CLERGY AS HOMELAND SECURITY AGENTS

Clergy often walk the streets to calm tempers and keep the peace during times of crisis. They do it when racial and religious tensions are strained to the limit in those parts of our cities that easily become war zones when an injustice, real or perceived, is perpetrated by one group against another. Sometimes the offenders, at least in the eyes of those who identify with the victim, are the very police whose job it is to keep the peace. Clergy were on the front lines after the assassination of Dr. King imploring people to stay in their homes, imploring them not to riot or commit theft and arson in the name of anger, and convincing those in the streets to return to their homes. Clergy were on the streets after Hurricane Katrina to both minister to those devastated by the hurricane and to confront looters.

Although clergy are not designated “first responders,” they are always among the first to respond to any emergency and freely give of them selves in what ever way is needed.

However after 9-11, passage of the Patriot Act, and creation of the Office of Homeland Security, all of that changed. On August 16, 2007 KSLA News 12 in Shreveport, Louisiana reported that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina a State of Emergency was declared and “Clergy Response Teams” under the direction of the Office of Homeland Security patrolled the streets. Dr. Durell Tuberville, who serves as chaplain for the Shreveport Fire Department and the Caddo Sheriff's Office, described the role of the “Clergy Response Teams" in these words, “the primary thing that we say to anybody is, ‘let's cooperate and get this thing over with and then we'll settle the differences once the crisis is over.’” Thus, such “Clergy Response Teams” under the direction of the Office of Homeland Security are expected to walk a tight-rope between the demands of the government on the one side versus the sometime legitimate but contrary wishes of the public on the other.

Historically clergy have acted in favor of the public mind and need predicated on their informed conscience with little or no interference or punishment by the government. However, in the case of martial law as was declared in those cities that had riots after Dr. King’s death or in a place with a declared State of Emergency in New Orleans, if a member of the clergy were to act according to their informed conscience in favor of the public mind and need and in opposition to the demand of government, they can now be arrested under the Patriot Act, held indefinitely without trial, sent to a secret prison in a foreign country to be “interrogated” by torture, and finally tried as an “enemy combatant.”

I find it deeply disturbing that a member of the clergy’s role as pastor can be usurped by the government and that clergy can be made agents of the Office of Homeland Security. One of the hallmarks of a fascist state is that it not only wraps itself in religion, it claims religion as its own as did fascist Italy under Mussolini who claimed Roman Catholicism as the state religion of Italy. It is not a far stretch to envision the Radical Religious-Right crowning itself the state religion of America.

There are times when the clergy should rightfully support the government in keeping the peace as it did during the riots that followed Dr. King's assassination. I can also see the validity of the clergy keeping the peace in the case of a national disaster if America were attacked by a foreign nation or a multi-city attack by terrorists. I even agree that it may be required to impose martial law or to temporarily suspend certain rights and liberties otherwise granted by the Constitution in that state of emergency.

However, I also see the danger that clergy may be manipulated to keeping the peace when asked/ordered to do so by a corrupt American government, not under attack by foreign nationals but by Americans who are rioting, even to the point of a coup, to restore the Constitution and Constitutional government by deposing a gang of fascists like thosecurrently in power.

No, I do not think Mr. Bush and company have driven America far enough into fascism that riots in the street or a coup should even be considered because it is still possible in the words of one of the Founding Fathers to, "throw the bums out." Even though Mr. Bush and company are guilty of "high crimes and misdemeanors" for much they have done and should be impeached, the electoral process is still viable and that is the only acceptable way to remove them from office.

However, I can also see an American future if the next president is any of the current Republican candidates, especially Fred Thompson, (could we really be so dumb as elect two "B Rated" actors to the presidency of the United States?) that from what they have said will continue Mr. Bush and company's philosophy of government as well as his policies. If that happens, America will slide deeper into fascism and Americans will be stripped of more and more constitutionally guaranteed rights and liberties as the Constitution itself is made unconstitutional.

The key to understanding how this can, and IMHO will happen, is if either Mr. Bush or a Republican successor nominates an addition radical right-wing Supreme Court Justice. We have already seen the havoc caused by the Bork-like clones nominated by Mr. Bush coupled with the spineless Kennedy swing vote to achieve reversing Roe, First Amendment free speech, Affirmative Action, and Fourth Amendment search and seizure protection from the police.

If the radical right is able to create a solid 6-3 right-wing Supreme Court, they will be able to enact legislation that will completely nullify the Constitution because it is the Supreme Court that determines the constitutionality of any law. If that happens and American Fascism reaches a tipping point citizens are no longer able to tolerate and see no legitimate way to reverse, people will take to the streets and both assassinations and a coup will be certain possibilities.

It is this scenario that could trigger riots, and worse, as we saw when Dr. King was assassinated especially in light of the way in which government will respond; that is, by instituting martial law and mass arrests. All that the government will need to do is to evoke the Patriot Act and anyone participating in such a demonstration could be arrested and held indefinitely, incognito, with no right of habius corpus as Mr. Bush has suspended the constitutionally guaranteed right of habius corpus.

The problem for the government is that the American people will not submit to being sheep led to the slaughter. Thus, the solution for the government to solve this problem is the creation of “Clergy Response Teams.” But, the government’s agenda is much more sinister than simply expecting clergy to take to the streets to keep the peace.

According to the KSLA News 12 report, here is what the Office of Homeland Security (or should that be Insecurity) is up to.

The first directive was for pastors to preach to their congregations Romans 13, the often taken out of context bible passage that was used by Hitler to hoodwink Christians into supporting him, in order to teach them to "obey the government" when martial law was declared.

Romans 13:1-7 states:

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for our good. Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience…for the authorities are ministers of God. Pay all of them their dues…respect to whom respect is due, and honor to whom honor is due.”

Pastors were told that they would be backed up by law enforcement in controlling uncooperative individuals and that they, pastors, would even lead SWAT teams in attempting to quell resistance.

It was related to the pastors that quarantines, martial law, and forced relocation were a problem for state authorities when enforcing federal mandates after Hurricane Katrina due to the "cowboy mentality" of citizens standing up for their property and Second Amendment rights as well as farmers defending their crops and livestock from seizure.

It was stressed that the pastors needed to preach subservience to the authorities ahead of time in preparation for the round-ups and to make it clear to the congregation that "this is for their own good."

Though some doubted the accuracy of this report at the time due to its fundamentally disturbing implications, the story as reported has now been confirmed as true as both participating clergy and officials of the Office of Homeland Security admit to the existence of the program.

If America continues to slide deeper into fascism after the 2008 election and the American people take to the streets in protest we can expect the Office of Homeland Security to put “Clergy Response Teams” on the street to keep the peace and more.

I for one could not in conscience put on my collar and become an agent of the Office of Homeland Security. In fact, I would take my collar off and do whatever I could to restore America and the Constitution to the vision of the Founding Fathers the way they were prior to Mr. Bush and before the Patriot Act.