We Might Still Kill The Hate Bill!

Rev. Ted Pike
National Prayer Network
Wednesday, July 22, 2009

In order to preserve the federal hate bill from Presidential veto, this morning the Senate passed the McCain-Levin amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 58 to 40. This satisfied President Obama’s demand that 7 to 12 F-22 Raptor fighters be excluded.

The President has repeatedly warned that if Congress sends him a DOD bill with extra Raptors, he will veto it – along with the attached federal hate crimes attachment, S.909.

Does this mean fast forward of the hate bill through conference to the President’s desk in September? Not necessarily.

On June 25, the House voted for the extra Raptors by a whopping 389 to 22. If the American people can flood Congress for the rest of the summer with demands that the F-22s be included in the DOD bill, pro-Raptor House conferees could outvote anti-Raptor Senate conferees. In the end, Obama could still be presented with a Raptor-friendly DOD bill.

It is vital NOW that we unite with millions of American workers in 44 states who already count on some part of the economic benefit from Raptor production. We must join with the defense contracting industry and lobby to encourage conferees in September to include all 12 Raptors. We must work to present the President with a DOD bill most likely to be vetoed — most likely to kill the attached hate bill!

We must also insure that the hard won Brownback amendment is not stripped off in conference this fall. Already, the homosexual Human Rights Campaign is howling to strip off Sen. Sessions’ three relatively mild amendments, approved by the Senate yesterday. The driving ambition of the Anti-Defamation League and their federal hate bill is to end free speech and persecute Christians. Neither ADL nor the homosexual lobby is happy with the safeguard of free speech provided by the Brownback amendment. We can expect Democratic House conferees to militate for its removal from the final hate bill submitted to Obama.

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This would mean that the full force of Title 18, Section 2a of the 1968 hate law, undergirding S. 909, will remain in effect. It says that anyone whose speech “induces” another to commit a violent hate crime will be “tried as a principal” alongside the active offender. Pastors, talk show hosts, etc. would find themselves exposed to the charge that they had influenced commission of a hate crime.

Because of massive, largely last minute pressure last week, Senate Democrats approved the Brownback amendment. Similar pressure must be applied to keep it from being stripped off during conference in September.

It is vital that we begin calling NOW to members of the House and Senate with these two messages:

1. “Please instruct conferees in September to include all 12 F-22 Raptors in the Defense Authorization bill.”

2. “Please make sure the Brownback amendment to the hate bill, which guarantees free speech, is not stripped off in conference.”

Call 1-877-851-6437 toll-free or 1-202-225-3121 toll. The names of all members of the House and Senate are listed HERE at www.truthtellers.org. As soon as conferees are chosen in September, I will alert you and post their names at www.truthtellers.org.

Also, begin contacting the White House with this message: “Mr. President, we expect you to honor your promise to veto a defense bill that includes extra F-22 fighters.” (Comments line: 202-456-1111; fax: 202-456-2461.)

Does this seem contradictory or unethical? We are in war, and these are necessary tactics to save civilization.

It is said that hope springs eternal. That is because there is a Heavenly Father who has promised to reciprocate when we come before Him in faith and repentance – and take righteous action. God is still very able to cause confusion among the Democrats. Scripture says the heart of a king is in His hand – He turns it wherever He pleases. Let us pray that God arouses a spirit of contention between Obama and his Democratic Congress that will result in veto of the arms/hate bill package this fall.

Remember, with God “nothing shall be called impossible!”