Doug Mastriano condemned for ties to an anti-Semitic website that hosted synagogue shooterOn Thursday, CNN reported that far-right Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano is facing a fresh wave of bipartisan criticism — this time, for his ties to an infamous alt-right social network that hosted the perpetrator of an anti-Semitic terrorist attack in Pittsburgh.
Specifically, Mastriano has a close relationship with Andrew Torba, the CEO of Gab — a site that has become infamous as a haven for white supremacist and anti-Semitic extremism.
"Mastriano has had a formal relationship with Torba and Gab since at least April, when Mastriano's campaign paid Gab $5,000 for 'consulting' services, according to state records first published by Media Matters for America, a left-leaning watchdog organization that has documented the relationship between Mastriano and Torba," reported Dan Merica. "Following his campaign's payment to Gab, Mastriano -- who rarely speaks with reporters from traditional media outlets -- sat down for an interview with Torba and lauded the site founder, telling him, 'Thank God for what you've done.'"
Matthew Brooks, director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, fiercely condemned Mastriano's involvement with Gab: "Jewish voters expect candidates to condemn antisemitism whether it comes from the far left or the far right — and to shun those who espouse it. We strongly urge Doug Mastriano to end his association with Gab, a social network rightly seen by Jewish Americans as a cesspool of bigotry and antisemitism."
"Gab, founded in 2016, brands itself as the 'free speech social network' and has grown in popularity with conservatives, alt-right figures and some extremists as a counter to more traditional social media spaces such as Twitter and Facebook," noted the report. "The site's lax approach to content management has made it a haven for QAnon conspiracy theories, misinformation and antisemitic commentary."
Most infamously, Gab played host to Robert Bowers, the man who perpetrated the deadly mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Prior to that attack, Bowers, who had posted numerous anti-Semitic screeds, announced on the platform that he was "going in." Immediately after that incident, investors pulled funding from the site and the web host shut it down, but it went live again a few days later.
"Representatives for Mastriano did not respond to CNN's requests for comment," noted the report. "And the Republican Governors Association responded with a broad statement on the race that did not address Mastriano's relationship with Gab."
Read More Here: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/28/politics/doug-mastriano-gab-pennsylvania-republican/index.htmlWhy Marjorie Taylor Greene’s 'troubling' endorsement of Christian nationalism is an 'urgent threat'Far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia set off yet another controversy when, during a Saturday, July 23 interview conducted at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Florida, she proudly described herself as a “Christian nationalist” and urged the Republican Party to openly embrace an ideology of “Christian nationalism.” One of the people who is calling Greene out is Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC) and the main organizer for Christians Against Christian Nationalism.
Greene told Taylor Hanson of the right-wing Next News Network, “We need to be the party of nationalism, and I’m a Christian. And I say it proudly: We should be Christian nationalists. When Republicans learn to represent most of the people that vote for them, then we will be the party that continues to grow without having to chase down certain identities or chase down certain segments of people.”
In an op-ed published by CNN’s website on July 28, Tyler lays out some reasons why she finds Greene’s “Christian nationalist” talk incredibly dangerous.
“For years, I have been closely tracking Christian nationalism and sounding the alarm about it,” Hanson explains. “Greene’s recent comments mark an alarming shift in the public conversation about Christian nationalism. Until recently, the public figures who most embrace Christian nationalism in their rhetoric and policies have either denied its existence or claimed that those of us who are calling it out are engaging in name-calling. But Greene is evidently reading from a different script now, explicitly embracing the identity as her own and urging others to join her.”
Tyler continues, “She is not alone in doing so. Greene’s embrace of Christian nationalism follows closely after troubling remarks from Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert: ‘The church is supposed to direct the government, the government is not supposed to direct the church,’ she said at a church two days before her primary election and victory in late June. ‘I’m tired of this separation of church and state junk.’”
Tyler describes Christian nationalism as “a political ideology and cultural framework that merges Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America’s promise of religious freedom.”
“Though not new, Christian nationalism has been exploited in recent years by politicians like former President Donald Trump to further an ‘us vs. them’ mentality and send a message that only Christians can be ‘real’ Americans,” Tyler observes. “Growing support for Christian nationalism comes at a time when the political ideology behind it poses increasingly urgent threats to American democracy and to religious freedom. Perhaps the most chilling example of Christian nationalism came on the most public of world stages, from some Trump supporters during the January 6 insurrection.”
On February 9, BJC published a disturbing report that details the role Christian nationalism played in the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
“I care about dismantling Christian nationalism both because I’m a practicing Christian and because I’m a patriotic American,” Tyler writes. “And no, those identities are not the same. As Christians, we can’t allow Greene, Boebert or Trump to distort our faith without a fight.”
Read More Here: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/27/opinions/christian-nationalism-marjorie-taylor-greene-tyler/index.htmlRon DeSantis gets blasted by Florida congresswoman for vilifying schoolsRep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for trying to turn schools into a "haunted house" and scaring parents into thinking that their children are somehow being turned into monsters.
Republicans in Florida have been waging what they call a battle for parents to have a greater say over what their children learn in school.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Wilson explained she's not sure that DeSantis is a "little Trump" because Trump isn't "smart enough" to come up with issues like critical race theory or the 'don't say gay' bill to attack public education.
"This man has taken a theory that's only available in colleges, universities, and law schools," Wilson explained. "Critical race theory has never been mentioned, taught or even considered in any public school across this country. Never! And he has made people think that little children are learning critical race theory across the nation... then he turned around and called it a culture war."
The Republican governor is seen as a possible presidential contender for his party in 2024 -- possibly challenging Trump if he decides to runs again.
The state's so-called "don't say gay" law bans teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity "in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."
The education war in Florida also centers on teaching of critical race theory, the doctrine holding that racism is an inherent part of law and legal institutions in America in that they serve to maintain social, economic and political inequality.
Wilson said that DeSantis is pretending to stand up for the children, but the reality is far from it.
"The difference is — one is Mr. Trump is dumb, Mr. DeSantis is smart. What he has done is created little vignettes to mislead the American people. He's made parents think that they should run the public schools when we have principals and administrators who we have trusted for years," Wilson continued, pointing out that DeSantis is a product of public schools.
"Parents don't have to show up at a school board meeting to run a school. They know to respect the will of the parents and what parents need for their children. These are trained experts. I was one of them. So, I know. But he has made the school district as a sinful place. That they talk about 'gays!' I mean, hello. Give me a break. This man has taken little vignettes of culture and made them into haunted houses and monsters. He has permeated fear not just in Florida but it has permeated across the nation. That's what's so amazing."
AFP