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FRC: Failure to Mandate Pledge of Allegiance Creates More "American Talibans"

Submitted by Kyle on February 26, 2010 - 11:08am

Earlier this week it was reported that, back in January, a teacher at Roberto Clemente Middle School in Germantown, Maryland had publicly reprimanded a student who refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and even called the school's security officer to escort the student to the counselor's office when she continued to refuse.  This, despite that fact that the "Supreme Court ruled in 1943 that students cannot be forced to salute the flag [and] Maryland law explicitly allows any student or teacher to be excused from participating in the pledge."

The ACLU got involved and now the teacher has agreed to apologize, but Robert Morrison of the Family Research Council is outraged about the whole thing, holding it up as evidence that the ACLU is creating "future American Talibans":

Is the Montgomery County school case too trivial to merit national attention? No. It illustrates how classroom discipline and American patriotism are under constant assault by the ACLU. Our tax dollars are funding this radical outfit. Thomas Jefferson said “to require a man to provide contributions of money for the propagation of opinions he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical.” Surely, the fact that the ACLU uses our tax money against us is a gross violation of our rights.

Does it matter? John Walker Lindh is currently sitting in federal prison. He is the so-called American Taliban who was convicted of fighting against Americans in Afghanistan. Young Lindh was educated in Montgomery County Public Schools. Was he taught anything about why he should be loyal to his country? Why jihadism is a threat to all our rights? I seriously doubt it. By punishing a teacher who simply tried to give students the opportunity to express their patriotism and support for our country during a time of war, the Montgomery County public schools are doing nothing to avoid future American Talibans.

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Jackson gets reinforcements in his war against marriage

Submitted by Peter on June 10, 2009 - 4:05pm

Bishop Harry Jackson took the next step in his campaign against marriage equality today, testifying before the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics that the board should approve Jackson’s proposed referendum, which would overturn a new DC law recognizing same-sex marriages conducted legally in other jurisdictions. Jackson and his allies are demanding that the board of elections allow them to put the question before voters.

The only real question facing the elections board is whether overturning the recognition law is a proper subject for a referendum.  Jackson’s legal hurdle is that DC law clearly prohibits a referendum that “would unlawfully discriminate under the Human Rights Act.”  The Human Rights Act states that the city cannot deny benefits based on gender or sexual orientation (among a range of other protections).  Board members seemed skeptical of the arguments by Jackson and his allies that it did not count as discrimination to recognize some marriages carried out in other states but not to recognize others.
 
Jackson had some new help in the form of Brian Raum, a lawyer from the Alliance Defense Fund, a national Religious Right law firm.  Others testifying for Jackson’s referendum included a couple of other preachers and the director of a teen abstinence group.  Rev. Walter Fauntroy, former DC congressional delegate, was a no-show, though he’s expected to submit written testimony.  (Speaking on Fauntroy’s behalf was attorney David New, who tangled with PFAWF years ago in his unsuccessful efforts to pass a school prayer referendum. He’s now apparently part of Jackson’s legal team.) 
 
For appalling comic relief of sorts was a guy named Leroy Swailes, who testified in a shirt emblazoned with www.thirdgender666.com.  The essence of Swailes’ testimony was that this can’t be about human rights because gays are inhuman and anti-Christ.  A woman who took the microphone uninvited at the end of the hearing said she represented “the nations” – and claimed that Latino and Korean Christians in the District were “on fire.”
 
Jackson is clearly unhappy about recent reporting by the Washington Blade that has called into question the legitimacy of his status as a DC resident, which he swore to in filing paperwork for the referendum.  Jackson’s church is in Maryland and that’s where he has lived and voted until he registered as a DC voter in April.  Jackson deflected reporters’ questions about that status by insisting that he was a legal DC resident and saying that reporters and bloggers were putting his safety and family at risk by making his address public.  He refused to answer a reporter’s direct question about whether he’d moved into the District just to run this campaign.  Keep an eye on the Blade for more on Jackson’s legal residency.
 

 

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A Seemingly Simple Question: Where Does Harry Jackson Live?

Submitted by Kyle on June 9, 2009 - 8:00am

Considering that Harry Jackson is leading the war to prevent marriage equality from coming to the District of Columbia, it would be nice to figure out if he actually lives in the District. 

A few weeks ago we asked this question, pointing out that while he was claiming to be a resident of DC, there was also evidence that he was actually a resident of Maryland.  Then, last week, the Washington Blade reported that Jackson had recently registered to vote in DC using as his address an upscale condominium, suggesting that he had in fact moved to the District.  

But now the Blade reports that its not actually clear whether Jackson really lives at the address he used on his registration:

The pastor of a Maryland church who filed papers calling for a voter referendum to overturn a D.C. law recognizing same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions lists his address as a condominium that is owned by another person and that is barred from being rented.

A member of the condo board at the Whitman, an upscale condominium apartment building at 910 M St., N.W., said the owner of the sixth floor apartment listed on D.C. voter registration rolls as the address of Bishop Harry Jackson Jr. told the board that Jackson is his roommate.

But the board member, D.C. gay businessman Brian Pruitt, and another resident of the building, Earl Fowlkes, co-founder of the city’s Black Pride celebration, said they and other building residents have never seen Jackson in the building and were not aware that he lived there.

Pruitt said the condo board placed a cap on the number of apartments in the building that can be rented and that Joseph Honaker, the owner of the apartment in which Jackson says he’s living, is not eligible to rent his apartment.

If Jackson has moved to DC, that appears to come as something of a surprise to his neighbors in Maryland ... and his wife, who seemingly still lives at their home in Silver Spring:

In a related development, a source familiar with the street in Silver Spring, Md., where Jackson and his wife, Vivian Michelle Jackson, have lived since early 2006 said Jackson’s neighbors on the street were not aware that he or his wife had moved from their $1.1 million house on a four-acre tract of land at 15713 Holly Grove Road. Michelle Jackson is executive pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Md., and Harry Jackson is senior pastor.

Records with the Montgomery County Board of Elections show that as of Monday, June 8, Jackson was still on the voter registration rolls as a Montgomery County voter, with the Holly Grove Road address listed as his residence.

Records from the U.S. Federal Election Commission show that Jackson listed the Holly Grove Road address as his residence in November 2007 when he made a $2,300 contribution to the presidential campaign of Republican Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor.

...

A source familiar with Holly Grove Road in Silver Spring said neighbors continue to see cars arrive and leave at Jackson’s house.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Vivian Michelle Jackson was seen on the property within the past week. The source did not know whether Harry Jackson had been on the property within the past few weeks, but neighbors assume the couple still lives there because there were no signs of the family moving out.

This really shouldn't be this confusing.  If Jackson does live in Washington, DC,  he ought to explain when and why he felt this sudden move was necessary. 

If he doesn't live in DC, then he is probably going to have some trouble explaining why he registered to vote there. 

As the leading force behind the effort to get a voter referendum in DC on the same-sex marriage law, Jackson really ought to clarify whether or not he actually lives in DC. 

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Harry Jackson: Carpetbagger?

Submitted by Kyle on May 11, 2009 - 8:52am

We’ve been very confused lately about Bishop Harry Jackson’s sudden interest in the inner workings of the District of Columbia’s city council and how he came to be a leader in the fight against its efforts to recognize same-sex marriages performed legally in other states, especially since we had always operated under the impression that he was actually a resident of Maryland.

After all, Maryland is where his church and his High Impact Leadership Coalition are both located and where a lot of his political activism has taken place:

On March 9, Jackson addressed the 30th Annual Maryland March for Life, which was protesting against pro-choice legislation and the nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

…

Jackson’s biggest political project was on behalf of Michael Steele’s run for the U.S. Senate from Maryland, where Jackson lives.   Jackson organized gatherings around the state where Steele could meet African American pastors.  According to a news report, “the High Impact Leadership Coalition had joined with the Maryland Catholic Conference, Maryland Right to Life and the Association of Maryland Families to spend about $70,000 for [pro-Steele] ads -- mostly on the radio in Baltimore and Prince George’s County until the Nov. 7 general election.”

Before the election, Jackson asserted boldly that “The Maryland race for the U.S. Senate will once and for all answer the question: Can a black man really be a successful Republican?”  He gushed that “Steele’s credentials, credibility, and charisma speak of greatness” and predicted that the Senate could be a stepping stone to the vice presidency.

So imagine our surprise when, a few weeks ago during the rally he hosted on Freedom Plaza in DC at which he declared that they would “launch the Armageddon of the marriage battle in this country” he suddenly started identifying himself as a resident of the District of Columbia: 

Jackson says that although his church is located in Maryland, he lives in the District and expects a large portion of those at the rally to be D.C. residents. 

Perhaps he had moved, we thought, attempting to give him the benefit of the doubt.  But now it seems as if we were being too generous, judging by this op-ed he wrote that showed up in the Washington Post over the weekend in which he declared that “today the District of Columbia is less democratic, less free and less just because it sanctions same-sex marriage reciprocity.”  

The interesting thing about his op-ed is that it identifies Jackson as being from Beltsville, Maryland:

Needless to say, one cannot both live in Maryland and the District of Columbia since they are, you know, two different places:

So where does Jackson live exactly?  Did he recently move to DC, or does he live in Maryland and is trying to create the impression that he lives in DC to make his local anti-marriage activism seem more genuine?  If it is the latter, it wouldn’t be the first time he’s sought to create a misleading impression about his work, as we pointed out last year regarding his repeated references to himself as a “registered Democrat.”

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Report From Harry Jackson's Anti-Marriage Rally in DC

Submitted by Peter on April 28, 2009 - 11:50am

Bishop Harry Jackson, the point man for the Religious Right’s anti-gay outreach to African Americans, hosted a rally in downtown Washington D.C. across the street from the District building where the D.C. Council meets.  Jackson and his outraged entourage repeatedly threatened political retribution against Mayor Adrian Fenty and openly gay Councilmember David Catania for the Council’s preliminary vote to recognize marriages of same-sex couples performed legally in other states. 

Jackson had a much smaller crowd than the thousands he had hoped for.  As the rally began, there were well under 100 people; by the end there may have been close to 200. They were an enthusiastic bunch, shouting “the Devil is a liar” and other encouragement to the speakers.  Jackson made excuses about how little time they had to mobilize, but promised to pack the Council chambers on May 5 for the next vote.  Jackson said his group would be distributing inserts for churches to include in their bulletins this Sunday.

Jackson was joined at the podium by representatives of the Missionary Baptist pastors’ network as well as several Hispanic pastor group representatives, as well as the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, who made a few unremarkable remarks.  Focus on the Family’s James Dobson sent a letter supporting Jackson and attacking the members of the D.C. Council.  To this D.C. resident, the most disappointing moment was former Mayor and current Councilmember Marion Barry leading the crowd in chants against marriage equality (though he noted that he supports civil unions).

For those who have watched Jackson or read People For the American Way Foundation’s new report on him, there was expected rhetoric, such as Jackson criticizing gay rights supporters for “usurping” and “hijacking” the civil rights movement.  He of course had no problem using iconic civil rights songs (Lift Every Voice and Sing, We Shall Overcome) as part of his effort to deny equality to a group of their fellow Americans.

There was also some edgier anti-gay rhetoric.  Jackson compared marriage between gay couples to marriage between close relatives, or between “a man and a three-year old.”  One of the final speakers was a Rev. Daniels, who Jackson recruited for the rally from Florida.  He was fixated on gay sex acts, repeatedly urging people to “explain the act” because it would turn people’s stomachs and turn them against marriage equality.

Jackson ended by sending part of the crowd across the street to stand on the sidewalks in front of the District Building and lift their hands toward it while he prayed, “Washington, D.C., we call you into alignment with the word of God.”

We’ll get some video highlights up later today.

UPDATE: Here is the video of Marion Barry declaring himself a "moral leader":

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For Anti-Immigrant Activists, Subtlety Not Strong Point

Submitted by Ezra on March 24, 2008 - 3:04pm

Vallario + sombreroWhile the debate over federal immigration reform has been on hold, anti-immigrant activists continue to push for legislation on the state and local levels. At a recent hearing of the Maryland state House Judiciary Committee regarding several bills seeking to crack down on undocumented immigrants, one activist found her testimony that day cut short after she tried to distribute fliers to the committee depicting the chairman in a gaudy sombrero under the phrase “Wanted for Aiding & Abetting.”

The activist, Susan Payne, announced herself as the executive director of the new Maryland Coalition for Immigration Reform, but we remember her as the co-founder of Citizens Above Party, which had at least one other member. Last year, Payne was testifying to the state legislature over REAL ID, warning that her hometown of Gaithersburg—a wealthy suburb of D.C. best known for its New Urbanist planned villages—was “becoming the first authentic barrio in the county.” Payne is one of a few anti-immigrant activists in the state who seem to be quoted in the media again and again.

But Payne doesn’t seem to have trouble finding allies among legislators: Del. Warren Miller is calling on his colleague Joe Vallario, the committee chairman depicted in the sombrero, to resign for interrupting Payne. “I would suggest he move to another country and run for office there,” said Miller.

Susan Payne

(Susan Payne with flier. Photo from Maryland Thursday Meeting.)

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Economic and Religious Right Team up Against GOP Moderate

Submitted by Ezra on February 15, 2008 - 4:47pm

This week, the Club for Growth declared victory as incumbent Rep. Wayne Gilchrest lost the Republican primary to the Club’s handpicked candidate. The Club’s PAC, which has carved out a niche for itself with right-wing primary challenges, spent more than $600,000 on the race, mostly with TV ads calling Gilchrest a “liberal.”

But the Club for Growth, known for its hard-line supply-side economics, wasn’t the only outside group giving a boost to challenger Andy Harris. “It is imperative that Dr. Harris win this contest!” declared Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, who trumpeted right-wing complaints about Gilchrist.

“He voted against the constitutional amendment (on) marriage; he voted to allow homosexuals to adopt children; he had been pro-abortion," Maryland state Sen. Alex Mooney told Family News in Focus.

This isn’t the first time the Club for Growth and Dobson have joined forces: the duo also backed a right-wing primary challenge in 2006 that ousted incumbent Rep. Joe Schwarz—who, like Gilchrest, had the backing of President Bush. Dobson crowed that the upset would “send a mighty signal that the days of anti-family, liberal Republicans are finally over.” Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee, another Club for Growth target, accused the economic group of having a hidden social agenda in its choice of candidates and targets.

If so, it would only mirror the Religious Right, whose definition of “values voter” expands as needed to fit the GOP’s platform. In a recent appearance on MSNBC together, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and Club for Growth President Pat Toomey were in full agreement on the importance of the “three-legged stool.” “For [the] Republican Party to win they must have a conservative candidate who brings together the conservative coalition: fiscal conservatives, defense conservatives, and social conservatives,” said Perkins.

Indeed, while Dobson recently endorsed Mike Huckabee—the Club for Growth’s enemy number one—Perkins has maintained his ambivalence, always making note of the stool.

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GOP Candidates Ignoring Minorities

Submitted by Kyle on September 14, 2007 - 12:50pm

So says Tavis Smiley because John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney have declined to participate in the debate he is moderating: "No one should be elected president of this country in 2008 if they think that along the way they can ignore people of color. If you want to be president of all America, you need to speak to all Americans."

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First Amendment Protection Only For Those Who Believe

Submitted by Kyle on June 4, 2007 - 3:08pm

After a lengthy legal battle, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year that the Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools’ “policy for distributing fliers by community groups [via a "backpack mail" program] is unconstitutional because it gives school officials unlimited power to approve or reject materials.” 

The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Child Evangelism Fellowship of Maryland, with the backing of the Alliance Defense Fund and the Christian Legal Society, after its request to distribute fliers regarding its Good News Club - which is designed to “evangelize boys and girls with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and establish (disciple) them in the Word of God and in a local church for Christian living” – was rejected. 

The Circuit Court sided with Child Evangelism Fellowship, ruling [PDF] that the school district’s policy granted it “unbridled discretion to deny access to the oft-used forum — for any reason at all, including antipathy to a particular viewpoint — [and] does not ensure the requisite viewpoint neutrality.”

Around the same time, the Liberty Counsel, which is directly tied to the late Jerry Falwell and his Liberty University, sent a letter to Albemarle County School Board in Virginia, warning it that its refusal to distribute fliers about a church-sponsored vacation bible school via its own "backpack mail" program was unconstitutional.

The school district quickly changed its policy and the Liberty Counsel’s Mat Staver was quite pleased:

"We're pleased the school changed its policy so quickly and correctly," says Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel founder and chairman. "The law is clear-- when schools allow the distribution of secular material, they must accommodate religious material."

Staver refers to a recent 4th Circuit Court of Appeals decision upholding a Good News Club's right to distribute fliers in Montgomery County schools in Maryland.

…

"They're not required to accept everything," he says, citing exemptions for libelous, obscene or pornographic material. Nor does he object if Muslim or Jewish groups want to distribute information about their events in schools. "The First Amendment is not just for the Liberty Counsel," he says. "You can't just pick and choose."

But one year later, it seems as if some on the Right are not so happy about Albemarle’s new policy now that students are bringing home fliers for a summer camp for atheists and freethinkers.

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Anti-Immigrant Politics Alive and Kicking in Suburban Texas

Submitted by Ezra on May 14, 2007 - 3:35pm

“This sends a message loud and clear that illegal aliens are not welcome in Farmers Branch, Texas,” declared Tim O’Hare, city councilman in the Dallas suburb, after voters approved a ban on undocumented immigrants renting housing there. “We are fed up with the federal government's inaction on immigration," he said. "We are not going to wait. We are going to take care of it." O’Hare began his crusade last summer against the “less desirable people” who he said “get to come over here and live like kings and queens,” and who were driving down property values and causing shopkeepers to speak Spanish, leaving "no place for people with a good income to shop."

Farmers Branch’s ordinance is modeled on measures passed last year in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, which is waiting for a court ruling on their constitutionality.

Compared to last year’s heated immigration debate and its steady supply of headlines – ranging from the touring congressional hearings put on by Republican House members to the effects of anti-immigrant crackdowns like the one just passed in Farmers Branch – this year has been relatively calm. Supporters of comprehensive reform now control Congress, and political news has revolved around presidential candidates, with only one anti-immigrant hardliner among the many second-tier candidates. Meanwhile, both Chris Simcox’s Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and Jim Gilchrist’s Minuteman Project are facing charges of financial mismanagement.

But as the vote in Farmers Branch shows, anti-immigrant politics remain a live wire in various parts of the country.

Meanwhile, in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Gaithersburg, Maryland, a day-laborer center was the target of a recent arson attempt. In response, local anti-immigrant group Citizens Above Party – which, we noted previously, is hardly the simple concerned-citizens operation it portrays itself as – reopened their complaints against the facility:

‘‘Why is the county executive allowing hundreds of thousands of dollars to go to a facility that does not check the backgrounds of who is coming through the back door?” said Susan Payne, founder of Citizens Above Party, a vocal opponent of the county’s policy to pay for the day-laborer centers. ‘‘We have no idea who these people are.”

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