This weekend is the Secular Coalition’s Super Bowl. Sunday and Monday we hold our annual meeting for the executive directors of our 20 coalition member organizations and other attendees from the organizations. We have speakers, panels, and time for each organization to let the others know what they are focusing on and prioritizing. The opportunity for collaboration and learning among these secular groups is invaluable.
Tuesday is our Lobby Day on Capitol Hill (maybe you’ve seen me mention that here). With twice as many people as last year, we will be fanning out to the House and Senate office buildings to advocate for a bill that Senator Markey and Congressman Raskin introduced to regulate militias. Unregulated militias are a problem in and of themselves, but when you mix in Christian nationalism you get a recipe for armed people taking the law into their own hands because they believe they have permission from God, or even directions from God. You can amplify our voice on Capitol Hill by using this Action Alert to let your representatives know you support this bill too.
The Markey/Raskin bill doesn’t specifically include Christian nationalism; it is directed at any militia engaging in the following while armed:
(1) publicly patrolling, drilling, or engaging in deadly paramilitary techniques;
(2) interfering with or interrupting government proceedings;
(3) interfering with the exercise of someone else’s constitutional rights;
(4) falsely assuming the functions of law enforcement and asserting authority over others; and
(5) training to engage in such behavior.
The bill does not include veterans groups or the official militias in many states, some going back to the Revolutionary War, that act as an auxiliary to the National Guard.
Seventy-seven percent of the country thinks the nation is headed "in the wrong direction." A survey last year by PRRI found that 10 percent of Americans are Christian nationalism “adherents” and 19 percent are “sympathizers.” Nearly one in four people say political violence may be justified to “save” the country. There are some 200 militias in the United States including chapter groups of national organizations. Some militia groups are openly Christian nationalist and others don’t advertise it but members’ communications and social media show that they definitely qualify. They are the tip of the spear among those one in four people.
The Wolverine Watchmen tried to kidnap the governor of Michigan and put her on trial. Armed men in fatigues hang around outside polling places in certain neighborhoods. Militia members were well represented among the rioters on January 6 and Christian nationalism was evident throughout the crowd. Tactical Civics is a Christian supremacist group that among other activities helps organize militias. We need this law even without Christian nationalism in militias, but especially with it there. So please add your voice to our efforts with the Action Alert by clicking here.
That’s all for today. Back to getting the final Lobby Day meetings scheduled. You send in the meeting requests a month out, and you’re still trying to confirm some of them two days out. Which reminds me, if you are coming to Washington later in the year, let me know and I’ll set up meetings with your representatives on whatever issue makes sense at that point. Just give me a little advance notice.
|
|
