LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING MARCH 31, 2006
HOUSE IN SESSION / SENATE IN SESSION
THE PRESIDENT
Don't be fooled; the official punishment in Afghanistan for converting from Islam to Christianity is still death. Christian convert Abdul Rahman was released because of pressure from the West, but the official explanation for his release was that he is insane. Our brave men in uniform "liberated" Afghanistan from the oppressive Taliban so the new leaders could write an "enlightened" constitution that is contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Shame on us.
After defeating Japan, the United States wrote and presented to the Japanese a secular constitution that guaranteed liberty for all. We did the same in Germany and Italy. Yet in Afghanistan and Iraq we handed the responsibility of writing constitutions to men who had no experience with democracy or liberty, men who hold a faith that is violent and calls for the death of those who do not submit to Islam. In Afghanistan alone the United States has spent $70 billion plus the lives of our young to establish this mockery of democracy.
President George W. Bush is a sincere individual whom I greatly admire. He truly believes, as do I, that liberty is a gift from God and not a privilege granted by government. The God both he and I worship, however, is far different from the god of Islam, who demands the blood sacrifice of infidels. The concept of individual liberty is foreign to Islam and there is no true Arabic word for the English word "liberty." The President's beliefs are so sincere in this regard that they have blinded him to the reality of Islam and its violent intolerance. The general public, on the other hand, overwhelmingly believes that the United States does not have the ability to spread democracy. The current Public Agenda confidence poll indicates that only 36% of Americans believe the United States can help in the spread of democracy.
Having allowed the defeated nations of Afghanistan and Iraq to take up Islam as a form of government and not enforcing a secular regime such as that in Turkey, the President has assured the peoples of those nations the very religious persecution he sought to avoid. A drastic change of course is now needed to salvage the Afghan and Iraqi regimes before they become as much a threat to liberty as is Iran. The choice is clear -- either we step in and present both nations with a well written secular constitution, or we allow them to revert to the barbarism of Islamic Sharia law.
THE SENATE
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS)is the chairman of the Helsinki Commission (United States Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe). In that capacity he issued a statement on the situation in Afghanistan which pointed out the contradictions in that nation's constitution. In the constitution's preamble it is stated that the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be adhered to, but in the body of the constitution declares that "no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam" which is of course based on the barbaric utterances of Mohammed. (Click here for Senator Brownback's statement)
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
On Tuesday the vehicle driven by our executive director, Peggy Birchfield, was attacked and beaten upon by illegal aliens as she waited at a traffic light near Capitol Hill. The illegals, draped in Mexican flags, were protesting possible legislation which would force them to obey the laws of the United States. In Los Angeles, more than 500,000 illegals and their supporters clogged the streets demanding their "right" to enter and work in the United States. Many of those demonstrators draped themselves in the Mexican flag to show their true allegiance. (Students from Pioneer, California and Whittier high schools walked out of classes to protest the proposed federal immigration bill March 27, 2006. The protesters put up the Mexican flag over the American flag flying upside down at Montebello High.)
The Rule of Law in the United States is being undermined by 12,000,000 illegal aliens who drive without licenses or insurance. The average illegal is in violation of at least half a dozen federal, state and local laws just as a result of being here illegally. Meanwhile millions of law abiding people throughout the world who have patiently applied for American citizenship are being denied entry. The solution proposed by the Senate Judiciary Committee led by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) is a law that would DECRIMINALIZE illegal entry into the United States. (Yes, you read that right.) While the House wanted to make illegal entry a felony, the Senate Judiciary Committee removed even the misdemeanor penalty. Then the Senate version gives amnesty to the illegals living here, thus putting the law abiding people who want to become Americans at the back of the line. Many Senators, both Democrats and Republicans have been bought off by Wall Street. The big money boys want illegal Mexicans in this nation, not legal immigrants. Employers have to pay legal immigrants a decent wage and cannot abuse them. Even the big corporations that don't hire illegals want them in the USA because they reduce the overall wage scale. The Wall Street lobbyists are all over Senators threatening them with cuts in political support and contributions if most illegals are forced to go back to Mexico. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist supported the amnesty bill until his phone began to ring off the wall from angry Americans and his Presidential ambitions began to vanish. By Thursday he had a change of heart and said he would not support any bill that contained amnesty. (Click here for Frist story)
THE HOUSE
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
The Senate still does not understand the message from the American people on illegal immigration, but the House of Representatives does. The man who early on had the true pulse of Americans on the issue of illegals was Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) who is also chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus. While other legislators, particularly Senators have been hiding from the issue, Congressman Tancredo has been talking to the victims of illegal immigration. Virtually every day Americans are killed by thugs who are wanted in Mexico and who have simply walked into the United States to take up a life of crime here. It is estimated that more than 15% of the illegals in the United States are wanted for felony crimes either here or in other nations. In some jails in California over half of the inmates are illegals. Wall Street views Tom Tancredo as an enemy and the Wall Street Journal has written several editorials against him. Those who favor illegal immigration are planning an all-out campaign to remove him from office in the next election. Tancredo is also chairman of Team America, a PAC working to restore the Rule of Law in America.
OTHER LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
ONLINE FREEDOM OF SPEECH ACT
The Online Freedom of Speech Act which was supported by the Religious Freedom Coalition and hundreds of other groups has been withdrawn by the Republican House leadership. The bill would have blocked the Federal Election Commission (FEC) from forcing organizations such as ours to file lengthy reports each time we mention a congressman or Senator in these updates. The bill was withdrawn after the FEC issued new guidelines that would exempt almost all Internet political opinion from reporting activity. This organization and most others would have preferred a legislative rather than a bureaucratic remedy to the threat of reporting to the FEC.
PLEDGE PROTECTION AND PUBLIC _EXPRESSION OF RELIGION
We must be doing something right! For months the Religious Freedom Coalition has been delivering tens of thousands of petitions supporting the Pledge Protection Act to Congress. This week we received the assurance of the House leadership that both Congressman Todd Akin's Pledge Protection Act and Congressman Hostettler's Public _Expression of Religion Act would be moved to the floor for a vote. No definite time has been set, although we are hopeful that the Pledge Protection Act will be voted on before July 4th.
PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
After extensive discussions with the Department of Justice, Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) have introduced a bill, S.2140, Protecting Children from Sexual Exploitation Act of 2005, to strengthen the federal law requiring producers of sexually explicit material to keep and permit inspection of records regarding the age of performers. Establishing record keeping requirements for actual or simulated sexual conduct will hopefully protect children from this kind of sexual exploitation. These records must be made available for inspections, and refusing to do so would be a crime. Catering to the convenience of producers has led our legal system down the wrong track. Pornography has become an increasing problem as criminals find new ways to promote their filth.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COALITION
CELEBRATE EASTER WITH JERUSALEM STONE
"The Last Supper" engraved in Jerusalem stone and placed in a handsome gold frame will look like a masterpiece of art in your home. This beautiful 9" x 4.75" Jerusalem Stone plaque comes with a certificate of authenticity/gift card. Jerusalem Stone is a limestone material found in the areas between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, and between Galilee and Haifa. This stone was excavated by the Israelites as early as 1000 to 2000 B.C, and used to construct such historical, religious sites as the "City of Jerusalem" and "King Solomon's Temple". Today this treasured stone is used in all modern construction within the city of Jerusalem. Click here or on image for greater detail.
ALSO AVAILABLE: A Jerusalem Stone cross 7 ½ inches high engraved with the Lord's Prayer. This cross is designed to hang on your wall where it will firmly state that your home belongs to the Lord. As with the Last Supper plague and the Crown of Thorns plague the cross is made of real Jerusalem Stone. ALSO FOR EASTER: The image of Jesus Christ crucified has been etched on this Jerusalem stone and placed in an antique gold colored frame. Under the image of Christ in the crown of thorns is etched 1 Peter 2:24 "... By His wounds you have been healed." The plaque is 5" x 4.75" in size and weighs approx. 1 lb. We ship it in a gift box with a certificate of Authenticity. Click here to view all Jerusalem stone items.
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William J Murray, Chairman
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Religious Freedom Coalition * Copyright - 2006