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I Fight Back. I Make No Apology for This. I Will Fight Even Harder. [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-07-10
A diary today by novapsyche, located here, took me to task for the fiery language I use to describe our opponents—who call us the enemy—and said that I was employing hate speech comparable to using the N-word. I was told we must be better than this.
Whew. I had to process that for a while.
Before I respond, let me thank the many, many people who defended me in the comments thread below novapsyche’s post. I appreciate your words of support more than you know. And I appreciate your fighting spirit, and your unbreakable will to resist.
Now, let me preface my response with some salient quotes and other evidence.
"Everyone talks about religious liberty, but no one believes it. So let us be blunt about it: we must use the doctrine of religious liberty to gain independence for Christian schools until we train up a generation of people who know that there is no religious neutrality, no neutral law, no neutral education, and no neutral civil government. Then they will get busy in constructing a Bible-based social, political, and religious order which finally denies the religious liberty of the enemies of God." --Gary North, Christian Reconstructionist
Christian Reconstructionism?
Perhaps the most radical definition of such freedom comes out of the relatively obscure tradition of Christian Reconstructionism, the subject of a new book by religious studies scholar Julie Ingersoll, "Building God's Kingdom: Inside the World of Christian Reconstructionism." As Ingersoll explains, Reconstructionists basically reject the entire framework of secular political thought in which individual rights have meaning, so “freedom” as most Americans understand the term is not the issue at all. Indeed, they argue that such “freedom” is actually slavery—slavery to sin, that is. Reconstructionists aim to establish a theocracy, though most would no doubt bristle at that description. They do not want to “take over the government” so much as they want to dismantle it. But the end result would be a social order based on biblical law—including all those Old Testament goodies like stoning gay people to death, while at the same time justifying “biblical slavery.” These extreme views are accurate, Ingersoll explained, but at the same time quite misleading in suggesting that Reconstructionism is a fringe movement with little influence on the culture. What is
This year, Hawley said, he was focused on the left's "efforts to unmake history." But after the standard conservative reference to 1776 and the contention that "the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God," Hawley went a step further, saying that notion "comes from the Bible" and that, in fact, America's founding had only been possible because of the Bible. "We are a revolutionary nation precisely because we are the heirs of the revolution of the Bible," Hawley said, in a clear response to [NCC Chairman Yoram] Hazony's challenge that was echoed by other speakers throughout the day. "This was a revolution that began with the founding of the nation of Israel at Sinai and continued with the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth in the days of ancient Rome." "Without the Bible, there is no modernity. Without the Bible, there is no America," Hawley claimed. "And now our biblical inheritance is again at the center of our politics. It is the question of the age." The "woke left's" campaign to "remake" the country, he continued — from the "1619 Project" to trans rights — was actually targeting "the inheritance of the Bible." From Josh Hawley, 2022, at the National Conservatism Conference: x pic.twitter.com/RZ3EpxtTGH — ClearingTheFog (@clearing_fog) September 13, 2021 [Headline]: Ted Cruz Endorsed By Preacher Who Said Jews Will Be Exterminated If They Don’t Embrace Jesus
From Salon, 2015:
[Headline]: Put gay people to death? Ted Cruz, Bobby Jindal and Mike Huckabee to speak at Iowa "religious liberty" conference led by noxious right-wing radio host
[Headline from MSNBC]:
Uganda's new anti-LGBTQ bill grew out of a poisonous American seed
The same political movement that campaigned against gay marriage here has spent decades pushing an anti-LGBTQ agenda throughout African countries.
American church leaders have also had a direct hand in Uganda’s criminalization of LGBTQ people. The PBS documentary “God Loves Uganda” features Scott Lively, a religious personality who blames homosexuals for the Holocaust, and follows his celebrity rise in East Africa. In that documentary, we see Lively appearing on talk shows and addressing the Ugandan Parliament in favor of the 2009 version of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the leaders of the Insurrection, is now, arguably one of the most influential people in the House, despite her expulsion from the “Freedom Caucus” [sic]. She was, however, NOT expelled for this:
From NPR:
During an interview at a Turning Point USA event last August, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said party leaders need to be more responsive to the base of the party, which she claimed is made up of Christian nationalists. "We need to be the party of nationalism," she said. "I am a Christian and I say it proudly, we should be Christian nationalists."
You want to experience a real-life horror show? Read through the Texas Republican Platform.
“Highlights”:
From the section marked Principles—
3. (1) “The laws of nature and nature’s God,” and we support the strict adherence to the original language and intent of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutions of the United States and ofTexas.4. (2) The sanctity of innocent human life, created in the image of God, which should be equally protected from fertilization to natural death. [Emphasis added]
From the section called Homosexuality and Gender Issues—
155. Homosexuality: Homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice. [See? You’re not born into it.] We believe there should be no granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for homosexual behavior, regardless of state of origin, and we oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values. No one should be granted special legal status based on their LGBTQ+ identification. 158. Counseling Methods: Therapists, psychologists, and counselors licensed with the State of Texas shall not be forbidden or penalized by any licensing board for practicing Reintegrative Therapy or other counseling methods when counseling clients of any age with gender dysphoria or unwanted same-sex attraction.
Conversion therapy! Yeah! Sure it may make a lot of gay kids want to kill themselves, but so what?
From the section called Individual Rights and Freedom:
206. Religious Freedom of Speech and Practice: As America is “one nation under God,” founded on Judeo-Christian principles, we affirm the constitutional right of all individuals to worship as they choose. We strongly believe in Religious Freedom and Freedom of Speech. Therefore, we demand: a. The repeal of the Johnson Amendment, which assaults the free speech of pastors and religious organizations. b. Protection of the 1st Amendment rights of any citizen to practice their religion and exercise their right to free speech in the public square, as well as in religious organization affiliations. c. That Texas judges and legislators uphold and defend our God-given unalienable rights of religious liberty and freedom of speech, and we oppose any effort to intimidate and prevent Christians and other people of faith from exercising these rights which the civil government is required, by the 1st Amendment, to protect. d. Acknowledgment that the Church is a God-ordained institution with a sphere of authority separate from that of civil government, and thus the Church is not to be regulated, controlled, or taxed by any level of civil government. Nor shall services or other church functions ever again be shut down or suspended by overreaching civil authorities under any pretext whatever.
208. Human Sexuality: We affirm God’s biblical design for marriage and sexual behavior between one biological man and one biological woman, which has proven to be the foundation for all great nations in Western civilization. We oppose homosexual marriage, regardless of state of origin. [Emphasis added. Take that, 4th article of the Constitution!] We urge the Texas Legislature to pass religious liberty protections for individuals, businesses, and government officials who believe marriage is between one man and one woman. We oppose the granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for sexual behavior or identity, regardless of state of origin. We oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose nontraditional sexual behavior out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values.
If you have the stomach for it, read the whole thing. I can’t. It just is so repulsive. And remember:
THIS IS THE LARGEST AND MOST POWERFUL REPUBLICAN STATE PARTY IN THE NATION. THIS IS THEIR NATIONAL AGENDA.
From a poll cited in the video: SIXTY-ONE PER CENT OF REPUBLICANS WANT TO SEE THE UNITED STATES DECLARED A CHRISTIAN NATION
Remember our buddy Tucker Carlson? The New Republic does. Highlights from Tucky Wucky’s career:
1. He has promoted the “great replacement theory.”
2. He said Vladimir Putin wasn’t so bad.
3. He said the desire to procreate has been “subverted” by birth control and abortion.
5. He said white supremacy is not a real problem.
6. He said the January 6 rioters were “peaceful protesters.”
8. He called for an insurrection after Trump was indicted. (He said Trump supporters should stockpile AR-15s)
10. He minimized the severity of statutory rape and said women are “primitive.”
And remember...he didn’t lose his Fox gig because of any of this. He became a financial liability.
From PBS:
[Headline]: Violent rhetoric escalates online after latest Trump indictment
From nola.com:
[Headline]: Clay Higgins calls for war over Trump indictments, author says
x The long, dangerous history of right-wing calls for violence and civil war
https://t.co/BOeIdQEm0V — Joseph Miller (@JosephMiller41) July 10, 2023
I urge every single American to look at this brief video:
x Apparently Trump on North Korea dictator Kim Jong Un: "He speaks and his people sit up in attention. I want my people to do the same."#MAGA #Trump2024 pic.twitter.com/hAS5UtF77U — Herbert Elizabeth fella (@OzymandiusUK) July 9, 2023
TRUMP WANTS TO BE A DICTATOR. I THOUGHT EVERYONE HERE UNDERSTOOD THIS.
From RawStory:
[Headline]: Trump wanted his own personal mercenary army like Putin's Wagner force: Ex-Homeland Security aide
From ABC News:
[Headline]
As Trump faces criminal charges, here are 27 people he's previously said should be indicted or jailed
Go ahead. Read it. And then consider this:
Trump is within striking distance of Biden in 2024. The perpetrator of the attempt to overthrow our government could very well seize power again. If he does, it will be the end of the American Republic.
So let me just say this:
I apologize for NOTHING that I have said. NOTHING.
I do not withdraw ONE SINGLE WORD of what I have said. Not one.
I will continue to be a firebrand. My passion is for America, which is my life and my all. I use my platform to call for Democrats to get out the vote. Not just to elect candidates, but to help save the life of my country.
Go high when they go low? Are you kidding me? HELL NO.
The Trump supporters SEE YOU AS THE ENEMY. Many of them want a RELIGIOUS DICTATORSHIP. They are moving toward ABOLISHING THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. Many are advocating a WAR WITH MEXICO. They are fully under the influence of the brutally anti-American NRA. They’re talking about using police state tactics to CONTROL INTERSTATE TRAVEL BY WOMEN.
What is it some of you don’t see about this?
I will fight these people to my last breath. They are talking about the death of America. I will unleash every verbal weapon against them I can. I will call them the butchers, fanatics, traitors, and barbarians that they are.
I will not give in one inch.
I will not compromise with them.
And by god, I’ll win. We’ll win.
Together.
[END]
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