A former special forces operative who now works as an aid worker was recently caught on camera braving the Islamic State gunfire in the open in order to save a little girl in Mosul, Iraq.
David Eubank, 56, is founder of the Free Burma Rangers, an organization dedicated to assisting pro-Democracy groups in conflict zones such as Burma or Iraq with highly trained, highly mobile, multipurpose relief teams. These teams deliver food, clothing, water, and medical care where they are dispatched and where other organizations don’t have the skill to go.
Eubank, who is also a husband and father of three, was a member of the First Special Forces Group. According to the Los Angeles Times, Eubank joined the special forces team when he was 18, but after 10 years decided that he needed “the freedom to go where God was leading.”
The Times reported that when a Burmese Bible group asked Eubank’s Christian missionary parents for help, they turned to their son.
“The Burmese said they were a warrior people, and they needed someone like that. My parents called me up and asked what I thought,” Eubank said. “I figured I could go and even if I helped only one person, at least they would be happy and I would be happy.” (Read more from “Watch: Christian Aid Worker Braves ISIS Gunfire to Rescue Little Girl in Mosul” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/19633963833_d4d8e4f87c_b.jpg5951024Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2017-06-21 22:46:322017-06-21 22:50:25Watch: Christian Aid Worker Braves ISIS Gunfire to Rescue Little Girl in Mosul
While the general public is still in the dark about the arrival of biometric identification that is taking place in nearly every walk of life, even privacy defenders who have been closely following these developments don’t have sufficient information.
A shocking report came to light early this year about a massive FBI database that has been collecting millions of faceprints of American citizens – for years.
Known as the Next Generation Identification system, since 2014 the FBI has amassed more than 50 million images scoured from facial recognition alone; and, as reported by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the images have merged into the FBI’s legacy database of fingerprints and other identifiers to create a centralized hub of surveillance:
NGI builds on the FBI’s legacy fingerprint database—which already contains well over 100 million individual records—and has been designed to include multiple forms of biometric data, including palm prints and iris scans in addition to fingerprints and face recognition data. NGI combines all these forms of data in each individual’s file, linking them to personal and biographic data like name, home address, ID number, immigration status, age, race, etc. This immense database is shared with other federal agencies and with the approximately 18,000 tribal, state and local law enforcement agencies across the United States.
Despite what is clearly a sweeping program of surveillance and a violation of numerous Amendments to the Constitution, the FBI has resisted all inquiries made by privacy organizations and even the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Now one of the most respected privacy defenders, EPIC, is urging Congress to do its job and fully examine the secret FBI program. EPIC summarized the scope of the program, as well as measures taken by the FBI to exempt itself from privacy protections:
EPIC has sent a statement to the House Appropriations Committee in advance of a hearing on the FBI’s budget. EPIC urged the Committee to examine the FBI’s Next Generation Identification program. EPIC explained that the program “raises far-reaching privacy issues that implicate the rights of Americans all across the country.” The FBI biometric database is one of the largest in the world, but the Bureau proposed to exempt the database from Privacy Act protections. EPIC and others supported strong safeguards for the program. In an early FOIA case against the FBI, EPIC obtained documents which revealed high error levels in the biometric database. EPIC has recently filed a FOIA lawsuit against the FBI for information about the agency’s plans to transfer biometric data to the Department of Defense.
The full statement from EPIC is posted below. As the use of biometrics is increasing by the day, it is essential that we help uncover the true scope of how this information is going to be used. Spread the word now and raise awareness so that we can ensure the best chance possible at resisting what appears to be the construction of a digital tyranny.
(For more from the author of “Privacy Organization Urges Congress to Examine FBI’s Secret Biometric ID Program” please click HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/FaceMachine_screenshots_collage.jpg600600Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2017-06-21 22:42:512017-06-21 22:42:51Privacy Organization Urges Congress to Examine FBI’s Secret Biometric ID Program
The House Freedom Caucus has gained another potential ally with the addition of Ralph Norman, R-S.C., to the ranks of Congress.
Norman won the special election in South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District Tuesday to fill the seat vacated by Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney. The race was closer than expected, but Norman defeated his Democratic opponent, Archie Parnell, 51 – 48.
“It’s time to govern. It’s time to get things done. It’s time to go to work,” Norman said in his victory speech to a large crowd gathered at the Magnolia Room in Rock Hill, S.C.
“Folks, tomorrow and together we’re going to start anew,” he said. “What Washington desperately needs now are citizen legislators that are dedicated to leading a free people and to maintain our [G]od-given right to the pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Norman has pledged to join the House Freedom Caucus after he is sworn into office. Though membership in the caucus – which keeps the identities of its members secret – is by invitation only, Freedom Caucus spokeswoman Alyssa Farah tweeted congratulations to Norman and said, “The Freedom Caucus looks forward to working with you!”
A true fiscal conservative, Ralph Norman was elected to the S.C. House of Representatives in 2005. During his tenure as a state lawmaker, Norman earned a reputation for bucking state party leadership and opposing, on conservative principles, bills supported by bipartisan majorities.
In February, he resigned his seat in the state House to run for the seat vacated by Freedom Caucus alumnus Mick Mulvaney in the U.S. House. He said at the time that he wanted to “save the taxpayers $25,000 to $55,000” by resigning his seat so that a special election to fill it would be held at the same time as the congressional special election.
In the Republican primary, Norman was endorsed by the conservative Club for Growth and by Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, while the GOP establishment backed his primary opponent, Tommy Pope.
I am proud to announce that I've been endorsed by Senator Ted Cruz. This means so much to me and the campaign in this tight runoff election pic.twitter.com/1sq4mIFFYz
Declaring victory Tuesday night, Norman pledged himself to a conservative agenda.
“I think now is the time to get government off the backs of business. Now is the time to enforce the 10th Amendment, to give state’s rights back. Now is the time to get our fiscal house in order, folks,” Norman said. “Now is the time to put faith back in the political arena.” (For more from the author of “Freedom Caucus Prepares to Welcome Another TRUE Conservative” please click HERE)
A police officer is in critical condition after he was stabbed multiple times Wednesday by an apparent jihadi at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Mich.
A Canadian-born suspect has been detained by authorities related to the stabbing of officer Jeff Neville in the neck and back. The suspect reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar,” an Islamic war cry, before proceeding to stab the Michigan State Police officer, Lt. Jeff Neville.
According to his Linkedin page, Neville has been an officer at the airport since 2001. Before then, he was a deputy sheriff at the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, patrolling the area in southwest New York from 1982-1999. Overall, Neville has served the state of Michigan for 35 years.
A witness to the stabbing, Ken Brown, told M Live, “The cop was on his hands and knees bleeding from his neck. I said they need to get him a towel.” Brown added that he saw the armed assailant taken to the ground by police.
The FBI has taken over the investigation and is looking at the stabbing as a possible act of terrorism. The FBI usually takes the lead in all cases with a possible connection to terrorism.
A Michigan State Police official told CNN that it appeared the suspect deliberately targeted police.
The FBI is the lead agency in this incident. MSP is providing resources to our Federal and local partners as this scene progresses.
. The FBI is the lead agency in this incident. MSP is providing resources to our Federal and local partners as this scene progresses.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has urged the public to keep Officer Neville in their thoughts.
As we wait to learn more about the incident at Bishop Airport, please keep the attacked officer in your thoughts & prayers.
— Governor Rick Snyder (@onetoughnerd) June 21, 2017
And the state police has urged the public to remain vigilant as authorities investigate the situation.
As we continue to monitor the situation at Bishop Airport, please remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to MSP or local police. pic.twitter.com/dtUvLiXHNs
As of this writing, the suspect’s name has not been revealed. (For more from the author of “Michigan Cop Stabbed in Neck by Attacker Shouting ‘Allahu Akbar'” please click HERE)
CEOs at the American Technology Council summit this week at the White House displayed a level of maturity and leadership that is absent with Democrats and the left-wing media.
While many of the CEOs supported Hillary Clinton and aggressively oppose President Trump’s policies, they put aside their political ideology to seek ways to use their expertise to benefit the U.S. (and perhaps their investors).
The 18 CEOs and three university presidents were invited to the White House to explore ways technology can improve the federal government’s lagging operations. Unlike Democrats and the left-wing media that are intent on destroying Trump, the tech CEOs exhibited business-savvy pragmatism to make the most of their White House access.
The business leaders did what mature adults do — they met and talked despite divergent political views and likely personal animosity. Even though they have deep philosophical differences with Trump on numerous issues, they made progress on the issue of modernizing government technology while also freely expressing their political concerns.
Attending the technology summit was undoubtedly not easy for the major tech titans that reside in a progressive bubble. Most live and work in deep-blue states and cities surrounded by progressive Democrat employees, friends, and families.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, for example, held a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton last year and he strongly opposes Trump on immigration and environmental policies.
Following the 2016 presidential election, questioned by Apple employees about his decision to meet with Trump last December, Cook defended the meeting, saying, “Personally, I’ve never found being on the sideline a successful place to be.”
To date, Cook’s effort to influence Trump on political matters have not been successful. Cook lobbied Trump to stay in the Paris climate accord, and criticized Trump after the president decided to have the U.S. leave the agreement. Under Cook’s direction, Apple joined with almost 100 other companies in filing an amicus brief to oppose an executive order on immigration by Trump.
Despite being a high-profile critic of the administration, the president invited Cook and Cook participated in the American Technology Council meeting. Cook made the most of his access and pushed his idea to make computer coding a school requirement. Among other issues, he also expressed his views on the important role immigration plays in the U.S. economy, as well as the need for improvements in veterans’ health care.
IBM CEO Ginni Rometty also attended, despite Trump’s unpopularity with some of the company’s workforce.
During an interview on CNBC’s “Mad Money” with host Jim Cramer, Rometty said the summit was an opportunity to advance an issue she is personally passionate about — technology skill training for the future.
Following Trump’s presidential victory, IBM employees criticized Rometty and her open letter to the then president-elect, as many felt it was a tacit endorsement of Trump and that she offered the backing of IBM’s global workforce in support of his agenda.
One employee quit over Rometty’s outreach effort, and others signed a petition that included five demands (including Trump-related demands). Rometty cast aside the internal pressure and negative press and carried on to advance her fiduciary responsibility to shareholders.
In today’s politically correct world, the easy thing for Cook and Rometty would be to use their personal feelings to protest Trump and not participate in business summits. Such a decision would make them heroes in Progressiville.
Indeed, that’s the approach Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Disney CEO Bob Iger took with Trump. Musk followed through on his threat to leave White House business advisory councils over the Paris agreement. Iger also bolted from a business council group over Trump’s climate change decision.
Again: Protesting Trump is easy for business leaders that live and work in a progressive bubble. But taking your ball and walking away is not what real leaders do. Resisting Trump is the major focus for Democrats, and they refuse to work with the president on important policy issues, including health care and tax reform.
The left-wing media are also working hard to undermine Trump where their political agenda supersedes the truth. Democrats and the left-wing media should take note from the actions of the 18 tech CEOs at the White House this week. (For more from the author of “Michigan Cop Stabbed in Neck by Attacker Shouting ‘Allahu Akbar'” please click HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/Donald_Trump_Rally_10-21-16_30181858380.jpg6831024Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2017-06-21 22:07:402017-06-21 22:14:51Protesting Trump Is Easy. These CEOs Did the Hard, Adult Thing
The quick shooting of an attacker who tried to detonate a nail bomb and shouted “Allahu akbar” at a Brussels train station averted fatalities, officials said Wednesday, as Belgium increased security measures around the country.
The attacker was a 36-year-old Moroccan national not known to authorities for being involved in terror activities, federal magistrate Eric Van der Sypt told reporters. He declined to say if the man had a criminal record.
The man charged soldiers at Brussels Central Station on Tuesday after his suitcase, containing nails and gas canisters, failed to fully explode, Van der Sypt said. It was a lucky escape for several travelers nearby. (Read more from “Would-Be Bomber in Brussels Moroccan, Shouted ‘Allahu Akbar'” HERE)
Children played and slept surrounded by pounds of cocaine at a Los Angeles day care center that a man used as a drug trafficking hub, authorities said . . .
Felipe Talamante is accused of trafficking dozens of pounds of cocaine out of the house that also functioned as an unlicensed day care center for children of all ages.
Police had previously arrested Talamante at the same home two years ago — also for allegedly possessing 20 kilograms of cocaine, according to the city attorney’s office. But that case was not prosecuted, Feuer said. Drug enforcement agents did not return messages asking why. (Read more from “Man Accused of Moving Cocaine Through Children’s Day Care” please click HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/5679294322_e4650e7eaf_b.jpg7681024Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2017-06-21 20:53:002017-06-21 20:53:00Man Accused of Moving Cocaine Through Children’s Day Care
In 2016, same-sex “marriage” was legalized in Colombia. One year later, the courts have now recognized a polyamorous “family” of three men. And there is no slippery slope.
Actor Victor Hugo Prada and his two partners, sports instructor John Alejandro Rodriguez and journalist Manuel Jose Bermudez, have signed legal papers with a solicitor in the city of Medellin, establishing them as a family unit with inheritance rights.
“We wanted to validate our household … and our rights, because we had no solid legal basis establishing us as a family,” said one of the men, Prada, in a video published by Colombian media on Monday.
Here in the States, the Associated Press notes that “More courts [are] allowing 3 parents of 1 child.” An example would be when a lesbian couple has a child with the help of another man, all three of whom become parents.
And there is no slippery slope.
From Biblical Marriage to ‘Ze’ and ‘Zir’ in 9 Years
When candidate Barack Obama ran for president in 2008, he knew that he could not reveal his true sentiments about gay “marriage.” According to David Axelrod, he knew it would hurt his election chances. So he clearly and decisively declared that marriage was the union of a man and a woman. He said this was his Christian conviction.
Today, a Republican congressman is shot in cold blood and liberal news commentators suggest that we can’t forget his record at a time like this. After all, he wanted to pass a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
And there is no slippery slope.
It wasn’t that long ago that the Human Rights Campaign felt the need to remove “transgender” from its campaign to pass ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Today, in New York City, you can be fined up to $250,000 for failing to accept the stated identity of a trans employee. And Canada has just passed Bill C-16, which requires it citizens to use whatever gender pronouns a person chooses. For instance, “Refer to me as ze and zir rather than he or her.”
Failure to use a person’s pronoun of choice — “ze,” “zir,” “they” or any one of a multitude of other potential non-words — will land you in hot water with the commission. That, in turn, can lead to orders for correction, apology, Soviet-like “re-education,” fines and, in cases of continued non-compliance, incarceration for contempt of court.
And there is no slippery slope.
When Society Affirms the Slope
In recent years, the media has pushed polygamy, polyamory, and even consensual adult incest, with public opinion gradually shifting towards more acceptance of these lifestyles and acts. (For documentation, see here.)
And there is no slippery slope. Or perhaps the slippery slope isn’t so bad after all?
That was actually the conclusion of a number of liberal students who challenged a talk I gave at a local, secular university.
I was asked to speak on the subject of God and Sex. I addressed the question, “Are biblical standards of sexual purity destructive or constructive, helpful or harmful, binding or liberating?” In the lecture, I explained how everything reproduces after its kind. I also explained that we have to look at the trajectory of an idea or action or behavior. Where will it ultimately lead?
When it was time for Q & A, several students began to challenge my talk, claiming that there was no such thing as a slippery slope.
I asked them if they believed in the concepts of “love is love” and “I have the right to marry the one I love.” They all said yes, no matter how far it went. Three people? Four? Two adult brothers? And should the government be obligated to recognize all these relationships?
They answered in the affirmative to all my questions, concluding, “Well, I guess there is a slippery slope, but it’s not wrong.”
And that is where our society is heading. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to deny the reality of the slippery slope. The logical next step is to affirm it. (For more from the author of “Three Men Get ‘Married’ in Colombia and There Is No Slippery Slope” please click HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/gay-pride-flag-847064_960_720-2.jpg720855Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2017-06-21 20:48:012017-06-21 20:48:01Three Men Get ‘Married’ in Colombia and There Is No Slippery Slope
This was the case in Tuesday’s special election in Georgia, where Republican Karen Handel defeated Democrat Jon Ossoff to take a House seat previously occupied by Tom Price—now the secretary of health and human services.
The election became a nationalized proxy war between Republicans and Democrats, drawing intense news coverage and wild spending from both parties. Georgia’s 6th Congressional District residents were utterly bombarded by an overload of electioneering and ads.
How sick of the special election are voters in #GA06? Friend in the field sends this photo along. pic.twitter.com/lsNiSsCyeV
After nearly 40 years of Republican control, the district seemed to be up for grabs.
But Ossoff was soundly defeated—despite having led by slight margins in a number of polls. Democrats had hoped to pluck off a surprise win and launch a narrative of victory in a referendum on President Donald Trump. Their hopes were dashed.
Democrats are now 0-4 in special elections against Republicans during the Trump presidency. According to Ballotpedia, Democrats spent just over $25 million in those four elections (Montana, Kansas, South Carolina, Georgia), and according to The New York Times, Ossoff received $7.6 million from outside groups for his campaign. So, a total of at least $32 million.
But both parties put a lot of weight into the Georgia election outcome and waged a ferocious battle to pull out a win.
The result of this political arms race was a little bit like the famed World War I Battle of Verdun between France and Germany.
The tactical value of the piece of land being fought over was marginal, but both sides had committed so much blood and treasure that they were fearful of pulling resources from the fight. Retreat became impossible.
This single House seat would have made little impact on the vote margin of the Republican-dominated House, but Democrats were desperate to demonstrate that their political fortunes were turning in an anti-Trump wave in the vein of the tea party’s surge in 2010.
Though Republicans didn’t quite pull out all the stops in the financial tit for tat, they certainly scrambled to match the Democrats.
The sheer amount of money invested in the race rose to staggering levels, seemingly raising the stakes even further.
Ossoff, who couldn’t vote in the election because he didn’t live in the district, frequently railed on the campaign trail about money in politics and about political action committees in Washington, D.C., dumping money into his opponent’s campaign efforts.
Yet he himself received a massive influx of dollars from the liberal San Francisco Bay Area. In fact, The Mercury News reported that he received three times as many donations from the Bay Area than from Georgia in the two months before the election.
This campaign shattered spending records.
As The Daily Signal’s Rachel del Guidice reported:
The race between Ossoff and Handel is the most expensive House race ever, CBS News reported, with fundraising exceeding $50 million. By the end of May, Handel and Ossoff had spent $3.2 million and $22.5 million, respectively, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, ABC News reported.
To put this in perspective, more money was spent on this single House race than on Jimmy Carter’s 1980 presidential election against Ronald Reagan.
Total individual contributions to another famous GA politician Jimmy Carter in 1980, in 2017 dollars: $34.8M. GA-6 spending: over $50M pic.twitter.com/zU8WeHR9kQ
Some outside groups in particular burned through a huge amount of cash to tip the balance in the race, and were in turn burned by the result.
Planned Parenthood, which has tangled with Handel in the past, spent nearly $1 million to boost Ossoff.
Handel had resigned as the vice president of the breast cancer research organization Sarah G. Komen for the Cure over the organization’s ties to Planned Parenthood, and even wrote a book about the experience.
Though Planned Parenthood, as National Review noted, tried to spin the defeat as a moral victory, it wasn’t a good look for an organization that continually pleads for taxpayer funding.
While the stunning levels of spending in the race undoubtedly made it more competitive, the results are a pretty clear example that money isn’t everything in politics, despite Ossoff’s claim that money is such an enormous problem.
Georgia Democrats ultimately couldn’t escape the forces that have caused national Democrats to sputter at the polls in the last few years, and voters clearly weren’t ready to make a dramatic swing just yet.
Many media organizations peddled the narrative that Handel had “avoided a major upset” rather than securing a solid victory, but there is no doubt that the Georgia race’s outcome showed that voters are still not interested in repudiating Trump’s agenda.
Lest Republicans become too jubilant in victory, it is important to note that the party has as yet failed to pass health care and tax reform despite large majorities in Congress. Winning elections amounts to very little without legislative results.
So far, voters have still not punished Republicans at the polls and Democrats apparently can’t even buy victories.
But as elections tighten and Democrats search for a winning message, the GOP would be wise to double down on the promises that gave it such large majorities to begin with. (For more from the author of “The Left Spent at Least $32 Million on 4 Special Elections. And They Still Lost All of Them.” please click HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/Money_Cash.jpg20003008Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2017-06-21 20:36:562017-06-21 20:36:56The Left Spent at Least $32 Million on 4 Special Elections. And They Still Lost All of Them.
The nation’s leading source of information on U.S. charities faces mounting criticism for using a controversial “hate group” designation in listings for some well-known and broadly supported conservative nonprofits.
GuideStar, which calls itself a “neutral” aggregator of tax data on charities, recently incorporated “hate group” labels produced by the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center.
The decision by the tracker of nonprofits prompted 41 conservative leaders to protest the move in a letter provided exclusively to The Daily Signal. The letter, dated June 21, asks the website to drop the “hate group” labels put on 46 organizations. (Read the full letter below.)
GuideStar’s use of the “hate group” designation for certain organizations, many of them Christian, unfairly and inaccurately adopts the “aggressive political agenda” of Southern Poverty Law Center, the leaders write.
Among the organizations represented are the Family Research Council, the American Freedom Defense Initiative, the Immigration Reform Law Institute, the American College of Pediatricians, the National Task Force for Therapy Equality, the American Family Association, the London Center for Policy Research, and the Jewish Institute for Global Awareness.
In the letter to GuideStar President and CEO Jacob Harold, the conservative leaders write:
We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, write to express our strong disagreement with GuideStar’s newly implemented policy that labels 46 American organizations as ‘hate groups.’ Your designations are based on determinations made by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a hard-left activist organization. As such, SPLC’s aggressive political agenda pervades the construction of its ‘hate group’ listings.
A biography of Harold on GuideStar’s website describes him as a “social change strategist.” He is seen in this tweet participating in the Jan. 21 Women’s March in Washington, D.C., which opposed new President Donald Trump:
Prior to joining GuideStar, Harold worked for the Hewlett Foundation’s philanthropy program, as a “climate change campaigner” for Rainforest Action Network and Greenpeace USA, and as an organizing director at Citizen Works.
Signers of the letter sound their concern that GuideStar, which calls itself a neutral public charity, is using the Southern Poverty Law Center’s much-contested language to flag “hate groups,” organizations that SPLC disagrees with.
“I think that what GuideStar is doing is another attack on conservative Christian organizations and individuals,” William G. “Jerry” Boykin, a retired Army general who is executive vice president of the Family Research Council, told The Daily Signal in an interview, adding:
We have seen the same thing from other places to include certain media outlets. GuideStar says that they are neutral, but they are anything but neutral. In fact, they are, I would say at this point, they are becoming an arm of the ultra-left.
Mat Staver, who also signed the letter and is the founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, a legal group focused on religious liberty, told The Daily Signal in a phone interview he detects purposeful motivation behind GuideStar’s flagging.
“The intent there obviously is to harm, I think, these organizations,” Staver said.
Foundations, corporations, and other institutions look at listings by such organizations as GuideStar when they determine where to make tax-exempt contributions. They are unlikely to donate money to any organization labeled as a hate group, the conservative leaders argue.
A GuideStar spokesperson told The Daily Signal in an email Wednesday that the website will change some of the language:
GuideStar draws information from thousands of distinct sources, each of them imperfect. In aggregate, those sources help us offer a multidimensional view of nonprofits. However, we recognize that the SPLC data is especially controversial. We are changing the text description of this data and reconsidering where and how we present it on our website.
The changes will appear within a few days, the spokesperson said.
Family Research Council’s Boykin said GuideStar has two options.
“I think their choices are either take this label [down] that you have put on these different organizations, all of which are conservative Christian organizations, or acknowledge that you are a politically active arm of the liberal progressive movement in America,” he said.
Staver said his organization, one of those flagged by GuideStar as a hate group, asked Harold to promptly remove that label.
“So, 41 organizations are joining together, we are asking GuideStar’s CEO to respond to me within a very quick turnaround time to reverse its course and cease this false and defamatory labeling that it is using on its website,” Staver told The Daily Signal, referring to the letter.
Among the signers is Edwin J. Feulner, founder and president of The Heritage Foundation, the parent organization of The Daily Signal. Two other fixtures of the conservative think tank, Heritage board member Edwin Meese III and Heritage Action CEO Michael Needham, also signed the letter. Heritage is not labeled a hate group by either SPLC or GuideStar.
Organizations such as the Family Research Council are well aware of the implications of the messaging that GuideStar is perpetrating, Staver said.
Floyd Corkins, the man convicted of a 2012 attempt to massacre employees at the Family Research Council, was inspired by SPLC’s description of the Christian pro-family research organization as a hate group, he noted.
In an interview with the FBI, Corkins said a list on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s website motivated his attack. SPLC has acknowledged the connection.
The letter notes that James T. Hodgkinson, the man who police say tried to gun down Republican lawmakers last week, liked the Southern Poverty Law Center on Facebook.
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., was gravely wounded in the gunman’s attack June 14 during practice for a congressional baseball game just outside Washington in Alexandria, Virginia.
“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 D.C. area?” the letter to Harold says, adding:
With these points in mind, we respectfully request that GuideStar return to its prior, nonpolitical approach to evaluating nonprofit organizations. Please send your reply within one week of receipt of this letter.
(For more from the author of “Nonprofit Tracker Smears Dozens of Conservative Organizations as ‘Hate Groups'” please click HERE)
