatte) powerfully informed the House and viewing world of
hate laws' fallacy and threat to free speech. The hate bill never
before faced such passionate opposition in Congress. This feisty
response is a direct result of your calls. You told our leaders you
stand behind them now and will remain so at elections--if they fight
hate crime laws.
No, we didn't defeat the hate bill today. I knew we wouldn't. But
losing a battle doesn't mean losing the war. The ruckus erupting
from the religious and political right against hate crime legislation
is reverberating clear to the White House. President Bush today warned
Congress he will veto the hate bill; his threat dramatically vindicates
every message sent by tens of thousands of concerned Americans since
January.
The Iraq war has crippled the religious right, especially its Congressional
leaders and President Bush. Advised by neoconservative Israel-firsters,
Bush ignored George Washington's warning to "beware of foreign
entanglements," and the counsel of Gen. Douglas MacArthur to
never become involved in Mideast military conflict. Instead, America
was committed to an unjust Mideast war for one real reason: to make
the region safe for Israel. Has America been "blessed" by
such military adventurism on behalf of the Jews? No, it has been
cursed.
Although Democrats also voted for war four years ago, they now
play the "antiwar" card and blame our ongoing entanglement
solely on Bush and Christian/conservative leadership. Due to public
reaction against the war, midterm elections took power from Republicans
to favor Democrat control of state and federal legislative bodies.
Democrats now have increased power to legislatively victimize Christianity
and conservatism, stripping America of freedom and moving us toward
a new world order.
The Democrats are relentless. Earlier this week Rep. Marty Meehan
(D. Mass.) introduced into the House new legislation even more crushing
to Christian conservative activists than Levin and Lieberman's Sec.
220 (which was defeated in January). The hate crimes bill in the
senate judiciary is being modified in ways that will undoubtedly
make it even more threatening.
What Now?
How do we respond? Retreat into a shell of fatalism and inactivity?
No! We must call even more intensively, especially to Republicans.
Every call to a Republican impacts the White House, increasing Bush's
responsibility to his party and the will of the people.
Earlier this year, the American Family Association polled its 3
million subscribers about whether they thought Bush would veto the
federal hate bill. A clearly disenchanted 70 percent reported skepticism.
Bush may now see his veto of this pro-homosexual legislation as a
way to win back millions of conservative Americans.
We must generate still more protest over the Democrat threat to
freedom in Congress; the bigger the controversy, the greater the
chance that Bush will veto the hate bill and also new grassroots-smothering
legislation, the sinister Dept. of Peace bill, and the soon-to-be-introduced
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).
Get discouraged and quit now? Unthinkable! We're building a national
fighting machine-- an increasingly outraged and astonished electorate
that I believe is only beginning to realize its power. The weakness
of evil is that it becomes too aggressive, wanting too much too fast.
Democrats' misbehavior and mockery of the people's will is fuel for
our movement that could even potentially deprive them in '08 of their
ultimate plum--a Democrat in the White House.
Move over, Democrats. A really new right is awakening!
Rev. Ted Pike is director of the National Prayer Network, a Christian/conservative
watch dog organization.
Call President Bush at 202-456-1111. Tell him: “Thank you
for promising to veto the hate bill.”
Protest the Senate hate bill! Call your senator toll-free at 1-877-851-6437
or toll 202-225-3121. Leave this message: "Please don't vote
for hate crimes bill S.1105. Hate laws have taken away free speech
in Canada and much of Europe. If you do vote for the hate bill, I
and my friends will never vote for you again." Send your senator
and his 8-10 influential aides Rev. Ted Pike's powerful flyer "Anti-Hate
Laws Will Make You a Criminal." This flyer and names of aides
are available at www.truthtellers.org.
Come to www.truthtellers.org for the list of the crucial fourteen
Republicans who have voted for the hate bill as well as seventeen
Republicans who are uncommitted. Call and protest immediately.
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
the threat of hate laws, both federal and state. Call (503) 631-3808.
National Prayer Network, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas,
OR 97015
