Subscribe to OK Politechs
|
By Charles M. Phipps on April 30th, 2019 
After seeing a news report of a man with a firearm walking down SE 29th Street in Midwest City, Oklahoma, I stumbled upon a growing trend that had escaped my attention until now. The man with the weapon was a self-described Second Amendment ‘auditor’ and was openly carrying the weapon to test the police response. He had a camera filming as Midwest City police stopped to contact him and verify he was in compliance with state laws regarding open carry of firearms. He was and they left. This same man had also been walking through a park in Edmond, OK and filmed the response as a half-dozen police officers surrounded him with their weapons at the ready.
This man and many others around the nation have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours doing First and Second Amendment ‘audits’ in various cities. Their process for what they call a First Amendment audit is to go to a public building, such as […] → Keep reading
By Charles M. Phipps on March 24th, 2016 
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal (R) is now the one person in that state who will decide if Georgia will enact a religious liberty bill that provides for the protection of First Amendment freedoms or if the state will abandon religious liberty in favor of money. Money that will come from a likely future Super Bowl at the new, $1.3 billion Atlanta Falcons stadium, currently under construction. Religious liberty or money.
The decision Deal must make is whether or not to sign House Bill 757, passed by the Georgia Senate late last week. The bill has been in the works for a long time and has had plenty of time to pick up some powerful opposition.
Yahoo! Sports – The Metro Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau has said the negative economic impact on the state as a result of the bill could be $1 billion to $2 billion. Home Depot, Coca-Cola, Google and Microsoft have all opposed the law, as have […] → Keep reading
By Charles M. Phipps on May 8th, 2015 
Recent events in Garland, Texas have created a media firestorm over the issue of whether or not people should be drawing cartoons of Muhammad. In case you missed it, political activist Pamela Geller organized a “Jihad Watch Muhammad Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest” at which two terrorists opened fire on a security guard before being shot and killed by police. Some say Geller was within her First Amendment rights to have the event and others, mostly leftists and media, say she was wrong to do it, was responsible for the violence and should apologize.
Geller planned for the possibility of violence, allocating “thousands of dollars” for security and police at the event, just in case someone tried to duplicate the massacre at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in France last January. As it turns out, it was money well spent. One security guard was wounded in the ankle before police officers shot and killed the well-armed terrorists. They […] → Keep reading
By Charles M. Phipps on April 27th, 2015 
Last Friday the owners of the Sweet Cakes by Melissa bakery in Oregon learned the price of freedom of religion – $135,000. That’s the amount that Aaron and Melissa Klein have been ordered to pay to the two lesbians who requested the Kleins make a cake for their lesbian wedding. The Kleins declined on the grounds that doing so would be a violation of their religious beliefs. The lesbians complained to the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries that the cake refusal was “mental rape” and that the Kleins had hurt their feelings.
Christian News – According to the Daily Signal, the two women, who have been identified as Rachel Cryer and Laurel Bowman, submitted individual lists of just under 100 aspects of suffering in order to receive the damages. They included “mental rape,” “distrust of men,” “distrust of former friends,” “discomfort,” “high blood pressure,” “impaired digestion,” “loss of appetite,” “migraine headaches,” “loss of pride,” “resumption of smoking habit,” “shock” […] → Keep reading
By Charles M. Phipps on March 31st, 2015 
The huge brouhaha in Indiana over the last few days has all been a manufactured event designed to paint people with religious beliefs as extremists who want to segregate homosexuals from the general public. The left and the media have both taken a page directly from the Alinsky playbook and have launched attack after attack on Indiana, their legislature and governor and anyone who supports religious freedom legislation. In short, the legislation protects a citizen or business owner’s right to decide with whom to do business and to choose not to if doing so would violate their religious beliefs.
Naturally, the media and the left have pounced upon this legislation as being the next best thing to rounding up homosexuals and putting them in a ghetto, but the truth of it is that the legislation mentions homosexuals exactly zero times. The NCAA, Angie’s List, Salesforce.com and other entities have all announced either displeasure with the new law or that they […] → Keep reading
By Charles M. Phipps on October 15th, 2014 
For several years now, homosexuals have made news by suing or filing discrimination complaints against bakers, florists, photographers, bed & breakfasts, newspapers, farm owners and others who chose to maintain their religious freedom to not endorse homosexual marriage by providing services in support of a same-sex wedding. The quest by homosexuals to have their lifestyle mainstreamed and accepted, whether voluntarily or forced, is having some success. But this success is only coming due to leftists judges and ‘human rights’ commissions that deem First Amendment religious objections to homosexual marriage to be discrimination. The mythical constitutional protection against being offended is taking precedence over the First Amendment freedom of religion.
But while some business owners have stuck to their religious principles, which has cost some dearly, others in the Christian community have softened their stance on homosexual marriage. Many church denominations have stated their position on homosexuality to be that it is not sinful and therefore, neither is homosexual marriage. These […] → Keep reading
By Charles M. Phipps on October 15th, 2014 
It seems the day has arrived when pastors in the United States have the content of their sermons targeted by homosexuals. City attorneys in Houston have subpoenaed sermons given by local pastors who are in opposition to an equal rights ordinance that was passed earlier this year.
Religion News Service – Houston has subpoenaed sermons given by local pastors who oppose an equal rights ordinance, according to news reports Tuesday (Oct. 14).
Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who drew headlines for becoming the first openly lesbian mayor of a major American city, led support for the ordinance. The measure bans discrimination among businesses that serve the public, private employers, in housing and in city employment and city contracting.
Under the ordinance, transgender people barred access to a restroom would be able to file a discrimination complaint, one of the hotly contested parts of the ordinance.
The ordinance, which exempted religious institutions, was passed in June, though its implementation has been delayed […] → Keep reading
By Charles M. Phipps on October 13th, 2014 
The similarities between homeowners associations (HOAs) and the government are so close that it wouldn’t be a stretch to classify an HOA as a tiny government. Governments have the power to tax and HOAs have the power to collect dues and special assessments. Failure to pay taxes will get you jail time and fines; failure to pay dues and assessments will get you attorney’s fees, a lien on your property or even seizure of your home. Governments have the power to tell you what you can and can’t do, including how much water your toilet can flush. HOAs also have the power to tell you what you can and can’t do with your property. Some associations have very restrictive covenants that require approval from a committee before you can even plant something on your property or remove a dead bush.
Over the last several years there have been countless stories of HOAs harassing homeowners, even filing lawsuits in some cases, […] → Keep reading
By Charles M. Phipps on September 29th, 2014 
The beheading of a woman last week in Moore, Oklahoma by a Muslim could have been much, much worse were it not for chief operating officer Mark Vaughan. When Alton Nolen beheaded one woman and began stabbing another, the chief operating officer of the business, Mark Vaughan, retrieved his weapon and shot Nolen to end the attack. Vaughan is also an Oklahoma County reserve sheriff’s deputy. Law enforcement officials have said there is no doubt that Vaughan’s quick action saved the lives of several other employees.
This is a prime example of a violent attack at a business that was ended by someone with a firearm. What if the policy of this business had been that firearms are not allowed on the premises? How many more employees would have been killed before police officers arrived and entered the business to confront Nolen?
Here in Oklahoma we have thousands of people with concealed carry permits. In this day and age […] → Keep reading
By Charles M. Phipps on September 1st, 2014 
The gaystapo strikes again. Political Realities recently posted about two Christians in New York who own the Liberty Ridge Farm and host events such as weddings and receptions. When two lesbians contacted them about holding their gay wedding on the premises the farm owners declined, based on their Christian convictions against same-sex marriage. The lesbians filed a complaint with the New York Human Rights Commission, which ruled against the Christians and said since the farm is a public accommodation they are not allowed to discriminate against homosexuals. They further ordered the owners, Robert and Cynthia Gifford, to pay a $10,000 fine, give $1,500 to each lesbian and send all their staff to anti-discrimination re-education classes.
And now the Giffords have announced they will “no longer host any wedding ceremonies on their property.” They would rather do that and stay true to their convictions than be compelled by the government to violate their religious principles and host homosexual weddings.
The Blaze […] → Keep reading
|
|
