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Exposing America’s Radical Right-Wing Political And Religious Involvement In Canada

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For years Canadians have taken pride in the progress made within the country towards progressive and equal laws. While there is a growing majority of Canadians as a whole who support full equality for adults and the complete protection of all children from bullying and the risk of suicide due to sexual orientation or identification, whether at home or while attending school, there is also a growing opposition that seems to get some of its fuel from south of the border.The development of ties between the current Conservative Party of Canada and United States right wing groups such as the Council for National Policy is frightening to those who have grown up believing in the fundamentals of Canadian ideals. At an address given to the Council’s meeting in Montreal back in 1997, where according to documents the conservative right of America decided to pursue the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Stephen Harper touted the honor and greatness of like-minded conservatives joining forces.

“Canada is a Northern European welfare state in the worst sense of the word,” said Mr. Harper when addressing the Council. “In terms of the unemployed, of which we have over a million-and-a-half (approximately 3%), don’t feel particularly bad for many of these people. They don’t feel bad about it themselves, as long as they’re receiving generous social assistance and unemployment insurance.”

“The Supreme Court, like yours, which, since we put a charter of rights in our Constitution in 1982, is becoming increasingly arbitrary, putting universal Medicare in our constitution, and feminist rights. This distresses conservatives like myself quite profoundly, but I will warn you, it’s a widespread view, and I will always say, one that could only be maintained as long as the United States basically provide us with military protection.
The Council is described as “a secretive group of wealthy donors that has funnelled billions of dollars to right-wing Christian activists.” At its meetings, the rich and influential who adhere to the outward beliefs of right-wing evangelical or conservative Christians are able to join forces and create campaigns and projects that further their cause under a cloak of secrecy.

Off-limit meetings to the public and media create a further anonymity that is not beyond reproach. Those who are “honored” to attend receive unanimous approval from the Council’s Executive Committee. Speakers who have addressed the Council include Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, President George W. Bush, and Justice Thomas. Alberta Economic Development Minister Mark Norris addressed the group in 2003 to discuss the Alberta oil sands.

The Reverend Fallwell was a strong supporter of Tim LaHaye, founder of Council for National Policy
“I found out that he’d done something no conservative minister had ever done before: He’s organized hundreds of churches into a political bloc. More than any other person, Tim LeHaye challenged me to begin thinking through my involvement in politics.”

Regular readers know well Beverly LaHaye, who, with her husband Tim, founded Concerned Women For America, a radical right-wing extremist group focused on opposing homosexuality. CWA regularly issues misguided warnings about  the fall of America should same-sex marriage or the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell take hold. Last year, a top CWA leader falsely claimed that homosexuals often get syphillis, die at a dramatically earlier age, an end relationships quickly.

In a recent press release The Institute for Canadian Values (ICV), an organization supported by Fallwell, put out the following statements concerning legislation being introduced in Ontario that makes gay-straight alliances required in any school that receives public funding when students request it:

“Bullying must be combated with strong, stiff programs and penalties.  Children’s lives depend on it.  It is most unfortunate that the Premier sees bullying as an opportunity to advance his radical sex gender teaching in law.  It is egregious, with the force of law, to impose this bizarre social engineering experiment on Ontario’s children under the pretence of protecting the vulnerable.  There is no proof that forcing all schools, Public and Catholic, to teach this material and host gay clubs will stop bullying.  This guise doesn’t hold water with standard pedagogical practices.  Our schools don’t have to teach the intricacies of every element of difference to combat bullying.  Teachers don’t need a 219 page curriculum guide extolling the virtues of being short, overweight, Christian, Jewish, Muslim or any other identifying factor. They simply need to combat bullying.”

This isn’t the only statement that has been made by the ICV concerning what Pope Benedict called “liberal family values”:

“Charles McVety, President of the Institute for Canada Values states “Bill C-389 (click here for description and debate) is a danger to our children. If ‘gender identity’ is enshrined in the Criminal Code of Canada, any male at any time will be permitted in girls bathrooms, showers and change rooms as long as they have an “innate feeling” of being female, according to Megan Leslie’s speech as she co-sponsored  the Bill.  If I then try to stop such a man from showering with my little girl at the local pool I could be in breach of the Criminal Code of Canada and could face imprisonment for two years.”

Dr. Charles McVety, lives in Toronto, Ontario and has worked tirelessly to halt all LGBT supportive legislation. As head of the Institute for Canadian Values and Canada Christian College, an institution that is not recognized nor accredited by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, he works to continue the education of those who call themselves Evangelical Christians. Both organizations espouse the views of the evangelical that teach homosexuality, transgendered and any deviation from the “I am a girl” or “I am a boy” philosophy is wrong in God’s eyes and therefore defaces the country and religion.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blkFl0-ZJdY&w=480&h=360]

 

He also is the current national chairman of the organization known as Christians United for Israel, where he works with Pastors Hagee, Fallwell, Caldwell and the current president, Gary Bauer, who was past-president of the Family Research Council and former chairman of The Campaign for Working Families.

Even though he currently heads up a so-called “college” his educational background is rather questionable. Dr. McVety attended the University of Toronto for only two years, before he left without a degree. He transferred to the Canada Christian College, which was started by his father, where he graduated with a B.A. and M.A. later garnering an honorary doctorate from the St. Petersburg State University in Russia. The College offers degrees in Theology that include Bachelor’s and Master’s programs, with concentrations in Religious Studies, Music, Israel Studies (Christian Ambassador to Israel), Business and Communications. They also have a specialty in Christian Counselling that includes the ability to gain a doctorate within the field.

The Canada Christian College, states that it has a mission to educate young men and women the Bible, which is the word of God, “the only rule and standard according to which all dogma should be judged.”While this is a respectable mission, it seems to fly in the face of reality. According to their website they require that all students bring themselves in line with the mission and principles of the college which includes the following:

 

Obey Jesus’ commandment to His disciples (Jn. 13:34-35) echoed by the Apostle Paul (Rom. 14; 1 Cor. 8, 13) to love one another.


Yet their founder works advocating for resolutions and legislation that undermine the very principle to love your neighbour and to show respect for others. It is also interesting to note that the College works hand in hand with the Canadian College of Christian Counsellors. This association, that bestows upon itself the ability to accredit and license these counsellors, is nothing more than an extension of the arm of the ever incestuous christian right. Within its ranks are many who advocate for anti-gay therapies. The current head of the CCCC, Dr. Clarence Duff, holds degrees from Liberty University and has lectured extensively at Christian universities throughout the United States. He has close ties to the Fallwell family as well as other right wing theologians and idealogues.

These organizations are growing within the borders of Canada and are directly fueled and perhaps even funded by these hate groups. Under the direction of those who have fought a battle against the LGBT community and progressive ideals, they are learning and avoiding many of the same mistakes they have made before. Their rhetoric while strong and unnerving to many, is striking a chord with simple people who are battling between staying faithful to a God they have been taught to love since birth and the ideals that are inherently Canadian, including that, ‘“the state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation.”’

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News

Noem Heads to Mar-a-Lago After Branding Kids She Ministered in Church ‘Little Tyrants’

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May 3, 2024

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Amid more damning revelations from her soon-to-be released book, embattled South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem will head to Mar-a-Lago this weekend as ex-president Donald Trump auditions potential vice presidential picks in front of high-dollar donors. Noem was also slated to attend a Republican fundraiser in Colorado this weekend but it was canceled over alleged safety concerns after news broke she had bragged about shooting her 14-month old dog.

While Noem’s shooting to death of her wirehaired pointer, Cricket, which she detailed in the book, is still making headlines overnight a new revelation made news: Noem falsely claims in her book she met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.

A spokesperson for Noem “seemed to concede that the Kim story was false Thursday night,” and notified her publisher, Politico’s Ryan Lizza reported in his exclusive.

But less noticed appears to be the actual text of Noem’s false story, in which she brands children she ministered in church “little tyrants,” and compared them to the murderous North Korean dictator.

READ MORE: RFK Jr., Embracing Far-Right, Spoke at Fundraiser for Anti-Government Group With J6 Ties

“Through my tenure on the House Armed Services Committee,” Noem wrote, according to Politico, “I had the chance to travel to many countries to meet with world leaders. I remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. I’m sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I’d been a children’s pastor, after all).”

CNBC reported this week Trump “will mingle with potential vice presidential running mates and wealthy Republican donors at the Republican National Committee’s spring donor retreat. The meetings are likely to act as informal tryouts for a short list of politicos in the running to join the Trump ticket.”

The list of Republican “special guests” includes U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, Tim Scott, and J.D. Vance, Rep. Elise Stefanik, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.

Also expected to attend are House Speaker Mike Johnson, U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida and Wesley Hunt of Texas, former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and other elected Republicans along with RNC co-chair Lara Trump.

READ MORE: Election Denialism Embraced by ‘Large Proportion’ of Trump’s Followers: Report

NBC News, which says Rep. Donalds is also under consideration, on Friday added there will be “a fundraising retreat that could serve as a screening session” for potential vice presidential running mates.

Meanwhile, the Jefferson County, Colorado Republican Party chair announced a fundraising dinner Noem was slated to attend was canceled after threats were made, The Denver Post reports.

“We understood there was a planned organized protest outside of the hotel, led by Progress Now,” Nancy Pallozzi said. “I felt that our event would be negatively impacted, and we could not take the risk that those who made threats would cause physical harm.”

 

 

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RFK Jr., Embracing Far-Right, Spoke at Fundraiser for Anti-Government Group With J6 Ties

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May 3, 2024

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Over the weekend independent 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. spoke at a fundraiser for a far-right anti-government group in Erie County, New York – a slice of the country that had a large proportion of residents arrested and charged for crimes related to the January 6 insurrection. Kennedy, a conspiracy theorist and vaccine denialist, increasingly is embracing the far-right.

“That group, Constitutional Coalition of New York State, has founders who not only have ties to Donald Trump but are also connected to the stop-the-steal movement through their activist network, which includes groups that had a presence at the Capitol on Jan. 6,” The Daily Beast reported Friday. “It’s yet another instance of Kennedy—who is mounting one of the most well-funded third-party presidential threats in decades—serving as a peculiar bridge between his own anti-establishment movement and Trump’s.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center includes the Constitutional Coalition of New York State (CCNYS) on its page of anti-government groups. Political Research Associates, which detailed the high proportion of January 6 residents arrested and charged, included the Constitutional Coalition of New York State in its February report on “The Rise of the Far Right in Western New York.”

READ MORE: Election Denialism Embraced by ‘Large Proportion’ of Trump’s Followers: Report

“If you don’t think the government is lying to you, you’re not paying attention,” Kennedy told attendees at the CCNYS fundraiser, The Buffalo News reports.

“CCNYS founders Nick and Nancie Orticelli are also affiliated with the Watchmen, a nearby militia who Nick has encouraged his social media followers to join. The Watchmen had several members at the Capitol on Jan. 6, and one member, Pete Harding, is still facing charges for violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds,” The Daily Beast noted. “Nancie Orticelli has also hosted the Watchmen’s founder, Charles Pellien, on her weekly radio show on several occasions.”

One of Kennedy’s goals in traveling to New York was to get on the ballot for the November presidential election. Various polls show him taking votes from both President Joe Biden and ex-president Donald Trump, but Kennedy currently has only qualified to be on the ballot in three states, Utah, Michigan and Hawaii, the newspaper reported.

But The Washington Post on Thursday reported The American Independent Party of California, which has a history of “far-right ties,” and “backed segregationist and former Alabama governor George Wallace in 1968, nominated Kennedy for president.”

Kennedy “said this week that he has qualified to be on the ballot in California and will accept the nomination of the American Independent Party, which has a history of associating itself with far-right figures and individuals who have expressed racist views.”

Some news reports and RFK Jr. himself say the Trump campaign was actively courting Kennedy, attempting to convince him to consider being the ex-president’s 2024 vice presidential running mate.

“That MAGA dalliance with Kennedy could be coming back to bite the Trump campaign, some Republicans close to the former president worry,” The Daily Beast also reported.

“’They can only blame themselves,’ a Trump-aligned strategist told The Daily Beast, requesting anonymity to speak candidly about private conversations about the risk Kennedy poses, ‘because they cozied up to him and thought it was funny.’”

Watch WIVBTV’s report on Kennedy’s trip to New York below or at this link.

READ MORE: Trump Won’t Commit to Accepting Election Results if He Doesn’t Win State He Falsely Claims He Won

 

 

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Election Denialism Embraced by ‘Large Proportion’ of Trump’s Followers: Report

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19 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Since at least 2012 Donald Trump has been engaging in election denialism. Now, a tenet of the Republican Party, the refusal to accept official election results they don’t like is ingrained in a large number of his followers.

“I think that the powers that be on the Democratic side have figured out a way to circumvent democracy,” Darlene Anastas, 69, of Middleborough, Massachusetts, told NBC News. The network “spoke to more than 50 Trump supporters, most of whom said they don’t believe Biden can win legitimately in November.”

“Poll after poll,” NBC also reported, “has found that a large proportion of the Republican electorate believes the only reasons Joe Biden is president are voter fraud and Democratic dirty tricks, buying into former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims about the 2020 election.”

NBC spoke with 72-year old George Crosby, from Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, who said, Democrats “cheat like crazy” (video below).

READ MORE: ‘No Place for Antisemitism’: Biden Denounces Violent Campus Protests, Hate Speech and Racism

“I think they cheated before, and I think they’re going to try to do it again, because they’re a bunch of communists,” Fitzwilliam added.

38-year old James Russon of Eagle Mountain, Utah told NBC, “There’s no way Biden could legally … win without unfair means.”

“He added that the only way Biden could prevail would be through ‘cheating’ or ‘a lot of deceased people voting.'”

62-year old Randall Minicola of Las Vegas said it would be “impossible” for Biden to win. “I don’t think he’s got a following. I mean, you look who’s behind him — the only thing he’s got is ghosts behind him. That’s what I believe. Where’s the supporters then? Are they in the basement with him? I don’t think so.”

NBC News did not report on where these particular GOP voters got their information or how they came to believe these claims, but it did note the “possibility of another election in which large numbers of Republicans refuse to accept a Biden victory has also been stoked by influential conservatives.”

READ MORE: Trump Would Not Oppose State Pregnancy Surveillance or Abortion Prosecution

Trump’s election denialism is so strong that in 2020 CNN published “A list of the times Trump has said he won’t accept the election results or leave office if he loses.”

Election denialism continues to be spread throughout the right.

“A senile man is not going to get elected in the most powerful country in the world unless there’s fraud,” former Fox News host Tucker Carlson said in March, NBC noted. Carlson, a purveyor of conspiracy theories, has spoken very positively about Russia and its authoritarian president, Vladimir Putin, and against Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Numerous studies and fact checks have found mail-in voting to be safe and secure, with little opportunity for fraud, yet just last week Carlson, like Trump, was claiming massive election fraud. Undermining Americans’ faith in democracy was a main goal of Russian President Putin’s 2016 attack on the U.S. elections, according to a 2017 report issued by a group of U.S. Intelligence agencies.

But just last week Carlson claimed, “About one in five mail-in ballots in the last election was fraudulent, handing Biden the presidency. We know this because the people who committed the fraud have admitted it in a new poll.”

A portion of NBC’s report from Thursday also appears in this January 2024 NBC News video.

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: DeSantis Declares NYC ‘Reeks’ of Pot Amid Florida’s Battle for Legalization and 2024 Voters

 

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