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Passed the House, but resistance has made a difference…

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!

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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