- In a moment of high political drama last Thursday, the
President informed the House of Representatives that if Congress passed
the hate crimes bill they were gathered to debate, his top advisors recommended
he veto it. His warning reassured frightened lovers of freedom that, regardless
of the actions of headstrong Democrats, our Commander in Chief could bring
the hate bill to nothing.
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- Bush
powerfully explained his opposition to the hate bill. His words showed
that he?s well-informed about H. R. 1592?s redundancy and dangers. His
explanation is probably similar to what he said as governor of Texas, when
he vetoed the Anti-Defamation League?s state hate law.
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- Despite
the president?s reassuring promise, disturbing questions remain. During
his first term as president, Bush said he would approve ?modified? hate
crime legislation. So we have to wonder whether he?ll approve a ?modified?
federal hate law now.
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- What
would a ?modified? hate bill look like? By 2003 the hate bill suffered
three defeats at the hands of Republicans. So its advocates offered a compromise:
they would ?modify? the hate bill. Up to that point, Sen. Orrin Hatch had
steadfastly opposed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Yet he accepted the
Democrats? compromise and soon made a stunning announcement: he now supported
the hate bill! He said it had been ?modified? to ease his primary fear,
that no checks and balances were available against rampant hate crime indictments
from the federal government. The ?modified? bill required that the federal
government take no action without approval from the U.S. attorney general
and his or her subordinates; Hatch, satisfied with compromise, joined with
Sen. Edward Kennedy in promoting hate bill passage in the Senate.
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- But
if a president as corrupt as Bill Clinton appoints an attorney general
of the same character, like Janet Reno, then Hatch?s supposed check on
federal power is useful as a Kleenex in a flood. Instead, Hatch blathered
that America ?should grow up and pass the hate bill.?
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- In
the months following 2004 passage of the Kennedy-Hatch hate crimes amendment
in the Senate, Hatch sobered and returned to opposition of the federal
hate crimes legislation. He must have realized he had been carried away
by a superficial ?modification? without freedom-saving substance. In fact,
the new ADL hate bill was even worse than the original! It allowed the
federal government to intervene in hate crime trials whenever it didn?t
approve of the verdict. It also granted federal jurisdiction for any felony
or violent crime in the nation, not just hate crimes!
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- What
do we learn from the snookering of Hatch? It could happen again. ADL, desperate
to finally pass their dream legislation, could well offer Bush the ?modified?
version he once said he would pass.
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- But
however ADL and the Democrats might prune a modified bill, it will still
contain their poisonous essentials. First, it will include the terms of
the original 1969 federal hate bill. This empowers the government to prosecute
anyone who attempts to verbally ?intimidate? a homosexual away from enjoyment
of privileges or professions (including as a clergyman, Scout leader or
P.E. coach) he desires. Second, it will include establishment of a bias-motivated
justice system in America, where bias motivating a crime (such as refusal
to rent an apartment to a homosexual or hire him as a youth director in
your church) becomes justification for federal prosecution in the states.
Lastly, even a modified bill will unify federal and state jurisdiction
in law enforcement. This is the definition of a police state.
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- Time to Relax?
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- After
the president?s warning of a veto, visits to our website fell by half.
Clearly, many concerned Americans think they can relax now that the president
has promised to intervene. They think the hate bill crisis is over.
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- I
disagree. I suspect the only reason Bush intervened now is because the
number of alarmed hate bill opponents is so high that we are viewed as
a significant political bloc, worthy of placation. The hate bill has gone
before Congress four times during the Bush presidency, being approved alternately
by the Senate and House. I don?t remember Bush similarly coming forward
when the number of protesters was lower. He certainly was non-committal
two months ago.
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- If
the nation begins to relax about the hate bill threat, the president probably
will, too, and become open to compromise. There can be no compromise with
H.R. 1592 or S1105. This legislation is toxic, designed by ADL for one
reason: to take away our freedom.
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- Rather
than putting our future into the hands of a politician, lovers of freedom
must continue to fight this battle ourselves. We must solidly defeat the
hate bill in the Senate. The Senate Judiciary is overwhelmingly pro-hate
bill and we can expect the bill to move rapidly within the next several
weeks. Yet our chances of victory in the Senate are much greater than in
the House. We only need to persuade about 7 senators to vote ?nay? in order
to deprive ADL of the necessary 60 votes to pass.
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- At
<http://www.truthtellers.org/>www.truthtellers.org we list the 14
Republicans who voted for the hate bill in 2004 and also the 17 Republicans
who are currently not declaring their stand. We must inundate these crucial
Republican Senators with calls this week, especially informing the members
of the Senate from our district that if he or she votes for the hate bill,
we and our friends will never vote for them again. It?s especially important
that you send your senator and his influential 8-10 aides my powerful flyer,
?Anti-Hate Laws Will Make You a Criminal.? (Flyer and aides are available
at <http://www.truthtellers.org/>www.truthtellers.org.)
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- Call
Republicans first. But don?t neglect to call Democrats. If you are a constituent
send them and their aides my flyer. In the 2005 vote in the House only
5 Democrats voted against the hate bill. But in last week?s House vote,
14 Democrats crossed the aisle to vote with the Republicans against H.R.
1592! It may well be that the intellectual ferment of the many thousands
of my flyers sent into Congress in the last several months has worked on
the minds and consciences of these Democrat legislators, opening previously
closed minds. The same could happen in the Senate.
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- This
is the week, before the hate bill comes to a vote in the Senate, for one
more upheaval of truth and protest. Victory against the hate bill in the
Senate is vastly preferable to presidential veto. It would re-establish
the credibility and prestige of the American people as those who control
our destiny. Second, it would complete an enormous education program campaign
in Congress, prejudicing many in the Senate against hate crime laws for
years to come.
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- Push Forward to Victory
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- Only
several months ago in mid-February, the new right and its leaders were
virtually oblivious to the hate bill?s existence before the House. Since
then, concern among Christian and conservative leaders has exploded. Discussion
of the bill is also overflowing to the secular print media where articulate
Republicans are raising, for the first time, incisive objections to hate
laws. If this groundswell continues, it could pressure President Bush to
veto all freedom-stealing legislation now being ramrodded through Congress
by the Democrats.
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- This
is not a time to pull back and relax. It?s time to aggressively reassert
our control of government. We must support all members of Congress who
oppose hate laws and let Bush know America tolerates no compromise.
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- The
battle for freedom is now, not tomorrow. Let?s overwhelm senators of both
parties with calls, faxes, emails, and my hate laws flyer. Call toll free
1-877-851-3467.
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- Don?t
neglect to call the White House as well at 202-456-1111. Leave this message:
?Thank you, Mr. President, for promising to veto the hate bill. I expect
you to also reject any modified hate crime legislation.?
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- Rev.
Ted Pike is director of the National Prayer Network, a Christian/conservative
watch dog organization.
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- 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>http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/intro.asp.
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- 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 <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7217700265038533779>Hate
Laws: Making Criminals of Christians at video.google.com. Purchase this
gripping documentary to show at church. Order online at <http://www.truthtellers.org/>www.truthtellers.org
for $24.90, DVD or VHS, by calling 503-853-3688, or at the address below.
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- TALK
SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on the threat of hate laws, both federal
and state. Call (503) 631-3808.
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- NATIONAL PRAYER NETWORK, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas, OR
97015
- <http://www.truthtellers.org/>www.truthtellers.org
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