By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
Just as the Senate is poised to pass a military expenditures bill to which an unpopular and controversial hate-crimes bill has been attached, the senior vice president of a traditional values organization received a portent of things to come – a threatening phone call from a gay activist.
According to Family Research Council (FRC) president Tony Perkins, the organization’s senior vice president, Tom McClusky came into his office last week to find the following message in his voicemail:
“I read about your, uh, homophobic comments, and I just gotta give you some advice. It’s not a good idea to be, uh, an intolerant bigot s*****g. Uh, because, you know, you reap what you sow and when you start spreadin’ hate against other people, that’s exactly what you’re gonna get back. And, you know, who knows what effect that could have on you, or your family, or your office, you know, on G Street? Uh, just a bit of advice for ya. . .”
“While Congress is busy giving preferential treatment to homosexuals, maybe it’s time to point out the kind of calls we receive from the side of ‘tolerance,’” Perkins said.
“Tom is not alone. We get reports almost daily from donors who have given to pro-marriage campaigns in the states and are being awakened in the middle of the night by harassing phone calls and death threats. Where’s the protection for them? Where are those blowing the trumpet of tolerance?”
Instead, the U.S. Senate is set to vote on a military expenditure bill that includes the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HR 2647). This bill grants special rights to homosexuals and could threaten religious freedom. It allocates $5 million dollars a year to the Justice Department to provide assistance to local communities in investigating suspected hate crimes and allows the Justice Department to assist in the inquiry and prosecution of such crimes if requested by local authorities.
The controversial bill was approved only because it was attached to a $681 billion Pentagon policy measure, forcing lawmakers to vote only because they did not want to deny the military much needed resources.
Opponents were infuriated by the strategy, accusing Democrats of employing a form of legislative blackmail in order to get the controversial legislation passed. Voting against the bill would have denied the military their pay, benefits, weapons programs and other essentials needed by the military.
“We believe this is a poison pill, poisonous enough that we refuse to be blackmailed into voting for a piece of social agenda that has no place in this bill,” said Representative Todd Akin of Missouri, a senior Republican member of the Armed Services Committee.
However, in less than 24 hours, the Senate may vote on the final legislation. Traditional values organizations such as the FRC are calling on citizens to contact their senators and urge them to fight for our freedom – and the soldiers defending it.
“This is not an inconsequential vote,” Perkins said. “Expanding hate crimes puts America in lock-step with the stated agenda of homosexual activists who will turn next to the so-called Employment Non-discrimination Act, followed by the repeal of the ban on homosexuality in the military and then the Defense of Marriage Act.”
To contact your senator, visit http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
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