GuideStar Urged by 41 Conservative Leaders to Cease Using SPLC's Defamatory Labels

June 22, 2017

"Does it not concern you that within the past five years, the SPLC has been linked to gunmen who carried out two terrorist shootings in the DC area?" asks letter

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Family Research Council, along with a coalition of forty-one conservative leaders and organizations, released a letter sent to GuideStar USA "to express our strong disagreement with GuideStar's newly implemented policy that labels 46 American organizations as 'hate groups.'" GuideStar bills itself as a neutral organization that seeks to "gather and disseminate information about every single IRS-registered nonprofit organization."

Recently, GuideStar began using the Southern Poverty Law Center's defamatory "hate group" label on profiles of 46 non-profit organizations, including FRC's GuideStar page.

The letter reads, in part:

"The SPLC has no bona fides to make such determinations. It is not a governmental organization using a rigorous criteria to create its lists, and it is not a scientifically oriented organization. The SPLC is merely another 'progressive' political organization.

"The 'hate group' list is nothing more than a political weapon targeting people it deems to be its political enemies. The list is ad hoc, partisan, and agenda-driven. The SPLC doesn't even pretend to identify groups on the political left that engage in 'hate.' Mosques or Islamist groups that promote radical speech inciting anti-Semitism and actual violence are not listed by the SPLC even though many have been publicly identified after terrorist attacks. Radical, violent leftist environmentalists or speech suppressing thugs -- like the rioting "antifa" movement -- receive no mention from the SPLC.

"Can it be of any surprise then that SPLC's hate map was used by a political activist and domestic terrorist to perpetrate the very sort of hate crimes SPLC claims to oppose? In 2012, a shooter entered the Family Research Council headquarters in Washington, D.C., to 'kill as many as possible' because SPLC had identified FRC as a 'hate group,' and the killer-to-be relied on SPLC's website to identify targets, according to his sworn testimony. The SPLC continues to list on its website people such as House Majority Whip Steve Scalise who was recently shot by James T. Hodgkinson who 'liked' SPLC's Facebook page. Does it not concern you that within the past five years, the SPLC has been linked to gunmen who carried out two terrorist shootings in the DC area?

"…We think it is a reasonable point that an aggressive political partisan like the SPLC should not be allowed to be the judge and jury of its opponents' character and motivations. The fact that the SPLC only targets groups on the political right supports this contention. As Karl Zinsmeister notes, while it is entirely acceptable to disagree vigorously with one's political opponents, it is 'utterly unfair to insist they are hate criminals.' He reproduces a statement made by SPLC's Mark Potok: 'Sometimes the press will describe us as monitoring hate crimes and so on…. I want to say plainly that our aim in life is to destroy these groups, to completely destroy them.'"

To read the full letter, please see: http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF17F36.pdf

Family Research Council Encouraged by Unanimous 5th Circuit Ruling Allowing Implementation of Missis

 June 22, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit rejected a challenge to HB 1523, Mississippi's Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act. HB 1523 provides exemptions for those who have a conscience objection to being forced to facilitate same-sex marriages and other matters they disagree with, and allows them to opt out of the process while allowing other government workers or entities to handle such matters.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins issued the following statement:

"We commend the Fifth Circuit for unanimously agreeing that this commonsense law can go into effect; holding that the plaintiffs here have no actual injury sufficient to base a lawsuit on. Mississippi lawmakers rightly enacted this law because it reflects our nation's history of recognizing, respecting and protecting the moral and religious beliefs of people and faith-based organizations from government discrimination.

"No person should be punished by the government with crippling fines or face disqualification for simply believing what President Obama believed until five years ago, that marriage is the union of a man and a woman.

"Today's ruling leaves us more confident that the courts will uphold the ability of elected officials to protect the freedom of their citizens to believe and live according to those beliefs," concluded Perkins.

July 15th: Annual Museum visit day to the Culpeper Dinosaur tracks

WALK WITH THE DINOSAURS AT THE MUSEUM'S

2017 DINO-WALK

AT CULPEPER'S LUCK STONE QUARRY

18244 Germanna Hwy. Culpeper, VA 22701

  

Saturday, July 15^th

Passes are $15/car and are available for hour-long tours at 9AM, 10AM, 11AM, and 12PM.

 

Obtain your passes at the Museum of Culpeper History or by phone at (540) 829-1749.

 

Please arrive at the Quarry 15 minutes before your scheduled time. 

www.culpepermuseum.com​

Exclusive Virginia Primary Night Election Coverage on June 13 from 6-11 PM

Listen to the John Fredericks Show for LIVE Exclusive Virginia Primary Night Election Coverage on Tuesday, June 13th from 6:00 - 11:00 PM. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. The John Fredericks Show Trucking The Truth! Exclusive Virginia Primary Night Election Coverage   The Number One Source for Live Election Night Coverage in Virginia – 6 Years Running   Be A Part of the Action! Will this be the year Republicans take back Virginia and end the 7- year drought? Can the Ed Gillespie juggernaut keep rolling and if so -- who'll be on the ticket with him?  Which Democrat will emerge victorious in the VADEMS civil war? Dark horse Tom Perriello or establishment darling Ralph Northam?   Live from Gillespie Campaign Headquarters The Hilton Hotel Richmond, Virginia    Tuesday, June 13 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM   The Fastest Results, The Best Analysis, The Biggest Names – Exclusively on the John Fredericks Show and Radio Network  At the Anchor Desk: The JFRS "A" Team John Fredericks, Show Host  Mike Watson, Former Delegate – The Cruncher Chris Saxman, Former Delegate – The Predictor   LIVE BROADCAST ON THE JOHN FREDERICKS RADIO NETWORK ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH Richmond: WNTW AM 820 & 97.7 FM Tidewater: WHKT AM 1650 & 92.5 FM Lynchburg-Roanoke: WBRG SuperTalk AM 1050 & 105.1 FM Live Stream: JohnFredericksRadio.com   Virginia voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, June 13th to choose their nominees for Governor, Lt. Governor, and various local races.   DON'T MISS THE ACTION! The John Fredericks Show....will be right in the thick of it… The Fastest Results – The Most In-Depth Analysis Anywhere   Who will emerge victorious? Find out before anyone else!    Catch all the action live with our wall-to-wall anchored coverage. We'll have up to the minute results, live updates from the major candidates' campaign headquarters throughout the state, and a who's who of state and national politicos commenting on all the action in real time with our legendary expert analysis. Reach the many thousands of Virginia's movers and shakers who will be tuned in!   Follow on Twitter    Friend on Facebook

Christians United For Israel invites you to attend a Standing With Israel event in Charlottesville, VA on June 22, 2017

♦       RSVP TODAY  DIRECTIONS Presented  by Christians United For Israel If you are unable to attend this event or you would like to do more to support Israel, then please sign the Israel pledge. Your name will be joined with thousands of others from across the country and presented to our elected officials in Washington DC to encourage them to continue to support Israel.

nonprofit software

June 14th: PICNIC!

SARWC Flag Day Potluck Picnic
Wednesday, June 14th

LOW Community Center from 5 – 8 pm
$10 per person

Delegate Nick Freitas will tell us about the last legislative session.
Jordy DeBoer, Lake of the Woods Adaptive Watersports, will describe upcoming events for Wounded Warriors and Disabled Children.

SARWC will supply fried chicken, drinks, dessert, paper products and utensils. YOU can bring your favorite side dish and wine or beer.

We will celebrate President Trump's Birthday with CAKE!

Please call Toni Ruther at 972-0295 to make a reservation by Friday, June 9th. Then put a check in the mail for $10 per person.

Bring something for the White Elephant drawing.

Each attendee will get five tickets to distribute at the various treasures. Winning tickets get the treasure! (Additional tickets will be on sale).

Don't forget to bring cash for the 50/50 raffle.

Susan Allen Republican Women's Club

Supreme Court's Refusal to Hear Military Religious Freedom Case is Troubling, Says FRC

June 5, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case of United States v. Sterling. The Court was asked to decide whether the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) protects a Marine lance corporal's decision to post scripture verses at her workstation. The lance corporal desired to post the verses to give her inspiration and strength, but military superiors ordered her to remove the verses she posted. The Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces refused to protect her religious expression, interpreting RFRA in a constrained manner to protect only certain types of religious exercise and requiring that service members seek a religious accommodation, even though this is not a requirement of the statute. Family Research Council and numerous other religious freedom advocates urged the Supreme Court to take this case and overturn this harmful decision.

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin, Family Research Council's Executive Vice President and former Delta Force commander, and Travis Weber, Esq., Director of FRC's Center for Religious Liberty, a former naval aviator and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, had attended oral argument for the case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and continued to monitor its status before the Supreme Court.

Lt. General Boykin commented on the case:

"The Supreme Court's refusal to hear this case has the unfortunate effect of allowing a chill on religious expression in the military to continue, and only underscores the need for the Trump administration to root out the anti-religious animus allowed to fester in the military during the Obama administration. Defense Secretary Mattis must consider the many complex ramifications of anti-religious Obama-era policies that remain in effect. The DOD and Congress need to ensure the priorities of the U.S. armed forces remain those that the Secretary has outlined: mission readiness, command proficiency, and combat effectiveness - not squelching religion -- which is actually quite necessary to readiness and effectiveness. Holdover personnel from the Obama administration need to focus on these priorities, and not on the last administration's social engineering projects that ignore military readiness.

"If one thing is clear from my 36 years in the military, it is that religious faith is indispensable for the soldier facing danger and the possibility of death in battle. Throughout the history of our magnificent military, faith has played a role not just in strengthening weak knees and frail hearts, but has actually made a difference in the actions of service members who act on this faith to accomplish deeds of valor. To rob the service member of the right to express this faith will do incalculable damage to the armed forces," concluded Boykin.

Weber, who has testified before Congress about the need for increased religious freedom protections in the military, commented on the case:

"The Court should have taken the opportunity to clarify that RFRA protects religious expression in the military such as what is at issue in this case. Unfortunately, that must wait until another day. In the meantime, we must hope that leaving this ruling in place is not interpreted by anyone as permission to continue to scrub religious expression from our military. Far too many service members depend on their faith as the lifeline which enables them to cope with and accomplish the many incredibly difficult things our nation calls on them to do. They shouldn't be asked to give up the very constitutional rights we are asking them to defend."

As Lt. General Boykin and other retired general officers noted in an amicus brief they filed in the case, "the [lower court] decision undermines one of the greatest strengths of America's military: the religiosity of its members. It effectively tells service members to keep their religious beliefs hidden or face discipline." It is difficult to argue with their observation that "[m]ilitary men and women who swear to uphold the Constitution should also be afforded its protections."

To review the amicus brief filed by General Boykin and other retired general officers, please see:http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF16D53.pdf

To review Travis Weber's testimony before the Subcommittee on Military Personnel of the House Armed Services Committee, please see:http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF14K61.pdf

June 12: Invitation from Jill Vogel for Lt. Gov.

Family Research Council Commends TX Gov. Abbott for Calling Special Session to Address Privacy Conce

June 6, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC -- Family Research Council thanked Texas Governor Greg Abbott today for announcing a special session that will take up legislation protecting the privacy of women and children.

Earlier this year, Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, testified before the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee in support of the Texas Privacy Act (SB 6). The bill prevents public schools and government buildings from adopting policies that would open women's showers, bathrooms, and changing facilities to men and visa-versa. It also prevents political subdivisions from forcing businesses and organizations, including contractors, to open their showers, locker rooms and bathrooms to people of the opposite sex. It leaves businesses free to determine their own policies regarding the use of shared bathrooms and showers.

Polling earlier this year showed that the vast majority of Texans, including 80 percent of Republicans and 54 percent of Democrats, support commonsense privacy protections.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement:

"I applaud Governor Abbott for taking seriously the concerns of parents and the well-being of their children. The governor is acting in line with the views of most Texans who can agree that women and children should be free from unwanted intrusions into their privacy while using showers, restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms.

"It's important to emphasize that the threat does not primarily come from persons who identify as transgender, but rather comes from those who might exploit the situation by posing as transgender to gain easier access to (usually) women's bathrooms, where they can engage in voyeurism, indecent exposure, or even sexual assault.

"As a parent of five children, I am more than sympathetic to the sensitivity and the self-consciousness that students have in undressing in a school locker room, or taking a shower in front of their peers. It would be traumatic for many children and adolescents to do so in the presence of someone of the opposite biological sex.

"The governor wisely listened to the voters instead of hypocritical big business leaders. It's difficult to name a single company that has a policy allowing men in women's restrooms and changing rooms. Instead, they want the government to do what they are afraid to do because of public opposition. After all, no one wants to end up like Target -- a company that has taken a huge financial hit after sparking a 1.5 million-person boycott.

"We are very optimistic that this special session will produce a bill with common-sense privacy protections. Without a privacy law, a potential threat will remain not just from the federal government, but from local governments and school districts within Texas that might choose to adopt policies that elevate 'gender identity' over biological sex and thereby threaten the security and privacy of Texans," concluded Perkins.

Read Tony Perkins's full testimony: S.B. 6

http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF17C12.pdf

D-Day Remembrance Prayer

Dear Friends, I was recently reminded of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's prayer for our troops and our nation on D-Day, June 6, 1944.   It begins: "Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity. Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith . . ." I would like to encourage you to read the prayer in its entirety and reflect on the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation for our nation.  The differences between the patriotism and unity of that time and today could not be more distinct.      Sincerely, Delegate Bob Marshall

MUST SEE VIDEOS: Islam - What need to be said

English commentator Katie Hopkins has been especially clear cut on the dangers we face with out of control immigration, the mindless multi culti, and the reality of political Islam.

Here she is in good form, saying what needs to be said.

Please take the five minutes needed to have a listen, then share far and wide: 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnw3AKyDXdM

And those who have made it their business to know what Islam actually teaches are also well worth listening to. Here is an excellent 9-minute video clip by Islam expert David Wood: 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmWJMuC_Jx8

Also, see this 8-minute interview with Nigel Farage: 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z2g2kwvlDs

https://billmuehlenberg.com/2017/06/06/western-leaders-allowing-terror-appeasing-terrorists/