A prominent Christian pastor was arrested April 28th in the Capitol Rotunda by police officers after praying in protest of looming budget cuts to the social safety net.
Rev. William Barber is a prominent progressive activist known for his “Moral Monday” sermons, which are nonviolent, faith-focused protests in Washington D.C. They are often critical of the government’s perceived failures in the federal budget, primarily cuts to services assisting the poor.
During their prayers, Rev. Barber and two of his associates were removed from the Rotunda – which is typically open to the public – and charged with "crowding, obstructing, and incommoding.”
Now, some are leveling accusations of hypocrisy against the Trump administration, wondering why a Christian pastor is being arrested for nonviolent protest at the Capitol just days after President Trump’s taskforce seeking to hunt down “anti-Christian bias” in the federal government convened.
Arrested for Praying
“To think that we went in to pray – pray against the budget, but to pray nonetheless – and the order now is that, evidently, if you pray, you are seen as violating the rules of the Rotunda,” explained Rev. Barber.
Rev. Barber was arrested alongside two other men, Rev. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, and Steve Swayne. They were there praying and protesting against the Republican-drafted budget, which makes significant cuts to services like Social Security and Medicaid, chanting “against the conspiracy of cruelty, we plead the power of your mercy.”
Things moved quickly; Within 15 minutes of beginning their protest, the three men were in handcuffs. Dozens of capitol police officers surrounded the men, emptied the Rotunda, and demanded they stop praying.
“They were arrested for demonstrating inside the Congressional Buildings, which is not allowed in any form,” stated a Capitol PD spokesperson. “We gave them multiple warnings to stop or they would be arrested. Three people didn't stop.”
Rev. Barber says the protests – and even the arrests – are necessary.
“What we hope is that folks will see this and it will begin to remove some of the fear, and people will understand that this is the time – now – that we must engage in nonviolent direct action to register our discontent,” he said.
Hypocrisy? In Washington?
Some found it hypocritical that three men were arrested for nonviolent, faith-based protests less than a week after President Trump’s taskforce to exterminate “anti-Christian” bias in the federal government held their first meeting.
“Arresting Rev. Barber and others at the Capitol after announcing a task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias in government is an absolute travesty,” explained Anthea Butler, a professor of religion at the University of Pennsylvania. “Seems like this administration only wants Christians who are supporters of Trump to have access to pray in the Capitol and express their faith.”
CEO of Interfaith Alliance Rev. Paul Raushenbush cosigned that statement. “The arrest of Bishop Barber feels like the most clear example of hypocrisy of the Trump administration when they talk about anti-Christian bias,” he stated. “They are not interested in the broad expression of faith as exemplified by Bishop Barber, but rather only Christians approved of by the Trump administration.”
Rev. Barber says he’s unmoved by the arrest, and it’s simply the cost of bringing his message to the people. “Just as Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers, so we have to be willing to put our bodies on the line,” he said. “I pray that impacted people will (come), again, not to go to get arrested, but to arrest the attention of the nation.”
What is your reaction?
112 comments
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Rev Samantha Counihan
that arrest isnt legal, he has every right to pray in public, trump is just being a baby
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Rev. BH
To whom it may concern -The "sort by" button doesn't work.
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Cheryl Anne Hamm
There is a lot of mis-directed and poorly informed anger and hate in this thread. The divisions in America have a strong correlation to the mixing of a government that should be for all citizens, and the push for white Christian nationalism. Any church or religious organizations that overtly pushes a specific political agenda and intertwines with a political party needs to have their tax exempt status revoked. A government has no business legislating morality and incorporating a specific religious set of values. If you have certain beliefs they are yours to live by, and can't be forced on others who have different beliefs spiritually and morally. This administration is pushing Christian evangelical beliefs in their legislation, their personal interpretation of the Constitution, and hand-picked narratives to support their agenda. I have no quarrel with Christians until they insist I have to believe as they do. I grew up in a strict Southern Baptist home with strict compliance and all I learned was to hate myself and leaving Christianity stopped me from suicide. Using the words of faith to keep people you don't agree with down, poor, and marginalized, or twist words of faith to justify violence, war, and the inhumanity of starvation, extr-judicial prosecutions, and genocide, is just plain wrong. Your God won't hold my sins against you so let me hold my own beliefs, and I won't infringe on yours. Peace and blessed be.
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Minister-Brian Tuck
I feel you should be able to pray wherever you are. I myself believe it is our freedom to do so.
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Lionheart
I totally agree. People should be allowed to talk to their imaginary deity wherever they want to do it.
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Shango MasterExorcist, D.D.
Praying against something is Black Magick. Black magicians should have the same rights as white magicians, but those particular police on that particular day preferred Blessings to Curses.
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Rev Nolan
Scary times. I give Trump just three years before he turns against the Christians who supported him.
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Minister J. Abram
Outraged , that anyone would arrest anybody for praying for the poor. OUTRAGE
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Danielle Elizabeth Ostach
As long as they are not violating permit regulations or inciting to riot or creating obvious and blatant danger to others, public spaces are free for individuals to pray or do as they please. That assumes it is general public place.
That said, if there is law against ANY DEMONSTRATION by ANYONE inside the capitol Building and that is where they were, then the arrest is lawful and is not because of being christian but because of the location and they should have done it outside the doors like other protestors.
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Daniel Todd Kamm
The man had every right to utilize a public forum, and public ground, to espouse his concerns. This is not an abuse of the separation of church and state.
For real abuse, look to the southern states and all of their unnecessary litigation due just plain old school southern racism ... and possibly some genetic anomalies impacting the rational thought areas of the fully formed adult brain for a portion of the population.
So these anomalous peoples are okay with a religious intrusion into public landscapes when it suits their needs... but want to persecute "others" for exercising their rights under the Constitution of the country (and probably the state?
Well, that's why they are anomalies, and as such, will pass out of history...at least until the spermatozoa containing the errant DNA hits another egg in the future... and creates more anomalies....
That's what birth control is for... imagine a condom keeping some peoples stupidity out of the gene pool....
How much are those things costing these days?
And for some... yes...it will fit... someone has a microscope to prove it....
Have a lovely.....
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Donald G Magel
FYI: in case you have not noticed. The chosen one of the christian right is in fact the anti-christ. He is not doing God's work on earth; he is doing satan's work on our Nation and doing it to the very best of his limited abilities. This imposter is undoing years of social welfare services for the ill and aged that Christ made his people. The Bible tells us to care for the poor and the homeless. Trump calls these teaching WOKE, yet the so-called christians follow him with adoration. Sad!
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Rev Nolan
I am not a Christian, but I’m in full force agreement that Trump DOES frighteningly fulfill EVERY Christian prophecy about Anti-Christ, even more than Hitler did.
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Maria H Silveira
I feel it’s sad that Christians are being attacked for praying anywhere. We should not be arrested for praying when it’s not a crime. This is showing the end times and the prosecution of Christians, yet no other religion or cult gets attacked!
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Rev Nolan
I agree that it’s wrong to attack praying people, but Christians are not the only ones who get persecuted. Muslims typically pray in mosques and often forego obligatory prayers where they are in fear of being attacked by fanatical Christians. Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, many other non-mainstream Christians and other religions get persecuted often by mainstream Christian organizations just because they refuse to conform to their ideology of what is good, right, or true religion. Worst of all, Christians go into non-Christian nations and violate their law and are punished for it either by penalties or death, and then cry out that they are persecuted for Jesus’ sake. This is part of the prevalent Christian martyr syndrome.
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Steven Ferrell
The President has nothing to do with what took place at there, that is a local law enforcement issue. The story does not really get into if they were blocking people from visiting the sites there?
Did someone against Christians complain about that taking place on government property? None of us know the full story.-
Cheryl Anne Hamm
Actually the capital police are a federally funded law enforcement entity and must comply with the admins directives.
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Merlin
Another example of dismantling our Republic.
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Kathleen McLaughlin
I feel like I'm in Twilight Zone, either I was taken to a different planet or I'm living in a nightmare. I want my country back
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Rob Johnson
I agree between the trans genital mutiliation cult, communist democrat traitors that champion illegal criminals over citizens and deep state fraud to the tune of trillions I am ready for a new civil war.
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Lionheart
It’s now at last slowly coming back. Just relax, grab yourself a drink, hot or cold, sit down and enjoy the ride of these next few years as America becomes great again. Try not to let the pink, purple, blue, and green haired nose ring people affect you. There are some exciting times ahead. 🤗
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ServantOfJudgement
It's illegal to pray or protest where this Yale professor protested. Jesus told the Yale professor not to do that but the Professor did it anyway. The fuzz told him not to do it but he did it anyway. The Yale Professor did what he felt, which is what pleases Satan, if you believe the Bible.
This is where the hive mind gets confused. The hive mind loves anarchy and lawlessness and hates true Christianity which opposes lawlessness and anarchy.
Because the Yale Professor is actually a woke hind mind drone, all of the woke antichrists will naturally love his lawlessness and protest law being applied to him. They'll identify with the fellow drone even if he claims to be Christian and apply his treatment to their already filled up luggage rack of unfair disproportionate treatment as if it happens to them. Each piece of psychological luggage they carry is back breaking on all drones which fuels the madness.
Brother went against Jesus and got busted.
Any Christian drones reading this, Jesus expects us to be wise with other peoples money. It's biblical and the right thing to do. Thank God our President is doing the right thing with other people's hard earned dollars.
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Rob Johnson
There less than 10% in this country that can think reason and is not an indoctrinated lemming. Thank God ,I am one of those 10%
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Rev Nolan
I’m not a Christian, and I don’t believe in the Bible as the Word of God. Meanwhile, I read your interesting post, wondering what woke means to you. You make it sound like a bad thing. What do you think it means?
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James Riggle-Johnson
Have they allowed other prayers inside the Rotunda? Was Rev. Barber disturbing the public, or was his message something the tRumplican party simply didn’t like?
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Steven Ferrell
It had nothing to do with the Republicans or the President. That area is under local law enforcement issue, it is a local issue.
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John P Maher
CAN WE SEND M A G A to EL SALVADOR, A FREE VACATION COMPLIMENTs of POTUS TURD tRUMP and SCOTUS
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Lionheart
We all had similar feelings when Biden was in office, which after 4 years of his Build Back Better joking scenario, would have been very valid. But not to worry, the majority of the country saw through his very inept leadership, which was mostly on the beach, and his administration was voted out of office. Thank goodness! We all dodged one HUGE bullet there from preventing the word salad of Kamala Harris of continuing to lead this country into ruin.
Kamala, AOC, and Bernie, are the best thing to keep Republicans staying in office. I do hope they insist on continuing to speak at rallies as they turn more and more people away from their rhetoric. Thanks to Kamala, we have now become “unbidened” by was has been. 🤭
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Rob Johnson
AOC IS A BABBLING IDIOT. BERNIE THE BOLSHEVIK IS A FAILURE THAT HAS NEVER HAD A REAL JOB EXCEPT WRITING PORN FOR A COMMIE MAGAZINE WHEN YOUNG. THESE TWO MORON F COULD NOT RUN A FLEA CIRCUX.
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Nicholas J Page
What praying in public then the guy arrested for what exactly what crime has he committed.The public voted for the Orange man with the stupid back comb over blame them not the Minister Trump is going to ruin America.He blames Ukraine for the war against Russia not the other way around.POTUS Hah.
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Ellen B. Wentzel
More proof of the beginning of the Fourth Reich.
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David D. Smith
If you haven't read the book, it's a damn good book. "The Rise of the Fourth Reich". Never thought we would see it in America, but perhaps due to our history, from the book, it is all making sense now.
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Rob Johnson
Trouble the majority of moron in this country dont know the difference between a fascist or a commie.
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Lionheart
I think they do, and that’s why Republicans came to power to vote them out. Thank goodness for democracy.
Inside every Communist, is a Capitalist trying to get out. Hence, we have millionaires like Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and even the millionaire communist Bernie Sanders. 🤗
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Lionheart
Thank you for adding humor to this conversation. 🤭
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Amber Fry
That wasn't a joke. I suggest you actually read it.
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Lionheart
Nah! I don’t think so. Democrats love to push that narrative, or impeach, impeach, impeach, because that’s basically all they’ve got left. It’s quite obvious after the last four years they don’t have anything to offer, and the majority of this country realise that. Thank goodness we have a democracy, and the voting system works. 🤗
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Najah P Tamargo
Najah Tamargo-USA I stand with Rev. Barber!!! COME AND GET ME YOU FAT FACIST!!!!
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Barbara Harris
Najah Tamrgo and I will stand with you. I am a Pagan, but to see anyone of faith treated this way is wrong.
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Reverend Paula Copp
Ms. Harris, I, too, am pagan. I also believe in Bishop Barber. He was arrested for asserting his Constitutional right to free speech. Others have prayed there without question, but being called out for unchristian behavior is a step too far… pathetic man-babies…
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Keith Graham Ainsworth
The land of the free, Ha! Even in countries with "oppressive" regimes and dictatorships like the middle east praying is allowed anywhere
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ServantOfJudgement
Najah,
No need to hunt you down, just walk yourself into the Capitol Rotunda and start protesting. Bring Barbara and Paula with you. Make sure they stand with you and protest too. Don't protest where it's legal though. You need to do it in the Rotunda where it's illegal and make good on your proud words.
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Daniel Todd Kamm
F-Elon and the Orange Man Felon....
Have a blessed and positive Shabbos and whatever you have.
Reb Tk
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Lionheart
So far, our wonderful Orange Man 🍊, and his Merry Men, (and women), seem to be doing a good a job. 🤭
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Robert Gagnon
Would like to have seen what was involved along with his praying. Such as yelling out his intentions or what else was said. If causing an actual spectacle in the capitol building against rotunda rules or was it a quiet humble protest of prayer. Article is written as to the later. Considering what the great pumpkins' mob did at the capitol a few years ago anything non violent seems tame. They may have very strict rules after the 1/6 attack.
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Patricia Ann Gross
Robert, it was about the protest, not the prayer. Legislators often pray together in the Rotunda before a session starts, so what he was doing was seen as a protest. I doubt it got loud or roudy, and none of the other media reports about this have indicated it was anything more than a peaceful prayer session in the Rotunda.
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Robert Gagnon
I can't imagine someone not recording it. We can not trust any news outlets description since all tend to be biased. We've all heard the reports that 1/6 attack was just peaceful tourists when six hours of violence was obvious in video recordings.
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Robert Hauck, MD, FAAP
The cowardly psychopath attacks every person and every institution that fails to support his regime --- even worse if they voice challenges. Public protests and the ACLU may not be adequate to stop our slide down the slippery road to "1984" and we've pretty much lost the Supreme Court to defend our liberties. Where, oh where, is our Congress???
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Lionheart
Don’t you just love democracy? Clearly, the majority of the people had had enough of Joe Biden and his lame policies of Build Back Better, which obviously didn’t work. Let’s see if you are saying the same thing in over 3 years time.
Exciting times ahead, but you wont be able to see that, possibly due to you putting too much stock in CNN et al, but that’s okay, We are in for a very interesting ride this next 3+years. I think you will find that at last our country will not be in debt. All thanks to our wonderful orange man. 🤭
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Reverend Paula Copp
Interesting interpretation, lh. Good luck when you realize that your paragon of evil stupidity, the mango moron, doesn’t care about you or your MAGAt friends; he only cares about himself and his megalomaniacal, mega billionaire friends. He’s a pathetic sod, and so is his cult.
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Lionheart
If our wonderful Mango man only cared about himself I seriously doubt he would give up 8 years of his life to help,America get back on its financial feet, the same goes for Elon Musk. Neither of them need the money, but they clearly have a love for the USA, which I realize is very difficult for many Dems to understand, and that’s okay. He put his life on the line twice, and was still unperturbed.
He has the ability to rarely need a teleprompter, and when he does he doesn’t read literary directives on the script. He holds very regular press briefings, which was totally unheard of under Biden. We at last have a real leader determined to take care of borders, language, and culture, and is determined to get us out of debt. If he can pull all this off and remove the need to tax those earning less than $200K a year, no tax on Social Security, or tips, it could prove to be the death knell for the Democrat party. It’s hardly a strategy of someone that only cares about himself and his friends. It’s going to be a very interesting 3.5 years isn’t it? You must be really excited for him to succeed…right?
I suggest you sit down, relax, and enjoy the show. Alternatively, you can carry on listening to AOC, Harris, Schiff, Sanders, Pocahontas, the Woke, and CNN, et al, and let them carry on winding you up like a tightly coiled spring. The choice is yours. Most of America have made that choice in the voting booth last year. Don’t you just love democracy of this beautiful nation, which is slowly becoming great once again? I do, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. 🤗
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James Riggle-Johnson
Clearly, tRump and the tRumplican party won the election, but to think they or anyone could eliminate our national debt in four years is ridiculous. And those tax breaks you mentioned were something the other side was trying to accomplish, but were met with resistance from the tRumplicans. As for the economy, most economists say we are headed towards a recession, which is something Biden avoided. I hope you’re right, but like with anything, I will wait and see. So far I am not impressed. All I’ve seen is costs go up and my rights come under increasing threats from this administration.
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Lionheart
Yes it’s going to be tough to completely eliminate the debt in 4 years that we have been pushed into, but not to worry, there are more years for Republicans to continue the task if needed.
As President Trump has mentioned, our nation has become quite sick, and it’s going to take some remedial medication that some are not going to enjoy taking for us to become well. There could even be some setbacks as we attempt to recover, but long term, our recuperation should see some significant improvement in our health that most of us should be able to benefit from.
As for our rights, I’m confident our Bill of Rights, and our Constitution, will always stand and be supported by our SCOTUS. Thank you for your comment. 🤗
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James Riggle-Johnson
But the rich will not suffer any effects of this “remedial medication” you speak of. It’s going to be those of us who make far less money. As for the SCOTUS, there are only two sides on the court and neither of them is always on the side of the Constitution.
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Lionheart
Oh ye of little faith! 🤭 Sit back and watch what happens over the next few years. An EO to lower prescription drugs is being signed tomorrow, 12 May, by President Trump. This will affect everyone. 🤗
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Amber Fry
Good luck with that since he's had a record of expanding the debt rather than reducing it in his first term by record ammounds and is currently already expanding it that much more. Republicans are notorious for making it worse rather than better. A solid and honest look at it over the last 50 years would tell you that.
The problem with what Trump says is that most of it is a reflection of himself. He has been the one that has been sick. Those that follow him so blindly have that same sickness and refuse to be honest about what's really happening here. We will not benefit and if you look closely nobody making less than millions a year is currently benefiting. Businesses are already closing or expressing a concern they will have to if he keeps up as he is. Farms in this country are threatened by his actions and this time he won't be giving them a bail out. DOGE has become one of his biggest disasters running neck and neck with his incompetent cabinet picks.
And no, our Bill of Rights and our Constitution will not stand. It's already being chipped away at the longer we let this maniac and his rethuglicans attempt to lead the country. People who are taking an honest, deep, hard look at what he's been doing either do not know what the laws are or really don't care. It will be the death of those rights and this country.
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Lionheart
Well, on the plus side of things, we now have 3 1/2 years to see if your statements end up being correct. If his policies do end up being correct, it’s very likely Republicans could be in office for quite awhile. I, for one, would love to have no tax on Social Security, or on wage earnings lower than $200,000. How about you, Lady Amber? 🤗
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Cheryl Anne Hamm
Mr. Lionheart, I have read all of your posts and while I could challenge each of your points with facts that come from reputable sources, not from any media , I am not going to do that. You are a true believer who can't process anything outside of your beliefs. If you will meet me here in a year and we can see where we stand then.
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Lionheart
Thank you, Lady Cheryl, I will indeed be here in a year, assuming my health continues to be as it currently is. The financial mess we are in with our inflation rate, left as high as it was by the last administration spending money like water, is not going to be easy, but lets see how much of our debt can be recovered back in a year.
Giving money away that we didn’t have, to illegal immigrants, has now hopefully stopped, along with many other receivers of our hard earned money, but I’m hopeful we should at least see some light at the end of the tunnel in a years time. It is of course possible that if we do see significant light in a years time people will not want to give any credit to our current president and will more than likely attempt to attribute any success to Biden, just like he claimed employment rate success at the end of Covid when businesses started re-employing those they let go due to Covid.
Anyway, thank you for your comment, and let’s meet back here this time next year. 🤗
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Rev. BH
Thanks, Lionheart:
And now back to the topic!
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Lionheart
I was merely replying to Paula Copp’s reply to me. 🤗
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Colleen McAllister
tRumps entire administration is anti-everything that disagrees with him. These men were simply arrested for daring to speak against tRump. No other reason.
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Rev. BH
Police State surrounds a kind, hunched-over gentleman and sincerely religious figure to remove him for praying in Trump's "Holy" Christian Temple. I've heard The Reverend Barber speak and heard nothing but love, peace, forgiveness, kindness, caring for the poor - you know, Jesus stuff.
The police, FBI and ICE thugs are looking more threatening everyday. You are not safe.
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Reverend Paula Copp
ICE is the new Gestapo. If you look or act anything other than WASP(White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant), oh, and let’s not forget straight, look out because being an American citizen doesn’t seem to mean anything anymore. The orange moron needs to have his butt in prison, where he belongs.
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Patricia Ann Gross
Paula, the other thing that helps is to have at least a billion dollars in the bank and be willing to kiss tRump's A$$ when asked to do so.
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Chris
They were calling to deport Bishop Budde for daring to call for mercy from Donnie Boy. They don't want the teachings of Jesus. They only want to do as so many have done before: use the name as a weapon to justify their hate.
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Chris
This is ridiculous. For all their "anti-Christian bias" nonsense, this administration is the furthest thing from Christ-like. This is one more piece of evidence showing it. They threatened to "deport" Bishop Budde because she asked for mercy. Again and again this administration demonstrates they don't care about anyone but themselves. Speak against them and what they want, you risk harassment at best.
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Lionheart
I don’t agree. This administration is all for the sovereignty and security of our nation and its legal citizens. I wonder if you’ll be saying the same thing when there is no tax on Social Security, and Tips, and no tax on those earning less than $200,000? If that happens will you still hold to your mantra that this administration doesn’t care about anything but themselves? What do you think Sir Christopher?
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Robert James Ruhnke
Oh kitten. You’ve bought into the propaganda. You’re a brown shirt troll here to sew division and unrest. Go away.
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Lionheart
I hope you eventually get to be a recipient of paying no taxes on your income during the term of this administration from our wonderful orange man and his brown shirts, but not to worry, if that happens you can always donate money that you would have been taxed under Biden to support any illegal immigrants. Enjoy the next 3.5 years. There will be another election in 2028 where you can vote and continue to support the minority if you so wish. 🤗
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Religion as a Weapon is Wrong
Just out of curiosity, which religion do you represent here? Your comments tend to be political, not based in religion except maybe Prosperity Gospel. Your anger drips off the screen. It's rather sad, actually. But your name is strong! Good for you!
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Lionheart
The religion of "Logic, Reason, and Critical Thought". It's a very difficult religion for many to follow, mainly due to the God Virus implanted in many peoples craniums.
Thank you for asking. 🤗
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Ellen B. Wentzel
That's never going to happen. You have really bought into it. The shelves will be bare shortly.
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Lionheart
You would love it if the shelves were bare, and egg prices were as high as when Biden was in office….right? It’s not going to happen. You have really bought in to the left leaning rhetoric.
We are at last making America great again and “legal” citizens will benefit. Enjoy the ride watching us becoming prosperous once again, to the chagrin if the Democrat party. Welcome to the beginning of the Golden Age. 🤗
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Chris
If that happens I will gladly retract my statement. I've seen no evidence they intend to do so, however. Nothing I've seen from this current administration inspires confidence for me. It's all been talk to appease their supporters but nothing helpful has been done.
And no, I wasn't a Biden supporter either. Or Obama. I voted Republican until 2016, so you can skip that whole bit. I simply find the current resident more objectionable and less capable than anyone we've had in the past few decades.
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Lionheart
I do of course understand your concern about personalities, but actions are more important, so I too will retract my statements if none of these proposals bears any fruit. In the meantime all we can do is have “faith”. Damn it! Did I really say that?🤭
Thank you for your response, Sir Christopher. 🤗
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Lori Mongillo
Only time will tell, Lionheart. I truly hope you're right. Because if you're not, those who oppose will lose their rights.
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Lionheart
We will always have our Bill of Rights.
It’s going to be a very interesting 3.5 years. If they can pull off no tax for those earning less than $200K, and get the nation out of debt, it could create a very lonely time for the future of Democrats who just want to use words like impeach, impeach, impeach, oligarch, oligarch, oligarch, with no real meaningful plans for the future. They made an utter mess of our economy, borders, language, and culture, under Biden and Harris, and don’t really have any plans to offer the people. They are currently in total disarray with no real leadership.
Thank you for your comment, Lady Lori. Let’s see how it goes. 🤗
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Ari Joseph Bertine
The Bill of Rights is being violated all over the place, and no one can do anything about it. We have already seen people's rights to peaceful protest ignored, and we've seen a man disappear, possibly dead already, after being denied his right to due process. We are seeing a threat to freedom of religion in SCOTUS potentially narrowing marriage rights to one specific religion's parameters. I wish I felt like everything will work out and we'll all be okay, but for a lot of Americans, it looks like things will never be okay again, and that's terrifying. Arguments aren't helping...we need reassurance, and the current administration and it's supporters have shown no interest in doing that. People are suffering, right now, because of the threat to our Bill of Rights.
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Lionheart
I don’t think so. We still have our first amendment and included in that is the right to peacefully protest, which people we still do, and also we still have freedom of religion.
As for the illegal criminal alien, where was the due process, openly letting him into the United States in the first place to commit crimes against American citizens?
Were you equally concerned about the following:
Bill Clinton: 12.3 million deportations - 0 injunctions
George W. Bush: 10.3 million deportations - 0 injunctions
Barack Obama: 5.3 million deportations - 0 injunctions
Donald Trump: 100 thousand deportations - 30 injunctions wanting due process.
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Patricia Ann Gross
LH, so do you still believe that the price of eggs is going to go down or that the Russia/Ukraine conflict is going to end on Day One of his presidency? I don't believe "we are all going to be rich" any more than I bought into those fantacies. He absolutely lied when he said that the price of eggs has gone down by 87 percent, by the way, but how would he know? They may have shaved a quarter or two off a dozen, but not more than half the previous price. Also, some of these promises we already have under previous administrations. There is already no tax on Social Security, and I know this because when I filed my taxes this year my taxible income was $39.00 which was interest from a savings account. My husband and I are both on Social Security, so unless there is some significant maximum which most people won't reach, (because I am close to it), then Social Security already isn't taxed. So tell me, what about laying of tens of thousands of workers flooding an already dismal job search pool tells you "we're all going to be rich?" Unfortunately, unemployment doesn't pay that well.
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Lionheart
Yes, egg prices have dropped significantly, and also gasoline prices are dropping. Let’s see if commodity prices continue to drop over the next 3.5 years. inflation was clearly brutal under Joe Biden.
Building on a “reinventing government” strategy, Bill Clinton reduced the size of the federal workforce during his two terms by 436,000 people.
I think the current figure for President Trump is around 275,000 to improve government efficiency. As you can see, significantly less than President Clinton. Were you equally as critical with President Bill Clinton as you are with President Trump regarding the federal employee workforce layoffs?
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Patricia Ann Gross
Clinton had the joy of a legislative branch that was a Republican majority, so they were the ones driving the boat, as Trump should be letting the Legislative branch do now. I was in the process of switching parties when Clinton was President, but very critical of some of Clinton's policies, this one included. The Bushes turned me because of their poor support of humanitarian efforts. You might say I got "kinder and gentler" as I aged.
I also don't subscribe to the notion that "so-and-so did it worse, so what's your problem?" Bad ideas are bad ideas regardless of who tries to implement them. Carter, Reagan X2 terms, Bush Sr., Clinton X2 terms, Bush Jr. X2 terms also had runaway inflation and high rates of unemployment during their tenures. It seems to be a problem whenever we are not engaged in a war, if you go back and see the trends of (un)employment/inflation/conflict during the start of the 20th century to today.
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Michael L Tomblin
Reverend Barber may be a Christian, but he was not arrested for praying. He was arrested for using his status as a reverend for a political stunt and refusing to "move along". The Rotunda is not the place for his partisan political antics. He should be ashamed.
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Lori Mongillo
And the folks on January 6th should not have been pardoned for their partisan political antics, but they were, because they were supporters. Why are people so blind. It appears the blind Trump--eters are unable to see what is happening. They are so caught up in being part of the repression that their egos won't allow them to see that the emperor has no clothes.
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R. Don Elsey
Please post data to suppport your statement. The adminsitration is full of the least qualified, most sychophantic, incompetent idiots ever
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Lionheart
We ‘are’ seeing what is happening, and slowly this country is getting out of debt, to the chagrin of the Democrat party that helped get us into this mess. They were leading the USA into bankruptcy, but many Dems don’t want to admit to seeing that. That’s what hubris does.
At last, we finally have an administration led by people that truly have a financial understanding, and business acumen of running a business, and have success doing so.
Watching us slowly getting out of debt must be really hurting Democrats.
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Patricia Ann Gross
LH and SOJ, yes, but at what cost. Trillions of dollars lost in the stock market because the US supply chains cannot respond fast enough to keep the tarrifs from impacting the economy and Wall Street knows it.
The last four decades of shipping American jobs overseas because of cheaper labor costs cannot be turned around overnight, or even in 180 days. Factories have to be rebuilt and retooled. Laborers willing to do the work have to be hired and trained. This takes time. This was not the result of Democrats, but started with Reaganomics. The "trickle down" theory that has only widened the pay gap between the executive suite and the average workers has been one of the biggest myths ever "bought" by the American people.
The country is going to hell in a handbasket, and quickly. The impact of tens of thousands of out of work federal employees is killing the job market for those of us who are civilian workers. The damage done in 100 days will take years to unravel, and I don't buy the "just wait, everyone will be rich" any more than I believed that the price of eggs was going to go down or that the Russia/Ukraine conflict was going to end on "day one" of his presidency.
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Religion as a Weapon is Wrong
We are getting out of debt? Wow, who told you that?
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Lionheart
That's the goal, DOGE is helping with that. It's not going to be a quick fix but we are slowly getting there. It took us a while to get to where we currently are with our debt.
It's a pity Joe Biden continued to add to our debt. Paying all those illegal immigrants didn't help, but that just the way Democrats are, but hopefully we can now mend the leaking holes in our rediculous spending. Thank you DOGE, and thank you President Trump for correctly adding tariffs, just like other countries have done to us.
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Rev Nolan
23 of President Biden’s greatest accomplishments
By Randi Jo
Even with so little leverage, the democrats managed to get an awful lot done;
Here are 23 of President Biden’s greatest accomplishments as president of the United States.
Passed the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package to increase investment in the national network of bridges and roads, airports, public transport and national broadband internet, as well as waterways and energy systems.✔️
Helped get more than 500 million life-saving COVID-19 vaccinations in the arms of Americans through the American Rescue Plan.✔️
Stopped a 30-year streak of federal inaction on gun violence by signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that created enhanced background checks, closed the “boyfriend” loophole and provided funds for youth mental health.✔️
Made a $369 billion investment in climate change, the largest in American history, through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.✔️
Ended the longest war in American history by pulling the troops out of Afghanistan.✔️
Provided $10,000 to $20,000 in college debt relief to Americans with loans who make under $125,000 a year.✔️
Cut child poverty in half through the American Rescue Plan.✔️
Capped prescription drug prices at $2,000 per year for seniors on Medicare through the Inflation Reduction Act.✔️
Passed the COVID-19 relief deal that provided payments of up to $1,400 to many struggling U.S. citizens while supporting renters and increasing unemployment benefits.✔️
Achieved historically low unemployment rates after the pandemic caused them to skyrocket.✔️
Imposed a 15% minimum corporate tax on some of the largest corporations in the country, ensuring that they pay their fair share, as part of the historic Inflation Reduction Act.✔️
Recommitted America to the global fight against climate change by rejoining the Paris Agreement.✔️
Strengthened the NATO alliance in support of Ukraine after the Russian invasion by endorsing the inclusion of world military powers Sweden and Finland.✔️
Authorized the assassination of the Al Qaeda terrorist Ayman al-Zawahiri, who became head of the organization after the death of Osama bin Laden.✔️
Gave Medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug prices through the Inflation Reduction Act while also reducing government health spending.✔️
Held Vladimir Putin accountable for his invasion of Ukraine by imposing stiff economic sanctions.✔️
Boosted the budget of the Internal Revenue Service by nearly $80 billion to reduce tax evasion and increase revenue.✔️
Created more jobs in one year (6.6 million) than any other president in U.S. history.✔️
Reduced healthcare premiums under the Affordable Care Act by $800 a year as part of the American Rescue Plan.✔️
Signed the PACT Act to address service members’ exposure to burn pits and other toxins.✔️
Signed the CHIPS and Science Act to strengthen American manufacturing and innovation.✔️
Reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act through 2027.✔️
Halted all federal executions after the previous administration reinstated them after a 17-year freeze.✔️
You would think the choice is self evident!
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Lionheart
Your number 5 is hardly a “greatest accomplishment”. Here is the involvement of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan that started under President Trump.
The U.S.–Taliban deal dealt with the withdrawal from Afghanistan of "all military forces of the United States, its allies, and Coalition partners, including all non-diplomatic civilian personnel, private security contractors, trainers, advisors, and supporting services personnel".
The Trump administration agreed to an initial reduction of U.S. troops in Afghanistan from 13,000 to 8,600 within 135 days (i.e., by July 2020), followed by a full withdrawal within 14 months (i.e., by 1 May 2021), if the Taliban kept its commitments. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg pledged to bring down NATO's numbers to about 12,000 from roughly 16,000 troops. The United States also committed to closing five military bases within 135 days. On March 10, 2020, the U.S. started withdrawing some soldiers.
On July 1, 2020, the U.S. House Armed Services Committee overwhelmingly voted in favor of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to restrict President Trump's ability to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan below the 8,600 that had been acted on.
On 20 January 2021, at the inauguration of Joe Biden, there were 2,500 U.S. soldiers still left in Afghanistan. Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said that the administration would review the withdrawal agreement. On 14 April 2021, the Biden administration said the U.S. would not withdraw the remaining soldiers by 1 May, but would withdraw them by 11 September. On 8 July, Biden specified a U.S. withdrawal date of 31 August.
Throughout August 2021, the Taliban rapidly took control of the country by force. The remaining U.S. soldiers were withdrawn by August 30, 2021.
The Biden-Harris administration’s failure to prepare for a non-combatant emergency evacuation (NEO) and order a timely NEO created an unsafe environment exposing U.S. Defense Department and State Department personnel to lethal threats and emotional harm. As a result, 13 U.S. servicemembers were murdered by a terrorist attack on August 26, 2021. It was the deadliest day for the U.S. military in Afghanistan since 2012.
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Cheryl Anne Hamm
Mr. Lionheart, I would like to add another fact to your statement. The suicide bomber(s) that killed those soldiers on Bidens watch, were part of the thousands of Taliban prisoners that were released as part of the agreement Trump made with the Taliban. The Afghani government was not allowed to participate in the negotiations that affected their future. I am not right or left and have no loyalties to any party or politician. I have no interest in the media and prefer research for knowledge. If I do read the news it is usually foreign agencies where I actually have found it to be a better source of what is going on with this Country and how it's decisions affect the world. Respectfully submitted.
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Lionheart
Number 6:
President Biden has “forgiven” $167 billion in student loans for over 4.7 million Americans. What the White House didn’t emphasize was that 87% of adults, without student loans, were being forced to pay for the 13% of adults who did, from our taxes.
In other words, money doesn’t grow on trees, it has to come from somewhere, and us tax payers will end up footing the bill if President Trump doesn’t correct this very poor spending habit of the last administration.
In reality he spent money that he just didn’t have, which continued to add to our debt, adding to one of the worst rates of inflation in US history.
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Lionheart
Number 18. He didn’t “create” more jobs in US history.
At the end of the pandemic when millions of people were actually allowed to go back to work from being temporarily layed off, jobs opened back up after shutting down, most of those were retail jobs, and eating establishments, where interactions with the public were not allowed to take place during Covid. Many places closed down and never reopened.
Those millions of jobs that eventually reopened at the end of Covid were destined to reopen no matter which administration was in office. In this case Biden-Harris falsely took credit for it.
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Ellen B. Wentzel
I wish you would really research your facts before putting them out there. Biden got the debt lowered though he was left much debt after the tRump administration. Man please check your facts. When you find the truth, you will really be embarrassed.
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Lionheart
Clearly you are getting all your facts from left stream media. I can guarantee that whatever success President Trump has during his office you will no doubt convince yourself that it’s somehow a legacy from Biden….right?
I bet you are also under the impression that there was no inflation under Biden….right? The country was rapidly heading towards bankruptcy under his poor leadership, but you of course won’t be able to see that.
We dodged a HUGE bullet that the incompetent Harris didn’t get in. Thank goodness for Democracy that most of the nation last November 5th saw Biden and his policies for what they truly were. We will now be draining the swamp over these next few years, and hopefully removing as many illegal aliens as we can that were being freely let into this country and being paid for their upkeep by us legal citizens.
Enjoy these next few years watching us once again becoming solvent as a nation making America great again. Thank goodness we have someone that truly understands how to successfully run a business, which career politicians struggle with doing.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. 🤗
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Ellen B. Wentzel
Do you really know why egg prices were high? It was because of the Avian Flu. Good grief. Not worth my time in replying to you. You will see.
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Lionheart
I can guarantee if that had happened under Trumps presidency you would have blamed him. It’s just the way people like to think because of the angst people have for each president depending on who they want to support.
However, you are right by saying we will see.
If Trump does really well I can guarantee there’s a good chance you will try and say it’s somehow due to Biden’s past policies even though he didn’t set up tariffs with other countries. 🤭
I wonder if you will attribute lower prescription costs to Biden?
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ServantOfJudgement
FYI lionheart,
The factory I'm controls engineer over just cancelled a $1 million tool from Chinese manufacturer and awarded a company here in the states the job last week because of the tariffs.
Happened right before my eyes.
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Amber Fry
Actually he's been arrested for having political ideas different from this current regime. It's been happening to judges as well. Look around with honest, open eyes and you'd see it too. The excuses they use are not the real reasons.
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Reverend Paula Copp
Mr. Tomblin… bless your mistaken heart. The man was PRAYING. The Gestapo surrounded him to make an example of what those who oppose the FELON of the red states of America can expect.
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Patricia Ann Gross
So why aren't the legislators who pray in the Rotunda before a session convenes not arrested too?
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Religion as a Weapon is Wrong
The people that defecated in the Halls of Congress were called "hostages" and were pardoned. The people that erected a noose to hang the VP were pardoned. The people that beat and sprayed law enforcement were also called hostages and pardoned. Some have even been offered positions in the current administration. The Reverend was not loud or dangerous. He was there to shed light on the cruelty of Congress toward the poor and middle class. That is what a Christian Reverend is trained to do - advocate for those that cannot advocate for themselves. He has nothing to be ashamed of. If Congress did their job and represented the people of their districts, we would not be in this terrible situation. And I just have to add - why is the Oval Office decorated like the waiting room for a house of Prostitution? I've never seen one but if I had to guess, that is what it would look like.
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Reverend Paula Copp
Although I am not a christian, Reverend Barber is a Christian and tireless advocate for the poor and underprivileged. Once again, the current administration is embarking on turning our beloved country into a kakistocracy, and once again it’s about the monster in the White House. Religion is of no value to him unless it’s a religion which works for him. All other religions need not apply.
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Minister Tim
I’m not a Christian but this is one more thing added to the list of reasons I’m seriously looking at running for congress next year. And it seems that list grows longer every day 🤔
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Patricia Ann Gross
This wasn't about Christianity, it was all about the protest. The protest was about the budget being detrimental and against the things Christ stood for. Many Christians are against Christian Nationalism, and that doesn't make us any less Christian than those that want to ram it down everyone's throat. Unfortunately, even though there are many factions and beliefs within the bounds of Christianity, those outside tend to see is all as those who are on the right-wing fringes. Please understand that there is a significant Progressive movement within Christianity that the Right-wing is pushing hard against, which is why you see things like this happening. I give significant props to Rev. Barber for shining that light so that the rest of the world can see that there are Christians who believe differently than the "kristiofacists" people are posting about.
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John P Maher
TURD tRUMP is TRYING VERY HARD to START a CIVIL WAR APPARENTLY as ALL IS STUPID VENTURES and INVESTMENTs HE BELIEVES HE WILL WIN or WHATEVER, CHUSUS KANKA !
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Steven Ferrell
It is the left pushing for civil war.
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Amber Fry
False. The left isn't interested in physically fighting. In fact they have been trying to legally protect the constitutional laws. It's hose on the right thumbing their noses at those laws. Check. Take a civics course with emphasis on the constitution. It's all pretty clear. Only those not familiar or not in agreement to the actual laws who seem to be the problem. That isn't those on the left.
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Timothy C Stone
Show some proof of that statement.
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R. Don Elsey
How on earth do you conclude that?
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This administration is an open book if you are truly paying attention. The DOJ is Trump's personal revenge department, firing long serving attorneys because of their work on Trump's criminal activity, civil rights department has been gutted, and discriminatory protections have been removed. To protect the rich he will push millions off of insurance and cut resources for hungry children, and killed many regulations at the EPA that will leave us susceptible to unregulated pollution. Regulations that are to improve first responder safety have been quashed. He pulled funding for seasonal firefighters that will put us at a higher risk of devastating wildfires, not to mention the increased risk to front line firefighters. All this to put more money in the hands of the wealthy and Uber wealthy who paid for his office. Pardoning convicted felons for the sole reason that they supported him. This self-affirmed Christian administration has weaponized cruelty to shape the country and the world in their image. Cruel and inhumane deportations are used like the death penalty to discourage others. Like Bill Gates said, "the wealthiest man in the world is killing the world's (including Americans) poorest children. While Trump pulls funding for institutions and funding for crucial research based on his assessment of anti-Semitic activities, he brunches and golfs with the former leader of the proud boys who marched through Charlotte yelling Jews will not replace us, killing 1, and quite a few white supremacists. As long as those who see these actions are wrong remain silent, many will continue to suffer and die needlessly. How anyone could think a government bought, paid for, and run by billionaires with their personal need for power and increased wealth would actually help the nations poor and middle class. It is the responsibility of those of us who know the immorality and devastation of what's unfolding before us need to take a strong stand for however long it takes to protect the vulnerable. America has never been a white Christian nation. Without slaves and low paid immigrants the titans of industry would never exist. We don't need to be reliously motivated to help, we just need to find our way back to basic civility, respect and humanity. The first big step to take is for many individuals to start researching and thinking for ourselves and not just parroting Fox news Trump reality show. If you made it this far, thanks.