18 May, 2009 By Rev. Ted Pike

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.

I disagree. Much has been done through practical action to slow and help defeat the hate bill in this Congress…

1. Protest calls energized Republicans in the Judiciary to strongly oppose the hate bill.

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.

2. Callers forced Rep. Conyers to allow debate and amendments from Republicans.

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.

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.

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.

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.

3. Spirited Republican opposition in Judiciary and the House caused Democrats to make critical blunders.

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."

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!

4. Protest calling forced Senate Judiciary head Patrick Leahy to delay swift delivery of the hate bill to the Senate for a vote.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Fighting to Victory

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!

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 Action Page at 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!”

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.”

Watch the dynamic 10-minute educational videos, Hate Bill Lies:Exposed! and How to Kill the Hate Bills, at 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 www.truthtellers.org, watch our gripping 82-minute documentary Hate Laws: Making Criminals of Christians.

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: adl.org.

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