- On May 14, Dr. James Dobson attacked the "Pedophile
Protection Act" with Republican Reps. Steve King and Louie Gohmert,
articulate opponents of the federal hate crimes bill. Thanks to Dr. Dobson,
millions of radio listeners were made aware-perhaps for the first time-of
the hate bill's protection of pedophiles. But how did Dr. Dobson advise
us to respond? He said that for the "utter evil coming out of Congress,"
the only remedy is national prayer.
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- I disagree. Much has been done through practical action
to slow and help defeat the hate bill in this Congress
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- 1. Protest calls energized Republicans in the Judiciary
to strongly oppose the hate bill.
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- During the first three months the hate bills were in
the House Judiciary, (while the evangelical right was virtually silent
and inactive), a steady stream of callers from alternative talk radio and
internet powerfully motivated Judiciary Republicans to fight as they successfully
did two years ago. In 2007, feisty House Judiciary Republicans were similarly
encouraged and dramatized the hate bill threat during two and a half days
of hearings. As a result, 180 Republicans came together to oppose the hate
bill and so did the President, promising to veto both the hate bill and
The Employment Nondiscrimination Act.
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- 2. Callers forced Rep. Conyers to allow debate and amendments
from Republicans.
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- Rep. John Conyers, head of the House Judiciary Committee,
hoped to quietly introduce his longer, stiffer hate bill, HR 1913, into
the Judiciary in the last minutes before spring recess. He was confident
no one would know it was there for several weeks and he would be able to
hold a hasty markup session, shoot it through the Rules Committee and on
to passage in the House-leaving the political right in the dust.
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- Yet several days before he introduced it in Judiciary,
I discovered his plans and trumpeted them across talk radio and internet.
Callers had two and a half weeks to bombard the local and federal offices
of Judiciary members and demand hate bill hearings.
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- During the last week of congressional recess, I also
discovered and publicized predictions by Rep. Barney Frank and homosexual
leaders that the hate bill would storm through a Judiciary markup session,
without testimony or amendments allowed, and pass before the end of April.
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- As a result of our efforts, returning House members were
greeted by what Republican and Democrat offices described as "a ton
of calls." Conyers relented and allowed Republicans one and a half
days to debate the hate bill and propose many amendments during markup,
something he had tried hard to avoid.
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- 3. Spirited Republican opposition in Judiciary and the
House caused Democrats to make critical blunders.
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- Democrats made a major strategic error by rejecting Rep.
King's amendment to exclude pedophiles from federal protection. Also, Rep.
Alcee Hastings made a dramatic but wildly injudicious promise that the
bill would protect all sexual deviancies, including pedophilia. He said
this would guarantee that their practitioners would no longer have to "live
in fear because of who they are."
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- Immediately following the first error, and then after
Hastings' gaff, I publicized through talk radio and the internet what I
described as the "Pedophile-Protecting Hate Bill." In rapid succession,
Faith2Action, World Net Daily, Traditional Values Coalition, FOX News,
Concerned Women for America, American Family Association, and now Dr. Dobson
have done the same. I hope this outrage engulfs the country, exceeding
even the "Tea Party" protests against the IRS!
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- 4. Protest calling forced Senate Judiciary head Patrick
Leahy to delay swift delivery of the hate bill to the Senate for a vote.
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- On April 28, just one day before the bill passed the
House, Sen. Edward Kennedy quietly introduced hate bill S. 909 into the
Senate Judiciary Committee. His action was in rhythm with expected House
passage of HR 1913. I believe Senate Democrats were supremely confident
that their version could be approved without hearings in Judiciary and
passed by the Senate in the same week. They had (and still have) more than
enough votes.
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- It didn't happen that way. Why? It's because protest,
now from the entire religious right, is inundating the Senate Judiciary
members with demands for hearings.
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- On Monday, May 4, I was told by Sen. Kennedy's office
that in Tuesday's Judiciary hearing a vote might be taken to fast forward
the hate bill to a Senate vote. I sent out an emergency alert. The next
morning, phone lines to Judiciary members were largely jammed by protest
calls. There was no discussion of the hate bill in Judiciary.
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- Then, informed that the next week's hearing would consider
federal aid to local law enforcement, I sent out another alert. For the
second week Sen. Leahy didn't have the nerve to bring up the hate bill.
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- Like Conyers, the last thing he wants is to publicly
open the hate bill issue. He doesn't want Republican Judiciary members
asking the Senate Democrats the now red-hot question: "Will you also
refuse to exclude pedophiles from special protection?" We may be bringing
Senator Leahy to an impasse. If he bulls the hate bill through Judiciary
without the much-demanded hearings, he will appear to be short-circuiting
legislative due process -- evidence to Congress that the hate bill cannot
face normal scrutiny. On the other hand, if he waits much longer, he is
in danger of losing support from wearying pro-hate bill senators.
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- Clearly, the Democrats have been thrown back. Was it
through the prayer and intercession for which Dr. Dobson asks? Absolutely!
But, just as much, it was made possible by careful, focused action.
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- Fighting to Victory
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- Our top priority now is to continue to demand hearings
in the Senate Judiciary. These hearings must include witnesses and allow
Republican Senators to raise objections and propose amendments. Such hearings
will again heighten the possibility of errors by Democrats, which can increase
public opposition. It also increases the chances that Senate Democrats,
sick of daily phone assault against the "pro-pedophile" hate
bill, may consider this bill an albatross around the necks of their political
careers. One by one, they may end hate bill support. If spirited calling
against this Pedophile-Protection Act continues, it is possible that Senate
Judiciary leadership may quietly decide to just let the hate bill die in
committee!
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- Rep. Steve King says phone calls are by far the most
effective way to impact Congress. He urges us to call the crucial 19 members
of the Senate Judiciary Committee (available on the <http://www.truthtellers.org/actionplan.html>Action
Page at <http://www.truthtellers.org/>www.truthtellers.org). Call
1-877-851-6437 toll-free or 202-225-3121 toll. Call every other day. Tell
them: "Please hold hearings on the federal hate bill, S. 909. If I
and my friends hear that the Senator has voted for this pedophile-protecting
legislation, we will never forgive or forget!"
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- Dr. Dobson, is there really nothing we can do but pray?
I believe in the power of prayer as much as you. But I also agree with
Scripture that "faith without works is dead."
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- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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- Watch the dynamic 10-minute educational videos, Hate
Bill Lies: Exposed! and How to Kill the Hate Bills, at <http://www.truthtellers.org/>www.truthtellers.org
which explains how the hate bill, S.909, ends freedom. Please tell the
offices of members of Congress to watch it! Also at <http://www.truthtellers.org>www.truthtellers.org,
watch our gripping 82-minute documentary <http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/watchpikesvideosgoogle.htm>Hate
Laws: Making Criminals of Christians.
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- Let the Anti-Defamation League teach you how they have
saddled 45 states with hate laws capable of persecuting Christians, and
spearhead attempts to pass the federal hate crimes bill: <http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/intro.asp>http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/intro.asp.
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- TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on this subject.
Call (503) 631-3808.
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- NATIONAL PRAYER NETWORK, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas, OR
97015
- www.truthtellers.org
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