CONYERS MAY INTRODUCE NEW HATE BILL IN CONGRESS
By Rev. Ted Pike
23 Feb 07
A "dear colleague" letter to members of the House, intercepted
by Focus on the Family, indicates that Rep. John Conyers (who heads
the House Judiciary Committee) is about to pull a fast one on America.
Conyers is soliciting co-sponsorship for his bill, The
Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, (LLEHCPA). This is
the same hate bill that passed the House overwhelmingly in 2005,
but not the Senate. LLEHCPA is a much larger bill than The
David Ray Hate Crimes Prevention Act, H.R. 254, and 8 pages longer. It
gives the federal government even more power to create a bias motivation
justice system, turning America into a police state. 1
I think H.R. 254 may be a decoy, designed to absorb the bulk of
protest from Christians and conservatives. Because of massive protest,
it may be voted down or set aside in Judiciary soon. But Conyers
will then substitute the bill that’s really wanted by the Anti-Defamation
League of B'nai B'rith, architect of this legislation.
So far, protest against H.R. 254 has come primarily from far right
alternative talk radio listeners. Conyers probably hopes these activists
are exhausted from calling since early January and won’t significantly
oppose LLEHCPA. Busy House members will thus receive far fewer calls
against his even more treacherous bill. Thinking it is less controversial
legislation, lawmakers will be inclined to pass it.
Jewish Activists Embrace New Hate Bill
Already, Jewish activists have abandoned H.R. 254 and speak of
LLEHCPA as their desired bill. The powerful Jewish Council for Public
Affairs (JCPA) instructs its many members and agencies to meet with
House members in their home states during the present recess of Congress
and pressure them to co-sponsor LLEHCPA when they return to Washington
February 26. Any new co-sponsors will then join the large number
of co-sponsors already attached to Conyers' bill in the last session
of Congress.
Conyers could reintroduce this bill very soon. Since Nancy Pelosi
and her compatriots in the House Rules Committee can speed any bill
forward for a House vote, even bypassing Judiciary altogether, Conyers
and Pelosi could almost immediately put LLEHCPA at the head of the
docket and up for a vote in the House.
What do we do?
Large Christian/conservative organizations are very late in impacting
the House Judiciary Committee against H.R. 254. But, thank God, protest
to Judiciary members against the hate bill has been heavy over the
last 7 weeks. This is due primarily to e-alerts, broadcasting, and
educational tools provided by the National Prayer Network and its
truthtellers.org website. Our protest is now strengthened by fresh
reinforcement from Focus on the Family, American Family Association,
and an increasing number of other new right Christian/conservative
watchdog groups.
Does it matter if Conyers changes the title, bill number, or length
of the hate bill? Judiciary members and their staff are getting the
picture: Heartland America hates the whole idea of hate crime legislation!
Our protest has been a tremendous investment in the future of freedom,
because ADL and the Jewish lobby have at least several more hate
crime bills they intend to pass in this session of Congress.
For now, our strategy should stand fast: Keep calling your members
of Congress, especially House Judiciary members. Give them the message
we have suggested since November: "Please do not vote for any
hate crimes legislation. Hate laws have taken away free speech in
Canada and many European countries."
If we continue to do our part, I believe Conyers’ plan will
fail. Busy and distracted as members of Congress are, they will recognize
his bill as hate crime legislation -- which a host of their constituents
forbids them to support.
Of course, NPN will closely watch events in Washington and alert
you as soon as Conyers acts. We hope he won't, but all who love freedom
should be ready to phone all 40 members of the Judiciary Committee
immediately and protest LLEHCPA under its new number.
Since Democrats control Congress and the legislative machinery,
this fight for freedom will be the most difficult we have yet seen.
The Jewish community, overwhelmingly liberal and Democrat, supports
the hate bill. So does the vocal and very well-funded homosexual
lobby. They may well attempt to push the hate bill through the House
next week before the conservative/Christian right can catch up. In
2005, Conyers did successfully pass this legislation in the House
in only 45 minutes!
This moment in history demands commitment and action from every
patriot.
But political action alone cannot save freedom. America has wandered
very far from its ancestral devotion to God and His laws. If there
ever was a time for humility before God, for fasting and prayer for
His deliverance, it’s now.
God promised that if His people repent from evil and trust Him,
He will turn back the enemy.
First, we must turn back to Him.
Endnotes:
1 The entire text of LLEHCPA, with commentary by Rev. Ted Pike,
is available at www.truthtellers.org. It is listed as bill S. 1145
from the 109th Congress but identical to the bill Conyers proposes
currently.
For the high drama account of how this hate bill was repeatedly
defeated in the Senate last session, click to "How
America Stopped the Hate Bill: Battle Not Over", "Federal
Hate Bill Virtually Dead" and "Hate Bill Defeated
in Senate, Yet Danger Remains."
HR 254 is presently assigned to the House Judiciary Committee,
but as a streamlined version of a bill that previously passed in the
House, it could race forward to passage very quickly. Call all 40 members,
available at www.truthtellers.org and protest.
Also call your House member and two state senators at 1-877-851-6437.
Send them and their influential legislative aides Rev. Ted Pike's flyer, "Anti-Hate
Laws Will Make You a Criminal." All this information is available
at www.truthtellers.org.
TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Pike! Call 503-631-3808.
National Prayer Network, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas,
OR 97015
