Hi, all, Sorry about the length of this and my not fixing the formatting, but my hands were shaking already before I read it, and then... -- Scary reading indeed. -- Walt
Subject: ALERT: bigot and homophobe appointment being considered for NLRB > >BUSH PREPARED TO NOMINATE 'BIBLICAL LAW' ACTIVIST J. > ROBERT BRAME TO NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS >BOARD > > BRAME HAS TIES TO GROUPS THAT OPPOSE >WOMEN'S > RIGHTS, REJECT DEMOCRACY AND BELIEVE GAYS >SHOULD BE > EXECUTED > > According to media sources, President George >W. Bush appears ready to > nominate J. Robert Brame III to serve as a >member of the National Labor > Relations Board (NLRB), despite Brame's >long-standing leadership of > religious-political extremist groups on the >farthest fringes of the Religious > Right. > > Brame has served as a top official of >American Vision, an Atlanta-based > group that seeks to replace America's >secular democracy with a "Christian" > regime based on "biblical law," including >enforcement of the harsh legal > code of the Old Testament. He has also >served as an advisor to the > Plymouth Rock Foundation, a Plymouth, Mass., >group with similar views. > > Brame recently resigned from the American >Vision board after the group's > controversial agenda became public. Though >Brame served on the board > since at least 1994, he told The Wall Street >Journal that he was unaware of > American Vision's extreme views. > > American Vision has described democracy as >"the first step toward > fascism," argues that women must be >subordinate to men and insists that > the Bible requires the death penalty for >gays. > > Americans United for Separation of Church >and State, a national > church-state watchdog organization, said >Brame's service with these > groups, which are affiliated with the >so-called "Christian Reconstructionist" > movement, should disqualify him from a post >in government. > > "Brame and his allies seek to impose a harsh >Christian theocracy on the > nation," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, >executive director of Americans > United. "Someone with such radical political >views should automatically be > disqualified from holding public office. > > "Once members of the Senate get a look at >Brame's record, his chances > for confirmation will quickly evaporate," >Lynn added. "Brame's ties to > radical groups are indefensible." > > To illustrate the radical nature of Brame's >views, Lynn pointed to the > extremist positions of American Vision (AV), >which Brame has helped lead > through long-time service on the group's >five-member Board of Directors: > > On theocracy: Christian Reconstructionists >reject democracy and advocate > theocracy. In the June 1999 issue of >American Vision's Biblical Worldview > magazine, an AV representative wrote, "We've >been told that Christians > cannot impose their religious beliefs on >others. Since heaven is at stake, > we have no choice. There is no hope outside >of Jesus Christ." > > On democracy: The June 1999 issue of AV's >Biblical Worldview magazine > described democracy as "the first step >toward fascism." > > On women's role in families: American Vision >insists that the Bible requires > male leadership in society. In the September >1999 issue of Biblical > Worldview, an AV author wrote that women >fall between men and animals > in the "God-ordained order." AV places "God >above all, man joyfully under > God, woman lovingly under man, and the >animals at bottom." AV has also > said that women should not serve in the >military. > > On women in the judiciary: The Plymouth Rock >Foundation, which Brame > has worked with through service on its >advisory council, opposed Sandra > Day O'Connor's nomination to the Supreme >Court because, in their view, it > is wrong for a woman to sit in judgment over >men. > > On homosexuality and the death penalty: >Reconstructionist groups such as > those Brame is involved with maintain that >under biblical law, homosexuals > must be executed. According to one American >Vision text, "The law that > requires the death penalty for homosexual >acts effectually drives the > perversion of homosexuality underground, >back to the closet, to the dark > realm of shameful activity." Also, in >October 2000, an AV publication called > homosexuality "a sin worthy of death." > > On gays in Congress: In the September 1999 >issue of the group's Biblical > Worldview, an AV author referred to openly >gay Rep. Tammy Baldwin > (D-Wis.) as a "lesbian Congressthing." > > On non-Christian dissenters: American Vision >argues that once its > worldview is enacted as government policy, >dissenters would have to > submit to its draconian version of >Christianity. "Non-Christians would not be > forced to become Christians, but they would >have to obey laws that came > from the Bible," according to one AV text. >"This would mean that > homosexuality and abortion, for example, >could not be claimed as 'civil > rights.' They would be crimes." > > On Judaism: American Vision sells a book >titled, "The Days of Vengeance," > which says, "The god of Judaism is the >devil." The book also describes > Judaism as a "demonic religion." > > On American history: AV materials take a >revisionist approach to history, > insisting that the United States was founded >as a "Christian nation." In one > book, AV asserts that the Constitution was >designed to afford protection to > Christianity only and not other faiths. "The >First Amendment had the > specific purpose of excluding all rivalry >among Christian denominations," > the group says. "Other competing religions >were not protected by the First > Amendment." > > "Brame makes Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson >look liberal," said AU's > Lynn, who wrote to Bush in October, urging >him not to nominate such a > divisive figure to the NLRB. > > Concluded Lynn, "The groups Brame is >associated with seek to impose > their version of 'biblical law' on all of >us, and they want to use the > government to further those goals. These >views are so counter to American > ideals that it is difficult to imagine a >proponent of this radical philosophy > serving in any important public trust." > > Americans United is a religious liberty >watchdog group based in > Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the >organization educates Americans > about the importance of church-state >separation in safeguarding religious > freedom.
