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June 3, 2009 USA Today: Opposing view: We abhor vigilantism
Operation Rescue uses all legal tools to expose abortion’s brutality.
more
May 15, 2009, Gallup Poll , More Americans “Pro-Life” Than “Pro-Choice” for First Time. more
May 10, 2009 LA Times, What Republicans need is a mutiny. more
Founders Pam and Randy Brinson of Redeem the Vote with Gospel Music
Producer Gary Chapman. more
CCA Leadership Luncheon Photo Highlights. more
Friday, April 3, 2009 Tuscaloosa News, Tuscaloosa lawmaker earns statesmanship award. more
Thursday, March 05, 2009 The Birmingham News. Alabama legislative panel delays bill backed by critics of evolution. more
TimesDaily.com. Thursday March 12, 2009
PACT woes draw interest and criticism. more
PACT woes attracting candidate and party interest. more
Addressing gambling obsession. more
Gaming foes line up for fight. more
Alabama legislative panel delays bill backed by critics of evolution. more
Senator Coburn: "I'd go to jail before being forced to do abortions". more
Non-embryonic stem cell research continues to advance. more
Barack Obama: most radical pro-abortion president in history. more
The "New" Fairness Doctrine? . more
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Sponsor says Ala. GOP's grocery tax plan will fail. more
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Sponsor-says-Ala-GOPs-grocery-apf-14471169.html
http://www.abc3340.com/news/stories/0209/598569.html?fntsize=3
Washington Weekly Review. more
Let Us Now Praise the Back Roads of Alabama. more
Chronic illness eats up 75 percent of health care spending. more
Christian athletes inspiring. more
Christian Coalition gets it right. more
Election is only days away. Click here for CC voter guide. more
Democrats Carrying Anti-Abortion Banner Put More Congressional Races in Play. MORE
Non-Partisan Cook Political Report Upgrades Mayor Bright's Race to "Toss Up" more
Dr. Randy Brinson and his wife Pamela, together with thirty senior evangelical leaders, will come together for an historic summit: "Pastors' Creation Care Covenant" on July 31st and August 1st at Airlie Center in Warrenton, VA. They will discuss church-focused, action-oriented organizational model that has recently propelled over 500 of America's cities and a similar number of colleges and universities to new levels of stewardship of the planet and its resources.
July 10, 2008. Montgomery, Al. CCA interviews Senator Harri Anne Smith discussing her vision for Alabama and her pro-family pro-life agenda. more
Alabama Voices: Change health care strategy. more
Christian Coalition lobbies for uninsured Group says it is expanding its focus. more
Christian Coalition addresses uninsured Alabamians. more
Senator seeks help in calling attention to lack of health-care coverage for Alabamians. more
Coalition acting more Christian. more
On the right side In our opinion. more
STEVE FLOWERS: Brinson steps forward as political player. more
ALABAMA VOICES: Teach relevant science. more
Antievolution legislation in South Carolina
ncseweb.org May 15, 2008
Senate Bill 1386, introduced in the South Carolina Senate on May 15, 2008, and referred to the Senate Committee on Education, is the newest so-called "academic freedom" bill aimed at undermining the teaching of evolution, joining similar bills currently under consideration in Louisiana, Michigan, and Missouri. Similar bills in Florida and Alabama died when the legislative session in those states ended. The South Carolina bill contends that "[t]he teaching of biological and chemical evolution can cause controversy, and some teachers may be uncertain of administrative expectations concerning the presentation of material on these scientific topics" and that "public school educators must be supported in finding effective ways to present controversial science curriculum and must be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review the scientific strengths and weaknesses of theories of biological and chemical evolution in an objective manner."
Accordingly, S. 1386 would, if enacted, amend the state's education code to provide: "The State Board of Education, superintendents of public school districts, and public school administrators may not prohibit a teacher in a public school of this State from helping his students understand, analyze, critique, and review the scientific strengths and weaknesses of biological and chemical evolution in an objective manner. This act does not condone the promotion of religious or nonreligious doctrine, the promotion of discrimination for or against a particular set of religious beliefs or nonreligious beliefs, or the promotion of discrimination for or against religion or nonreligion. By no later than September 1, 2008, the State Department of Education shall notify district superintendents of the provisions of this act, and each superintendent shall then disseminate to all employees within his district a copy of the provisions of this act."
The lead sponsor of S. 1386, Senator Michael Fair (R-District 6), spearheaded a number of previous antievolution efforts in the legislature. In 2003, he tried to amend a bill dealing with instructional materials and textbooks to require a disclaimer about the origin of life as "not scientifically verifiable"; withdrawing the amendment, he then successfully amended the bill to establish a nineteen-member South Carolina Standards Committee to "(1) study science standards regarding the teaching of the origin of species; (2) determine whether there is a consensus on the definition of science; (3) determine whether alternatives to evolution as the origin of species should be offered in schools." The Greenville News (May 1, 2003), reported that Fair "said his intention is to show that Intelligent Design is a viable scientific alternative that should be taught in the public schools." The bill died, however, when the legislature adjourned.
Fair was quickly at it again, however, introducing a bill in the next legislative session that would have established the South Carolina Standards Committee. The language about "alternatives to evolution" was removed from the bill in committee, however. Regrouping, Fair then introduced S. 909, a bill modeled on the so-called Santorum language stripped from the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. If enacted, S. 909 would have required, "Where topics are taught that may generate controversy, such as biological evolution, the curriculum should help students to understand the full range of scientific views that exist, why such topics may generate controversy, and how scientific discoveries can profoundly affect society." The bill failed, but Fair won himself a description as "the dominant voice advocating for S.C. schools to teach more than Charles Darwin's theories of evolution," according to The State (June 17, 2005).
In 2005, Fair also launched a campaign against the treatment of evolution in the state's science standards. As a member of the state's Education Oversight Committee, he pressed for the expansion of "critical analysis" language already present in the standards dealing with evolution, despite the criticism of then State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum, who told The State (February 13, 2006), "'Critically analyze' is not just wordsmithing ... It carries with it a whole campaign against evolution." After a seven-month delay during which Fair and his confederates unsuccessfully lobbied for insertion of "critical analysis" language into all of the evolution indicators, the EOC approved the standard as submitted. But even here Fair claimed victory, telling AgapePress (June 15, 2006) that it was a precursor to allowing the teaching of "intelligent design" in South Carolina's public schools.
'Uniformity' on state gambling is needed
In a recent article in the Alabama Baptist, managing editor Jennifer Rash reports that the Christian Coalition of Alabama supports the expansion of gambling in the state. more
No love lost on State Legislature
Over the last few years, the Alabama Legislature has persistently scored low marks by the people of Alabama. This session appears to be no different, with ongoing feuds among legislators blocking and bottling up key legislation to allow for educational improvement, campaign finance reform, tax reduction, protection of religious freedoms, and greater accountability by our elected leaders.
Along with these issues, there are a few issues that many in the political leadership want to avoid due to the potential political backlash. Most prominent is the proposal by Rep John Knight, to remove the state sales tax on groceries and replace the lost revenue with a tax on a previous exempted federal taxes paid by the citizens of Alabama. Regardless of the economic consequences pertainting to this issue, it is unfortunate that the those that our tradtional advocates for the poor have linked the lost revenue to those that are more affluent in the state, imperiling this important legislation. Probably a better approach would have linked the food tax issue with improving nutritional choices among those in the lower income brackets such as taxing soft drink consumption, fast food, and other food choices that are associated with poor nutrition, particularly among lower income earners in return for removal of taxes on traditional grocery items. This would have the effect of balancing tax receipts with basic nutritional needs of the citizens of Alabama rather than creating a new "class warfare" issue.
Similarly, the legislation dealing with closing a corporate tax loophole was also demagogued by some of the Republican delegation. While many of the Republican legislators were legitimately concerned with the impact of the legislation on the business community, Rep Jay Love was laying groundwork for a deal in order to get support for his health care legislation. In the end, after encouraging fellow Republicans to support closure of the loophole, he then votes against the legislation after crafting a deal to ensure its passage. As a result, he deflects the angst of the business community on fellow Republicans when he crafted part of the deal. Regardless of the merits of the legislation, it brings into serious question the credibility of Rep Love. Furthermore, the health care legislation that Rep Love wanted to desperately pass appears to be nothing more than window dressing. Giving an increase in deductions for health care premiums will do little to increase insurance coverage. No small business is going to spend $10,000 for health care to get $500 in return ( a deduction in taxable income will save only 5% of the cost, based on standard income tax rates). Additionally, health care coverage alone will do nothing to address health wellness or reduce unnecessary utilization which is creating health care inflation and unaffordable premiums. Rep Love fails to address the other basic problems with our health care delivery such as indigent care, improving trauma care, improving the wellness of our citizens, or addressing the inequities in health care premiums among those with healthy lifestyles and those that choose poor lifestyles such as smoking, obesity or alcohol and drug abuse.
Similarly this week, Rep Love mounted an ill advised filibuster of a bill to exempt state income tax on the economic stimulus checks that Alabama citizens will receive from the recently passed legislation by Congress. In the end, Rep Love then votes for the bill, leaving many of the republican caucus scratching their heads. The only conclusion is that Rep Love is being manipulated by the special interests in order to stall or slow key legislation in the waning days of the legislature.
It will be interesting to see how the final budget lines up in light of the reduction of tax receipts and how this ultimately affects how the budget pie is sliced and what priorities the legislature will place on education and social services provided by the state. The maneuvering by Rep Love appears to be one of avoiding the tough choices that are facing the state of Alabama rather than proposing innovative solutions to these perplexing problems to his fellow legislators.
During the upcoming Congressional race for the Second District, Rep Love will find the voters much more engaged in finding out what he stands for in light of the recent legislative session. He may find that there really is No "LOVE" lost in the upcoming primary on June 3.
CCA Commends Representative Grimes on Fighting for Faith
Legislation introduced last week by Representative David Grimes (R-Montgomery) will provide protection to all science educators, including those who happen to be Christians, from being discriminated against if they teach students about both the scientific strengths and weaknesses of evolution. more
Congressional candidates debate in Dothan. more
Christian Coalition Blogger Says Senator McCain May Win Presidency With "America is a Christian Nation" Comments
Washington D.C. -- Christian Coalition of America blogger, Jim Backlin, comments about Senator John McCain's "America is a Christian nation" remarks:
In a Christian Coalition of America blog entry entitled: "McCain's 'America is a Christian Nation' Comments Might Make Him President," Jim Backlin said: “Comments like 'America was founded on Christian principles' by Senator John McCain just might make him president. In an interview last Saturday with a Christian-oriented webset called Beliefnet, Senator McCain stated that "I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles, personally, I would prefer someone who has a grounding in my faith." The fact that the left-wing Muslim groups vociferously reacted against McCain's remarks, just added validity to his comments, and indeed value for his presidential nomination hopes.
Senator McCain, who at this time last year led in most of the national polls for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, needs something to break out of his current funk, that is, 4th place in most polls behind Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, and Mitt Romney and just above Mike Huckabee. Social conservatives who have been flailing around for a candidate who agrees with them on abortion and homosexual marriage -- even after Fred Thompson's entry into the race last month -- seem not to trust any of the frontrunners, most especially pro-abortion and liberal-on-most-social issues, Rudy Giuliani.
In the Beliefnet interview, Senator McCain went on to say that he agreed with a recent poll saying that a whopping 55% of Americans believe that the United States Constitution established America as a Christian Nation. McCain said: I would probably have to say yes, that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation." On Sunday, he clarified his statement by saying that the United Sates of America was founded on the values of Judeo-Christian values. The Muslim groups fired another fusillade of comments following the McCain clarification. Who knows? The McCain Straight Talk Express just might begin appealing to a divided conservative community with courageous comments such as these."
Thumbs down
From salisburypost.com
Thumbs down to the move of 2,600 Philip Morris jobs out of Cabarrus County as the company closes the local plant by 2010. Cabarrus will miss Philip Morris' contributions as a corporate citizen as well as its excellent jobs. Still, we should have seen this coming. Contrary to the images you see on movies, the nation's per capita consumption of tobacco has fallen to levels not seen since the early 1930s.
There's scant silver lining in a cloud that makes Cabarrus lose thousands of jobs, but Mike Sawyer, executive director of I Will Never Use Tobacco in Birmingham, Ala., shared this story via e-mail on Tuesday:
"In 1983 I let go of a little gold mine business that was an overnight success from its creation in 1980. This business was a smoky bar and a to-go package store.
"For three sober years behind my bar, I witnessed the results of my labor change from passion to make money to compassion for others.
"The last six months of that business, three women under the age of 30 who faithfully patronized my bar were killed in alcohol-related accidents.
"Amazing grace reached and delivered me, not a CEO.
"I hope the soon to be ex-employees of Philip Morris will find that amazing grace."
ACC Has Only Just Begun
The Christian Coalition of Alabama has been active in defending and representing Christians across the political spectrum in the recently completed legislative session. The Coalition has been accomplishing many positive and impacting things which seem to fall underneath the media radar.
more
Wal-Mart’s low wages, tax schemes cost state millions.
more
Christian Coalition wins church tax battle
June 18, 2007. MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- One of the toughest battles going on during the Legislature's final meeting day was between the Christian Coalition and the Alabama Education Association over some churches not paying sales taxes.
The battle was won by the Christian Coalition in the closing minutes of the session. more
Christian Coalition broadens its focus
Sunday, June 10, 2007
RANDY BRINSON
When the Christian Coalition of Alabama began anew in 2007, we pledged to work to promote Christian and moral values in the state of Alabama. This pledge means working with all members of the faith community, across political and party lines. more
May 31 from Crosswalk.com.
Christian Group Split in Alabama Intensifies
According to an Associated Press story, the split between two faith-based political groups has intensified, with the new leader of the Christian Coalition of Alabama suing the organization's old leader. Randy Brinson, the new president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, claims in a lawsuit that John Giles took the assets of the Christian Coalition of Alabama when he left to start Christian Action Alabama and won't return them. In Brinson's view, Giles is setting a bad example for Christians interested in Alabama politics. "This is not the way to engage people of faith in the political process," Brinson said. Giles calls Brinson's suit "frivolous and baseless" and said a close examination of the suit will show that the new Christian Coalition of Alabama is in the "palm of gamblers." Montgomery Circuit Judge Gene Reese, who's handling the suit, has not yet scheduled any hearings.
State Senate - DO YOUR JOB
Randy Brinson
Chairman,
Christian Coalition of AL
I want to urge you to call your State Senator and tell them to quick bickering and playing politics. With only a few days remaining in the Regular Session, the Alabama Senate has virtually killed a number of important bills because of a partisan standoff, but it is the taxpayers of Alabama who will pay the price. If action is not taken to get the State Senate moving, neither budget will pass. That means the Governor will be forced to call a Special Session costing more than $500,000 which will have to be paid for by the taxpayers.
There is no justifiable reason for legislators not to pass that state operating budgets during the Regular Session. This inaction threatens funding for all local schools for next school year as well as the operation of every state agency from Medicaid to Prisons to Youth Services.
Call your Senator at 334-242-7800 and tell them to go to work and pass the budgets. The time for partisanship and political games has ended, and they need to know that you and their other constituents are watching what they do -- and not do. Call your Senator at 334-242-7800 today.
In his service,
Randy Brinson, MD
Chairman, Christian Coalition of Alabama
Area Christians have high praise for Falwell
By Darryn Simmons
dmsimmons@gannett.com
The Rev. Jerry Falwell galvanized the Christian conservative movement and provided an unparalleled moral leadership, say local religious leaders who knew the evangelist.
Falwell died shortly after noon Tuesday at a hospital in Lynchburg, Va., according to the Web site of Liberty University, which he founded in 1971. He was 73.
"His leadership is so significant from the standpoint on morality in this nation that a lot of us are going to have to step up," said the Rev. Andy Hepburn of Taylor Road Baptist Church, whose daughter, Andrea, is the associate dean of women at Liberty. "It's going to take a lot of us to fill his shoes."
Falwell was found unconscious in his campus office by members of his staff, who tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him, according to the Web site. Falwell had a heart condition and presumably died of a heart rhythm abnormality, said Dr. Carl Moore, his physician.
Less than two hours later, ministry officials announced Falwell's death to more than 6,000 Liberty students and faculty members as well as parishioners of the reverend's Thomas Road Baptist Church.
He ran with a gang of juvenile delinquents before becoming a born-again Christian at 19. He turned down an offer to play professional baseball and transferred from Lynchburg College to Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Mo.
"Here was a man ... who had a vision for young people," Brinson said. "It was his first love and a big reason he started Liberty University."
Falwell dreamed that Liberty would grow to 50,000 students and be to fundamentalist Christians what Notre Dame is to Roman Catholics and Brigham Young University is to Mormons. The university's enrollment this year topped 9,500.
Brinson said Falwell was a key supporter of the Montgomery-based voter registration campaign, which registered thousands for the last presidential election.
"He was the first evangelical leader we went to when we started the program in 2004," he said. "He really got behind us."
Falwell, from Hepburn's perspective, was unsurpassed as both a leader and a man.
"He was the type of person that always seemed to remember who you were and where you were from," he said. "We didn't get to talk a lot but every time we did, he would remember me."
Brinson has great admiration for Falwell's willingness to embrace those he didn't agree with. "It's so different from what many practice today," he said of Falwell's conciliatory nature.
Falwell had made careful preparations for a transition of his leadership to his two sons, Jerry Jr., now vice chancellor of Liberty University, and Jonathan, executive pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church. He also is survived by his wife, Macel, and daughter Jeannie Falwell Savas.
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Steps in the Right Direction
By Dr. Randy Brinson
An article in the May 2007 “Christianity Today” magazine titled, “Abortion Overreach, The all-or-nothing strategy is not the way to go” talks about successful strategies used by Christian organizations to chip away at pro-abortion legislation. The article mentions how the state of Mississippi has passed 15 pro-life laws in 14 years, reducing the abortion rate by 60 percent. None of the 15 laws passed called for the complete abolishment of abortion. No matter how much the pro-life movement would like to completely outlaw abortion they have realized that such a law would never pass. So instead of well-intentioned “all-or-none” fanaticism, the choice of strategic sensible steps in the right direction has moved Mississippi 60 percent closer to the elimination of abortion.
After sighting the effectiveness of “incremental strategies” and showing how hammering away for total bans had actually hurt the momentum of the pro-life movement, the article concluded that it was “time to back off this all-or-nothing strategy. Effective service in God’s kingdom matches zeal with wisdom.”
Chuck Colson in his February 22, 2007 “BreakPoint” article, “”One Bite At A Time, How to take on social evils” echoed the point that the Christianity Today article made. Colson was talking about a different “social evil”, that of slavery. And he was talking about a different time, the 1780’s. But he was talking about the same strategy when he said, “If you hope to overthrow a great social evil - one to which people have become accustomed to - it’s crucial that you take the incremental approach.”
Colson was writing about William Wilberforce and how he set about to eliminate slavery in England. Wilberforce did not demand that all slavery stop immediately, he began by getting a friend, the prime minister, to introduce a resolution to “discuss” the slave trade. Then he introduced a one-year experimental bill regulating the number of slaves that could be transported per ship. Next, Wilberforce toured his colleagues through the horrifying reality of the salve trade. Step by step, for five years, Wilberforce marched opinion in the direction of abolition.
In 1792, Wilberforce made a motion to abolish the slave trade. Even then the House of Commons demanded that the bill use the word gradually, but the direction Wilberforce was going continued. It ultimately took 20 years for the trafficking of human lives to be outlawed in England, but it was outlawed.
Was Wilberforce on the side of the “slavers” because he favored regulating the trade of slaves? Was he anti-freedom because he did not call for the total abolition of slavery first off? These things easily could have been argued by any fanatical anti-slavery organization. But history has played out where Wilberforce truly stood. He was willing to reach across to the other side and slowly bring them around to the right decision in order to accomplish what could not be accomplished by a single-minded, all-or-nothing strategy.
Another “social evil” we as Christians face today is that of organized gambling. It is wrong in all forms and should be outlawed completely. But there is a problem. It is one of those social evils that people have become accustomed to. One of those evils that will not disappear with the passage of a strict abolition of all gaming, because such a law will never pass! Unless we take the strategic step-by-step, incremental strategy to chip away at the gaming industry, it will only become more firmly entrenched as an accepted evil. Contain, control, regulate, tax are not terms of support for gambling. They are first steps toward its reduction and, prayerfully, its ultimate demise.
The Christianity Today article put it well when they said, “Pushing for too much, too soon is a political death wish.” Any bill calling for the elimination of gambling sounds great, but truthfully, a bill like that would be political suicide for any sponsor, and would never pass. Let’s take the proven strategy, adopting laws that would regulate, control, contain, and chip away at gambling. If a social evil will not disappear all at once, a 60% reduction is definitely a step in the right direction.
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Abortion Overreach
Today's Supreme Court decision again shows that the all-or-nothing strategy is not the way to go.
A Christianity Today editorial | posted 4/18/2007 11:37AM
Ever since Roe v. Wade in 1973, abortion-rights advocates have stridently defended abortion at any time, for any reason. Or, for that matter, with any method, including dilation and extraction—more commonly known as partial-birth abortion. The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a ban on this gruesome procedure.
Strategic pro-life groups such as Americans United for Life have taken advantage of Roe's over-reaching extremism. They have made headway by advocating popular measures—parental notification and informed consent, for example—that shape public opinion and chip away at the decision. Twice vetoed by President Clinton and signed by President Bush in 2003, bans on partial-birth abortion have played a key role in this strategy. Achievements in Mississippi offer a compelling argument. By passing 15 pro-life laws in 14 years, the state government has watched its abortion rate drop by 60 percent.
South Dakota became staunchly pro-life in part by following this incremental strategy. Demand for abortions has declined so much that only one abortion clinic remains open. And that provider must fly in doctors from Minnesota, as no in-state physicians will perform them.
However, a different form of overreach, this time by pro-lifers, threatens these gains. Last year, pro-life South Dakota legislators, sensing that public sentiment was on their side, pushed through a strict abortion ban, which denied exceptions for rape and incest. It included an exception to save the mother's life.
Pro-abortion activists hammered away at the ban for not allowing abortion in cases of incest and rape. Planned Parenthood, which operates the only remaining abortion clinic in South Dakota, would have opposed any measure to restrict abortion. But Planned Parenthood and its allies did not need to argue for abortion on demand—only that lawmakers had acted without regard for public opinion.
Voting on the ban last fall, South Dakotans overturned it decisively. The defeat was all the more galling for pro-lifers because pre-election polling indicated that 59 percent of voters would have backed a ban with the rape and incest exceptions. So pro-life leaders reintroduced the ban, this time with all three exceptions. Though the state House approved it 45-25, the measure died in a Senate committee. Even the head of South Dakota Right to Life, a state senator, declined to support the new ban with the three exceptions.
What happened?
Truth be told, many pro-life leaders never liked making a frontal assault on Roe. For instance, Gov. Mike Rounds, a pro-life Catholic, quietly signed the initial ban but did not campaign to uphold it. But something else happened in South Dakota. The public, apparently spooked by the more comprehensive measure, turned decidedly chilly toward bans of any kind. Ed Olson, a state senator who said last year he would vote for a less restrictive ban, eventually declined to support even the ban with exceptions. Why? Vocal constituents urged him not to. "My e-mail is just running full," Olson told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. After the passionate, personal debate, other pro-life legislators also felt the heat and said the state should drop the matter for at least one year and allow everyone to cool off.
Though their motives were admirable, legislators who advocated a total ban must understand that neither the public nor the Supreme Court appears ready to dump Roe yet. In this battle for hearts and minds, the case of South Dakota should warn pro-life leaders nationwide that pushing for too much, too soon is a political death wish. We all want to see Roe overturned. But an incremental strategy gives us the best way to get there while discouraging abortions right now. Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling confirms the prudence and promise of this tactic.
It's time to back off this all-or-nothing strategy. Effective service for God's kingdom matches zeal with wisdom.
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How to Take on Social Evils
By Chuck Colson
2/22/2007
Two hundred years ago this week, the British Parliament outlawed the slave trade throughout the British Empire.
This hard-fought battle is beautifully told in the new film Amazing Grace. I watched a preview with President Bush at the White House this week, which was appropriate, seeing that this president has successfully fought against slavery in Sudan and against sexual trafficking. The movie, which opens this Friday, is sensational. See it, be inspired, and you will learn one of the most important lessons of politics: If you hope to overthrow a great social evil—one to which people have become accustomed—it’s crucial that you take the incremental approach.
It’s a strategy the Great Abolitionist learned early on. When Wilberforce began his battle in 1787, slavery was both accepted and highly profitable. The slaves lived and died in the Caribbean, far from English eyes.
William Pitt, then prime minister and Wilberforce’s friend, introduced a resolution in Parliament to discuss the slave trade. The motion passed easily. After all, the slave industry was not worried about a motion just to discuss abolition.
The next move was to introduce a one-year experimental bill regulating the number of slaves that could be transported per ship.
Wilberforce then gave his colleagues a first-hand look at the slave trade. As depicted in the film, he took several MPs to view a slave ship docked in London. They were horrified by the odor of death.
The slavers woke up then to their danger—and put their money to work. In 1789, despite impassioned speeches by abolitionist leaders, the slave industry prevailed against Wilberforce.
So Wilberforce took his campaign to the public. He and his followers spoke at meetings, wrote songs, and organized a boycott of slave-grown sugar. The tide began to turn—but once again, the slave industry exercised its political muscle.
In 1792, Wilberforce made a motion to abolish the slave trade. In response, the House of Commons demanded that one word be added to the bill: the word gradually. The slavers knew the great value of that seemingly innocuous adverb.
Wilberforce was crushed. Yet, he knew this was a partial victory. For the first time, the House had actually voted for an abolition motion.
Over the next few years, victory often seemed within grasp. But year after year, anti-slavery motions were thwarted and sabotaged. An exhausted Wilberforce almost gave up.
But by 1804, public sentiment for abolition was growing. In 1805, England had a new prime minister, William Grenville, a staunch abolitionist who was willing to try new tactics.
And in February of 1807—twenty years after the battle was joined—Parliament outlawed the trafficking of humans.
The pro-life lobby has learned the Wilberforce lesson. Instead of demanding an immediate end to abortion—an impossible goal—they have passed informed-consent laws and taken on partial-birth abortion. They have spent decades educating the public.
The result: Young people today are significantly more pro-life than their parents.
Electronic Gaming Bill
by Anna Donaldson & Mike McClanahan
CBS News 42 May 6, 2007
House Bill 527 calls for a referendum vote that could potentially expand para-gambling operations in some cities, while restricting its growth in other areas. Support for the bill is coming from an unexpected source.
The Alabama Christian Coalition has traditionally been opposed to gambling, and new president Dr. Randy Brinson says that hasn't changed. But Brinson is in favor of the referendum vote which he calls a necessary concession.
"What we want to have as citizens of Alabama is to decide the limits on gaming, and also the ramifications of gambling. We will never have that debate unless this bill goes forward," said Brinson.
State Senator Charles Bishop of Jasper hopes the referendum will stop the proliferation of small gaming operations in his district-while providing additional revenue for Medicaid.
"We're going to have trouble trying to find funds to match in Medicaid. I believe it ought to be regulated and taxed," said Bishop.
On Tuesday, Governor Riley announced his opposition to the bill, and some legislators believe it will have unintended consequences.
State Representative Mary Sue McClurkin, who is opposed to the bill, said, "The race course could get to be a little Las Vegas. Or it could get to be a little Tunica, and I don't want that."
Christian coalition support for the referendum is dependent on a separate bill that would create a state gaming commission to oversee any expansions.
Legislature can fix “Severely Challenged” Alabama Medicaid Program
By Chairman, Christian Coalition of Alabama, Dr. Randy Brinson
State Medicaid programs, a state-federal partnership that provides health care to the majority of the nation’s poor, has been recently evaluated by the Public Citizen’s Health Research Group. Overall, all the state programs were rated from a D minus to below F.
Alabama ranking was near the bottom of all of the nation’s programs, ranking 42nd out of the 50 state programs. One of the problems with the state Medicaid programs was the wide variation in the scope and extent of coverage as well as eligibility requirements among those covered by the various state programs. Although the federal government and the state share in the cost of the programs and account for almost 20% of all US health care expenditures, the federal government only sets guidelines for minimal services which states must offer, but broader services can be extended to eligible patients. In addition, many states have taken advantage of a number of waivers through the Department of HHS to help states tailor their programs to th e unique needs of their citizens.
In Alabama, previous legislatures and the Governor’s office have been reluctant to make the necessary changes or appropriate the resources to place Medicaid on a solid financial footing. This is despite the significant benefit with federal matching dollars to the state for funding health care for the poor of our state (3 to 1 matching dollars). Multiple attempts to increase tax revenues from a variety of sources including tobacco tax revenues have been poorly received by our legislative leaders.
If nothing is done to reform Medicaid or seek unique waivers to promote healthy lifestyles, then many of the financial burdens for health care for the poor and disabled will fall even more disproportional to our state, its health care facilities, physicians and ultimately to the tax payers. This is because of the explosion of other health related illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis that are directly related to obesity, which is a growing problem among the poorest Alabamians. Congress has already considering legislation to push this burden back to the states in the form of one time block grants based on present levels of Medicaid enrollees.
We must find novel ways to address the largest component of the General Fund Budget, which is Medicaid, and seek ways to contain its persistent growth. The legislature has introduced HB 527 which will provide 120 million new dollars to invest into Medicaid which will not require any new tax revenues from the taxpayers. However, it will move a significant amount of non taxed gambling revenue into the state coffers to make up for the growing drainage of state revenues appropriated for Medicaid. Some have argued against this bill, but no one has stated that they would be willing to pay additional personal or business taxes to equal the tax revenue that would be generated by this legislation.
All of us, including physicians like myself, realize that the health care resources and delivery in our state needs immediate attention. Increasing tax revenues to fund indigent care and Medicaid would be a great start in improving the health and productivity of our most vulnerable citizens. This approach, coupled with well planned regionalization of our health care resources, promoting healthy lifestyles, nutrition, and obesity programs, will ultimately restore the financial stability to the health care system in our state as well as our entire nation.
A Response from Dr. Randy Brinson
Chairman, Christian Coalition of Alabama
When the previous president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama left, the Coalition did not disappear. As the new president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, I am humbled and honored to represent those same members who belonged to, fought for and supported the coalition’s pro-life, pro-family and anti-gambling positions of the past. When the previous president of the coalition, John Giles, said that the coalition and I were, "only one man and a name," it made me wonder what he thought happened to those who belonged to and supported the work of the coalition. In the same article in the April 15th Montgomery Advertiser many such statements were made by Mr. Giles.
Which leads me to say how greatly concerned I am about recent events surrounding House Bill 527. While I welcome a spirited debate of the issues, I cannot understand or participate in personal attacks stemming from disagreements over those issues. The recent debate over 527 has not produced discussion of the merit of the bill, but instead quotes such as, "It [The Christian Coalition of Alabama] is not a pro-family group anymore." While there may be strong disagreement over what the bill will accomplish, I pray that there is no question over the motive behind any of the Christian groups in the discussion. The Christian Coalition of Alabama is a pro-family group who firmly believes that the control and confinement of gambling could best lead to its ultimate demise.
Presently my most pressing concern is to build understanding and support for that confinement and control of gambling in Alabama. In the long term, this will help us to address, drive back and ultimately defeat all gambling interests in the state. But this is not the only concern of the coalition. Our legislative agenda includes economic, educational, environmental and empowerment issues important to the Christian community. I do not see this as representing a part of a "turn to the left" of the national group as Mr. Giles has said, but a firm base on which we can take hard stands and move in the direction Christ would have us go.
The Christian Coalition of Alabama is committed to advancing Christian values. I look forward to fighting side by side with my Christian brothers and sisters and the organizations that represent them to advance Christ’s agenda in Alabama and beyond.
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