Scary email: They're back!

I know this post is long, but please read it.

I was out of state this weekend, and got the attached scary call-to-action email. Connie is not crying wolf here. Remember 2004 when the Right-Wing Lie Machine did a South Dakota Road Tour Against Daschle-The-Baby-Killer?

They're baaaaaack. And it is getting ugly:

1. Katus and Herseth yard signs are being torn down (BTW please DO NOT even consider touching a Republican sign, even if your sign has been messed with, and make it clear to your kids that we don't do that.)
2. Anti-choice protesters were harassing Lutherans on their way to church last Saturday evening. I'm hoping we see some news coverage, it should not go unnoticed by the public. Email me (cprice-at-alum.ups.edu) and let me know what you have heard and seen. (I don't want to name the incidents until I have a list.)
3. Letters to the editor are getting nasty; for example, my friend Mel Sekellick, one of the talented young people that we want (or so I thought) to welcome to stay in South Dakota was invited to leave the state.

   You say you won't allow your daughter to be raised in a state like this? And I say, "Don't let the door knob hit you where the good lord, etc."

   (Sweet, huh?)
4. Tomorrow night, there is a big rally in Rapid City, including right-wing opportunists Alan Keyes and Rick Scarborough.

In the next few weeks, the right-wing inciters of bad ideas will continue to try to cloak themselves behind a curtain of Christian sanctimony, charging anyone who questioned them or their tactics with "discrimination against Christianity." Let's just be happy that time is not on their side. Unfortunately, they can still do a lot of damage, not only by leading people away from real Christian values of humility, self-sacrifice and love of neighbor, but also in political ways-- promoting unethical and immoral (not to mention un-Christian) policies and laws (Amendments C, D, E, and, of course, RL6).

We must point out their bad ideas and the overwhelming evidence of the hypocrisy shown by who supports their causes -- amazingly un-Christian types like Jack Abramoff, casino owners, gay "escort" Jeff Gannon, or on a more local level, sexual harasser Doug Hamilton. The out-of-state campaigners' strategy is to hide the truth, incite outrage based on falsehoods, using others to harass and scare people that do not agree with them and their agenda. They are distorting and attacking our true American heritage of freedom, and trying to get us to forget my favorite South Dakotan value: minding your own business!

WHAT CAN WE DO?

I don't know what is planned to counter the invaders and their tactics in the next few weeks, but at the very least letters to the editor (RCJ and Weekly) setting the record straight is a great idea. (I and many others have used up our monthly quota already in the RCJ, unfortunately; we need YOU to do it!) Connie is recommending a demonstration; if you participate in that, please be respectful, and come with a press release to give to any press that talk to you. Shouting and harassment is what they do. We should just stand up for what's right. Contact the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families and call some folks! Help with the election! (email gotv@pendem.org). Any little bit you can do will make a huge difference.


Here's the scary email from Connie:

THIS IS OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE!

ALAN KEYES IS GIVING LECTURES AT CHURCHES ALL OVER THE STATE. HE AND HIS GROUP CAN RALLY EVERY BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN, THROUGH THE MANIPULATION OF THE MINISTERS, TO VOTE IN THE JAIL AMENDMENT, MARRIAGE AMENDMENT AND KEEP THE ABORTION BAN.

THE LITERATURE THAT THIS GROUP GIVES OUT IS THE 10 COMMANDMENTS ON ONE SIDE AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS ON THE OTHER THEN THEY SAY THAT ?THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE IS NOT IN THE BILL OF RIGHTS?. PEOPLE WALK OUT OF THESE EVENTS SAYING ?I DIDN?T KNOW THAT THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE ISN?T IN THE CONSTITUTION? AND ?WE HAVE TO TAKE THE GOVERNMENT BACK. IT?S OUR DUTY.?

THE KEYES GROUP SKILLFULLY MANIPULATES THE CROWD INTO SEEING HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO GET CONTROL OF THE ACTIVIST JUDICIAL SYSTEM SO THAT EVERY BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT CAN BE CHRISTIANIZED. THEY SAY ONLY WITH THIS IN PLACE CAN CHRISTIANS TAKE BACK AMERICA FROM GAYS, FEMINISTS AND BABY KILLERS. THEY TALK ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY CHRISTIAN TO PREVENT THE WRATH OF GOD FROM BEING UNLEASHED ON AMERICA.

LAST TIME THEY WERE IN TOWN TO DEFEAT DASCHLE AND REELECT BUSH THEY HAD EVENTS WITH 1,500 TO 4,000 ATTENDEES THAT THEY WHIPPED INTO A FRENZY. THE EVENT WAS FREE BUT THEY PASSED THE HAT AT THE END AND ASSURED EVERYONE THAT THIS MONEY WOULDN?T LEAVE SOUTH DAKOTA. THE BASKETS WERE OVER FLOWING!

I KNOW THIS GROUP. In my opinion, WE HAVE TO COUNTER THIS GROUP?S MESSAGE OR WE COULD LOSE THE ELECTION. Maybe we should have demonstrators with signs like: "Separation of Church and State = 1st Amendment" , "Jesus only chastised the church leaders not his people" "Christians don?t hate" "Whom would Jesus discriminate against?"

(The Radical would add "au.org", "Hate is not a family value", "No on 6 -- pro-family")


I HAVE NOT FELT STRONGER ABOUT ANYTHING IN THIS ELECTION, PLEASE ADDRESS THIS GROUP IN THE MEDIA AND AT THE CHURCHES.

South Canyon Baptist Church?s rally is Monday night in Rapid. (details) I haven?t looked at the others. The media was very lop-sided the last election because there was no one offering another opinion. Please -- I don?t think we can miss this powerful last minute manipulation.

Connie Pich