 |
|
|
In today's news media we frequently hear about human rights and civil rights. There is also much talk about toleration and equality. When the smoke and rhetoric clears, however, it is evident that those who are shouting the loudest about toleration practice it the least.
One example of this may be found in the area of Sandpoint, Idaho, a town in the Idaho Panhandle. Until recent years, Sandpoint was a sleepy logging town nestled between the Selkirk and Cabinet mountains next to a beautiful lake. Timber and tourism was the economic mainstay. Rents were low and life was simple. Most people minded their own business and were tolerant of those of different lifestyles and beliefs.
This toleration, as well as affordable country acreage, drew a wide variety of folks to the area. This included people with no values, traditional values and even some with controversial religious and social beliefs. All lived quite agreeably in the same area without any major difficulty.
This atmosphere slowly changed over time. The change was most noticeable about 1990 when the population of the area began to sharply increase. Many of the area's new residents were those with money desiring to escape the crime and pressures of more populated areas. As the culture of money began to move in, the new residents brought their suburban lifestyles with them. Land prices increased manifold through speculation and development. Building codes became more strict to accommodate developers who desired to shape the character of the area to suit their investment strategies. Property taxes rose with land value. Rents soared while wages remained stagnant and timber jobs disappeared. Then there evolved the increased agitation for "human rights."
Pastor Dave Barley of America's Promise Ministries moved his ministry to Sandpoint in 1990. In an interview with The WINDS he said he moved to Sandpoint after looking at other locations in the northwest. He liked Sandpoint's esthetic beauty and its simple building code.
Pastor Barley says that his ministry is a church and is like most other churches in that he performs marriages, baptisms and holds services on Sunday. He says that certain of his doctrines are controversial in that he teaches that the caucasians are the true descendants of Abraham, not the Jews. This has earned him the reputation for being a racist and hate monger in the community.
Pastor Barley said that shortly after moving to Sandpoint, his ministry became the target of editorials in the Bonner County Daily Bee, condemning his views and vilifying his presence in the community. Not long after the news coverage began, some youths vandalized the sign in front of his church by leaving a burning peace symbol, very much like a burning cross that the KKK is famous for.
Six youths confessed to committing the vandalism. Pastor Barley did not wish to press charges, but sought instead for a meeting with the youths. This was arranged by a local reporter. During the meeting the youths said they committed the vandalism because they did not want a racist and hate monger in the community. Pastor Barley said he was able to address their fears and prove them as unfounded to their satisfaction. When he asked the youths where they had gotten their information about him, they said it was through the media (as they looked over at the reporter sitting with them).
Pastor Barley said that he had applied for membership with the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce so that his ministry could participate in the support of his community. His application was rejected and his application fee returned without explanation. He also added that the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force never moved to investigate possible discrimination against him for his religious beliefs, or the hate crime of vandalism committed against church property.
In an earlier interview with The WINDS, Mr. Kevin Watson of the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force said, "The purpose of the Task Force is to investigate incidents of discrimination...." The duplicity of the organization is evident in that it makes no effort to assist those who have been discriminated against if they happen to be unpopular.
Mr. Bill Smythe is President of the Idaho Citizens Awareness Network (ICAN), a watchdog group that places emphasis on the U.S. Constitution. Those associated with this group are known as Christian Patriots or Constitutionalists. ICAN traces its beginnings to the Ruby Ridge debacle north of Sandpoint in which a federal agent and two Weaver family members were killed. After that incident local citizens formed United Citizens for Justice, an organization that pressed unsuccessfully for a county grand jury investigation of the incident. After about a year the group disbanded. Mr. Smythe saw the need for continued education on the subject of government issues and was instrumental in forming ICAN.
Mr. Smythe and a partner also print a newspaper called "Trade 'n Save". The paper features advertisements from local merchants and personal ads, as well as articles and commentary on constitutional and government issues. When they bought the paper it had eight pages. They increased the paper size to sixteen. Some time afterward the paper size began to decrease because merchant advertising was dropping out. Subsequent investigation revealed that some merchants had become the target of threats.
Mr. Smythe told The WINDS that to his knowledge all but one of the threats were made by anonymous persons. One incident "where they did show the whites of their eyes" was at the Boundary County IGA market. He said that three individuals from the Boundary County Human Rights Task Force showed up there and removed all of the Trade n' Save papers from the store and threatened the store owner. The store owner declined to comment when contacted by The WINDS.
Sharon Bayless, owner of Lake R.V. in Sandpoint, told The WINDS that about a year ago she was running regular advertising in Trade 'n Save. She runs ads in several papers and regarded this one a good place to advertise as well. One day an employee she did not name received a call from an anonymous person who said, "Anyone advertising in the Trade n' Save had better watch their back." Mrs. Bayless said she canceled her ad rather than risk further trouble.
Mr. Smythe told The WINDS that there is a concerted effort by individuals involved with promoting human rights to eliminate circulation of Trade n' Save and to resist the existence of ICAN. He said that a majority of people involved with human rights groups mean well but do not understand the true nature of the movement.
When contacted by The WINDS, Grace Siler of the Boundary County Human Rights Task Force denied having any involvement in the removal of Trade 'n Save newspapers from the Boundary IGA market. Ms. Siler said, "Of course they should have a right to print their paper, but I can't say I disagree with having it removed [from the IGA store] either."
Mr. Jonathan Coe, Executive Director of the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, told The WINDS that he was not aware of any campaign in the community against ICAN or the Trade 'n Save newspaper. When asked why the Chamber had denied membership to America's Promise Ministries, he said that he did not recall offhand because the board made that decision two or three years ago. When asked if it was discrimination to deny someone membership because of their religious beliefs he replied, "It is more of a compatibility issue. Their goals are not compatible with ours...they are exclusive, we are inclusive."
In George Orwell's prophetic book "1984", he described a totalitarian society whose institutions behaved very much like our own. Those whose thoughts were not compatible with the goals of the state were eliminated. "Newspeak" was the approved vernacular. The "Ministry of Love" was a concrete building where people had their thinking processes corrected by torture. The "Ministry of Truth" was a place where the government was continuously rewriting history and where the daily news was manufactured. The "Ministry of Plenty" was the agency that was responsible for providing for everyone's needs, even though no one ever had enough.
Words like "human rights" and "tolerance" are in today's "Newspeak" vocabulary and often are used to mislabel a totalitarian system of oppression and intolerance. Many human rights groups of this day are willing to tolerate anyone who agrees with them. For those who do not agree they apply the "Newspeak" labels of "right-wing extremist", "hate group", "cult", etc. They are unwilling to practice the same tolerance and inclusion that they expect of others.
The colleges and universities are some of the fountainheads of "Newspeak", and its own tenured professors often fall before the intolerant mob. One case involves a professor at the University of New Hampshire, who during a lecture described something that wiggled "like jello on a plate." Some females in his class interpreted that as a sexist remark. Demonstrations and protests against the teacher followed, as well as national media attention. The professor was finally ordered to attend sensitivity training.
Another case involves the president of another university in New Jersey. This man made a comment during a lecture that was interpreted by some to be racist, even though it was not intended that way and would not be taken that way by the average person. Demonstrations and sit-ins followed. Students demanded the president's resignation. The president apologized publicly. Teachers of other races who the president had recruited interceded on his behalf, but the students were unrelenting. They wanted his head on a platter, so to speak.
These incidents are reminiscent of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution when a man or woman could lose their head because of a slip of the tongue. So much for tolerance and free speech.
The media, chambers of commerce, academics, politicians and human rights groups have all expressed alarm over the sudden increase in militia groups and home grown terror. They scramble to find some group to blame for the Oklahoma City bombing, but they need look no further than themselves.
The New World Order has succeeded in dividing society and destroying it with its "human rights" agenda. Our rulers are liars and despots. Every benevolent promise or statement is merely a cover for oppression and tyranny. People have lost confidence in their government and the rest of society. They sense that they have been had. Hence the increase in anti-government and revolutionary sentiment.
As the revolution spreads and the rule of law breaks down, those who are in positions of power and influence will wonder what to do with this Frankenstein's monster that they have helped create.
There is no sin that stirs the wrath of God like the sin of hypocrisy. This is the age of hypocrisy. Never has there been so much talk of human rights and tolerance as in this age, and never has so little of it really existed. When Jesus Christ spoke the following words to the fakes who sought to kill him, how much more appropriate are they for the wolves in sheep's clothing who profess to protect human rights in our day.
"Woe unto you...hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." Matthew 23:27,28.
|
Contact The WINDS webmaster. |