Discerning the Truth in Alabama Senate Election: What Should We Do as Republicans and Christians?

The allegations surrounding Roy Moore has caused many thoughtful Christians and Republicans to ask what should we do? I am a conservative Republican, so I cannot vote for Doug Jones because he supports thinks I fundamentally can’t support. However, as a Christian, If I even suspect the allegations are true about Moore then I would also be unable to put my name next to someone who I even had a question in my mind as to whether they sexually assaulted an 8th grader for obvious reasons. Although I understand why so many in my state are skeptical of the allegations because it was so close to an election. It came from the Washington post, Mitch McConnell and Senate Leadership Fund falsely attacked Moore regarding his non-profit as well as implying he was “soft” on guns. So for those of us who want to elect a conservative republican its hard to find the answer As someone who works hard to communicate well with people, I realize I failed to communicate in a way that was completely gracious and helpful, and I apologize. All of us have different backgrounds and experiences that make us who we are, and therefore, we each respond differently to similar situations. 

As an attorney, I have dealt with victims of sexual assault, and honestly it is hard to stay objective when you have seen people so deeply hurt by these atrocious and evil acts. I have seen girls who suffered harm at the hands of teachers, church officials, and other authority figures who took advantage of their positions to commit unspeakable acts. I cannot express enough how awful it is to have had to look in these girls’ eyes and see the devastation, hurt, and most of all loss caused by selfish, despicable grown men. Young girls who are assaulted lose a piece of themselves, and what has been taken from them they can never get back. My mom is also a counselor who has helped sexually abused women for over 35 years. I realize that makes me biased to believe people who say they have been raped, but we probably all know someone who was victimized and not listened to, and now the men who abused them may have gotten away. 

On the other hand, I have also known people who were falsely accused of crimes they didn’t commit, and have seen how a false allegation can ruin a good man. Even if the case is dismissed, that person is often emotionally and financially destroyed.
In every interaction I have had with Roy Moore he has never been anything but kind, generous, and thoughtful. I freely admit that I have had issues with Roy Moore as an attorney and a conservative not because he took stands, but for how he took them. I am a conservative Republican and supported Mo Brooks in the primary, because he was the 6th most conservative GOP congressman according to the Heritage Foundation. The truth is I don’t know Moore’s heart, and I have been wrong, but I have some concern that he seems insincere. My opponents, however, have rightly pointed out that I do not know, and only God can be the judge. 

I acknowledge that the Washington Post has seemingly ran fake stories for political purposes and the timing of this on first glance looks convenient. Additionally, I do not respect Mitch McConnell for getting involved in the race, and the accusations he made against Roy Moore were indeed false. The allegations that Moore mishandled funds with his non-profit and is soft on guns were blatant lies, and I spent 10 hours on radio defending him. The Senate Leadership Fund said and did things to Moore which were simply unjust and untrue. Finally, I acknowledge that there have been people destroyed by false accusations and admit that two of the accusers seem less credible than the others. 

However, after admitting every bias I have and approaching this with utmost skepticism (not to mention my intense dislike of Mitch McConnell)…. I think its hard not to believe that the victims are credible and these stories really do hold up well to critique. But even if the Moore supporters were right and it’s the most perfect political hit job then its too late for Moore to redeem himself before December 12th . Moore has to step aside and if he is innocent then he could clear his name in time for him to run for another office. But right now perception is already what it is and maintaining the Senate for the GOP is to Important.

I realize it is such an extraordinary step to ask someone to step down, and Moore has been falsely attacked by many in the establishment and others. However, even when I read the accounts in the most skeptical light, they overwhelmingly convince me that Roy Moore is not fit to hold office. Given that Attorney General Sessions, Senator Cruz, Senator Lee, and Senator Shelby – all people who I admire and respect – believe them as well, I can’t see a way around Roy Moore resigning. 
Even if Moore has never done anything since then the crime of assaulting a child is too serious to ignore even if he never did it again. I wasn’t there and I don’t know with perfect understanding what happened and no one will know but God, Moore and the woman who were there. However, the right thing to do here is for Moore to step down for good of party and make sure we get a clean unifying candidate. I know that I can’t vote for any candidate who I suspect sexually assaulted a child and I would rather just elect another GOP candidate. Moore has the power to ensure the GOP wins this race and that the Democrats don’t use him to hurt us in 2018. 

About the Author: Christopher Reid is an attorney out of Birmingham who owns his own general practice law firm, which handles Business, Family, and Probate Law and high-end litigation throughout the state of Alabama. He is a contributor at Newsmax and has held various policy positions, including working for the Alabama Policy Institute and the Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C., where he also worked for House Republican Whip Roy Blunt. In law school, he clerked for the Alabama Attorney General Office, and, after graduation, he became Health and Judiciary Policy Analyst for Alabama’s governor. His charitable work includes serving on the board of Sav-A-Life. Chris is a frequent co-host on The Scott Beason Show in Birmingham, writes political and legal commentary for publications including The Hill, The Washington Examiner, and has been quoted in The New Yorker. He regularly provides on-air expertise and political commentary for TV news shows on Fox, NBC, and Newsmax with JD Hayworth. Contact him by E-mail at  reidfirm@gmail.com

Photo used under fair use doctrine: Link is http://religiondispatches.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/moore-690x460.jpg
 

Pelosi & Schumer work to keep Moore in Race! Will Moore Voters listen to AG Sessions or do the bidding Liberal Democrats

It’s been just over a week since the Washington Post broke the story of Roy Moore’s alleged sexual misconduct—and the situation has worsened. Though the news was at first met with some speculation and uncertainty, it is now clear, without a doubt, that Moore should step down from his candidacy. His alleged actions have not only tainted the Republican party, but have irreparably harmed the lives of innocent young women.

          As an Alabama attorney, and a media correspondent, I have thoroughly examined the evidence against Moore and have spoken to people with inside information about the scandal. Though I gave Moore the benefit of the doubt when the story first broke, there is now overwhelming evidence implicating him in sexual misconduct. Moore has gone from controversial to a man so consumed with pride he thinks he is the victim not the woman he allegedly molested, and as Republicans we need to take action to stop him from representing our party, the great state of Alabama, and the nation.

          It’s true that no one can say for sure what happened 40 years ago, but the stories of the women who have come forward are far too terrible to ignore. I’m a die-hard Republican and I want to maintain the party’s majority in the Senate—but there’s no way that I could support a accused child molester when evidence is overwhelming of his guilt. And that’s what Moore is, let’s not beat around the bush. Yesterday on the radio, when I asked many of the callers who had defended Moore very few had even read the accusations. I despise the Washington Post and they have committed libel against conservatives so many times it’s hard to count. I understand why Moore voters don’t trust it and the timing seems political. As a Republican I came to this with skepticism but examined the evidence, spoke with people off the record who could independently confirm what these women had said and the truth was it was far worse and that will come out soon. Also the media is holding more damning evidence and by election day Moore shall not be victorious and the Alabama State Party will have gone on record to support an accused child molester.

          In my law practice, I have been in the position of giving legal counsel to families whose young daughters were raped, assaulted, and molested. These girls suffered harm at the hands of teachers, church officials, and other authority figures who took advantage of their positions to commit unspeakable acts. I cannot express enough how awful it is to have had to look in these girls’ eyes and see the devastation, hurt, and most of all loss caused by selfish, despicable grown men. Young girls who are assaulted lose a piece of themselves, and what has been taken from them they can never get back.

          This is what Moore allegedly did to the victims that he sexually assaulted. He took something from them, and by speaking out these women are doing what they can to take that piece of themselves back. We cannot let this effort go in vain. We must do something to avenge these victims, and take something from Moore in return.

          Moore’s response to the accusations has been shameful. He has done nothing but blame others, and dodge questions. Moore said that he never dated any young girls without their mother’s permission—last time I checked, a mother can’t and wouldn’t give permission to allow her 14-year old child to be molested by a 32-year old man. Though some of the women coming forward were of legal age when Moore had romantic relationships with them, at the very least his behavior is incredibly creepy.

          Morality aside, from a political perspective Moore’s continued candidacy is political suicide, not only for Moore himself, but for the entire Republican party. Even if Moore were completely innocent, he cannot recover in the race. A recent poll shows Moore a full 8 points behind opponent Doug Jones. Though this is near the margin of error, it shows a clear trend—Republican defeat in Alabama, a bright red state.

          I have been Republican for as long as I can remember. I worked at the Heritage Foundation in DC and they are even paying for me to fly up for an alumni reception. I worked for the Alabama Policy Institute, was a Health policy advisor to the Governor, and clerked for the Alabama AG in the family protection unit where we went after men who molested children! So my conservative credentials are beyond question. But the Republican party I believe in supports family values. It’s the party that passed legislation against sex trafficking, not the party that’s on the side of someone who may have violated young girls. How some Republicans can say they care about sexual assault victims but continue to support a man like Moore, I can’t fathom.

          We need to stand up as Republicans, and figure out a solution. We absolutely need a Republican to win the Alabama seat, in order for there to be any successful policy passed through Congress. And if leaders in my state will listen to me, I guarantee we will keep the seat and avoid being branded the party that supports accused child molesters. The governor must delay the special election. I realize she said she wouldn’t but she must change her mind. Gary Palmer from the 6th district of Alabama could step up and easily unit the party and he would beat Doug Jones by 20 points. If Kay Ivey doesn’t move the election she will never lose the primary and go down as the Republican governor who gave Senator Sessions seat to the Democrats.

Finally, as someone who is a Christian, I am so ashamed of the pastors in my state who went out and attacked victims who made allegations of sexual assault. The church is supposed to a place where hurting people can go to be loved not a place where the leaders will call victims liars without even listening to them. I am confident God is just but I hope that those ministers do repent and find forgiveness from the Lord. Please pray for my state and ask that God would reveal the truth quickly and all victims of sexual assault will be exposed and face justice

About the Author: Christopher Reid is an attorney out of Birmingham who owns his own general practice law firm, which handles Business, Family, and Probate Law and high-end litigation throughout the state of Alabama. Reid has held various policy positions, including working for the Alabama Policy Institute and the Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C., where he also worked for House Republican Whip Roy Blunt. In law school, he clerked for the Alabama Attorney General Office, and, after graduation, he became Health and Judiciary Policy Analyst for Alabama’s governor. His charitable work includes serving on the board of Sav-A-Life. Chris is a frequent co-host on The Scott Beason Show in Birmingham, writes political and legal commentary for publications including The Hill, The Washington Examiner, and has been quoted in The New Yorker. He regularly provides on-air expertise and political commentary for TV news shows on Fox, NBC, and Newsmax with JD Hayworth. Contact him by E-mail at  reidfirm@gmail.com . Photo used under fair use doctrine here is link https://heavyeditorial.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/gettyimages-2425921-e1502850075776.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=782

A Brief History of Liberals and Conservatives: Who We Are, Where We Came From, and Where We're Going

The words “liberal” and “conservative” have a long, complicated history. They haven’t always denoted the sharp political divide that we assign them today. Surprisingly, liberals were once pretty conservative by today’s standards, and conservatives have typically been fairly liberal. So no matter what side of the isle you find yourself on, here is a quick history of our political ideologies.

In the 18th century, a “liberal” person would typically be defined as “someone capable of freedom,” while a “conservative” would have simply described someone cautious toward risk and change. These terms carried little to no political meaning, and these liberals had a pretty limited conception of freedom that really only applied to the aristocracy. However, the belief that human beings could be their own free persons quickly lead to revolution, an overthrow of the old system, and the first political definitions for our two terms.

The end of the century (does July 4, 1776 ring a bell?) brought about a robust change to the political structures and social orders of the day. By the 19th century, “liberals” sought to bring freedom to all – well, all white male landowners, but hey, it’s a start. These “Classical Liberals” wanted to rid themselves of the reign of the aristocracy and establish a rule for the people, by the people. They believed that there were three fundamental ways to do this: protection of natural individual rights, a free market economy, and a democratic government. Thus, conservatives became those who sought to maintain the old aristocratic system and rule by the select few.

The birth of the modern industrial society in the 20th century brought about world war, revolution, and economic depression. It seemed that the Classical Liberal free market system was collapsing and needed saving. Insert Franklin Delano Roosevelt and a new faction of liberalism, “Reform Liberalism.” Whereas government was once seen as the biggest threat to individual freedom, liberals began to see government as the only protection against powerful corporations and the failures of the free market. With the birth of the New Deal, Roosevelt and his reform liberals sought to bring freedom through regulation and redistribution of income within the free market system. It was during this time that conservatives adopted the Classical Liberal belief of a free market system that is unregulated by the government.

At first glance, it seems like Conservatives have drawn the short straw throughout history. However, by the end of the 1970’s, the policies of Reform Liberalism were quickly failing. The election of Ronald Reagan brought new life to conservatives who sought to bring back the free market policies of Classical Liberalism. But, the conservative movements of the 1980’s were not a simple resurgence of Classical Liberalism. While they sought a return to an unrestricted free market system, the development of a consumerist culture sought to break free from the protestant influences of Classical Liberalism. In fact, since the 1980’s, economic policies in the United States have become increasingly more conservative while social policies have trended more liberal. A good example of this is the decline of tax rates over the past few decades. In 1969, under the Republican administration of Richard Nixon, the highest tax rate on regular income was 77 percent compared to just 39.6 percent in 2015 under President Obama.

The resurgence of these conservative principles has been labeled as Neo-Classical Liberalism. Neo-Classical Liberals tend to champion a society of self-expression as opposed to the strict protestant work ethic of Classical Liberals. While Reform Liberals sought to assuage the inequality produced by the free market through government intervention, Neo-Classical Liberals acknowledge this inequality, but accept it as an inevitable result of the free market. Government intervention in the economy, and therefore the restriction of one person for the benefit of the other, is detrimental to their expressive way of life.

With a brief history of our nation’s most important political ideologies behind us, the question is where are we going from here? The danger of Neo-Classical Liberalism is the severely nihilistic state of the world it envisions. Truth, whether moral, religious, or even scientific, becomes completely subjective in a culture fixated on individual expression. Recent elections have seen a rebirth of traditional conservative social policies and the rise of populist candidates like Donald Trump and Roy Moore in backlash against these relativistic dogmas. However, it is yet to be seen if this trend will continue.

Apart from some moral awakening or revival, it seems inevitable that social issues across the spectrum of American politics will continue to converge. Therefore, American political parties will become defined by their economic policies. The future of American politics appears to be defined by distributive justice (who gets what) rather than what is right or wrong. However, nothing is inevitable.

This article was co-written by Daniel Bruce and Madie Tidwell

What Jackie Robinson Teaches Us About the Unifying Power of Faith

           In his new book 42 Faith: The Rest of the Jackie Robinson Story, Fox News Chief National Correspondent, Ed Henry takes a fresh angle on the life of the baseball icon. Jackie Robinson is remembered for breaking down the racial barriers of America’s pastime, and Henry highlights the ways Robinson’s Christian faith helped him become a legendary symbol of overcoming and perseverance. Faith gave Robinson confidence in facing the severe intolerance he encountered throughout his life and career, and was one of the key pillars of his success.[1]

            Robinson grew up surrounded by messages of God’s grace, largely thanks to his mother, who instilled in him strong Christian values. Before becoming a national idol, Robinson had a rough childhood. He was mixed up with the wrong people, which resulted in a criminal record. To cope with the troublesome nature of his formative years, Robinson’s mother encouraged him to pray every night. Robinson took this practice to heart, and continued to pray every night of his professional baseball career.[2]

Branch Rickey, the owner of the Dodgers who signed Robinson, was a strong Christian as well. This commonality helped strengthen the relationship between Rickey and Robinson, and gave both men the power to make history. Rickey told Robinson that it was in large part his faith that compelled him to desegregate the team.[3]

            What’s most inspiring about Robinson’s faith is how it allowed him to see the positives in his life and the people around him. In his book, Henry focuses on how Robinson managed to remain happy and hopeful even in the face of hate and adversity. Receiving a barrage of racist criticism and death threats throughout his career, Robinson still remarked “This country and its people, black and white, have been good to me.”

            You might ask, why did a Fox News political analyst choose to write about Jackie Robinson? To Henry, Robinson’s story extends beyond the bounds of sports, and far beyond its time. Henry wrote that Robinson’s life “reminds me why I am proud to be an American.”[4] Ed Henry is very open about his own faith and how it informs him every day. Henry felt that it was God’s providence which led him to write this book on Robinson and in reading the book it becomes very clear that Ed Henry is passionate about the unifying power of faith. He is well known in field for his generosity and kindness he shows the people he works with and that speaks volumes to his character.

            The book describes comparisons that Robinson drew between sports and religion, including his belief that faith helped athletes come together and achieve a common goal. Robinson’s story, however, goes beyond faith’s role in sports- it works as an analogy for how faith can help bring Americans together in times of political and social conflict.

            Robinson lived in a flawed America, and though the country has grown and evolved since that time, it still has its flaws. There still exist controversies and tragedies that make enemies out of friends, and sometimes it seems as though Americans are too different to share a nation. It’s tempting to focus on these problems, because they strike us as so glaring and are highlighted by the media.

            But it’s important to remember that America is much more than just its problems. It’s a nation that exists today because Americans have always found solutions.

            Jackie Robinson faced an America that was confused, disjunct, and toxic with racial tension. But instead of letting everything that was wrong with the country tear him down, he listened to what his faith told him—that there is hope, and that America could be saved. Robinson continued to believe in unity and preached a solution: “I think we all ought to join hands and hearts and effort and whatever else is necessary to enlighten the world about us.”

            For Americans, faith could be freedom, or democracy, or any other pillar of liberty that makes this country the most influential in the world. Like Robinson remembered and leaned on his faith, Americans can lean on these values to unite them. Values like these can remind Americans that though our politics may differ and we might face injustices, we all stand on the foundations of a country that was born out of crisis, and has continued to endure.

            The story of Jackie Robinson as told by Ed Henry is one of struggle and strength, and it may inspire us to always stay positive and never stop believing that something better is possible. America might be facing political and social conflict, but we need to have faith and remember that like baseball players, we are better as a team.

About the Authors: This article was co-written by Katherine Pickle and Chris Reid. Katherine is in her second year of Law School at Emory University, and Chris is a general practice attorney in Birmingham. This article originally appeared in Chris's column on Newsmax.

[1]http://www.militarypress.com/42-faith-tells-the-rest-of-the-story/

[2]http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/04/04/ed-henry-42-faith-rest-jackie-robinson-story.html

[3] http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jul/9/book-review-42-faith-the-rest-of-the-jackie-robins/

[4] http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/05/02/ed-henry-42-faith-how-jackie-robinson-reminds-me-to-be-proud-american.html

The Opioid Crisis: Are Trump's Actions Enough?

Last week, in what was advertised as a landmark speech, President Trump announced his plans to declare the national opioid epidemic a national public health emergency. He declared that “it is time to liberate our communities from the scourge of addiction.” However, is the Trump administration doing enough to fight this epidemic?

The statistics present an overwhelmingly grim picture of our nation’s dependence on opioids. According to the White House[i], in 2016, more than two million Americans had an addiction to prescription or illicit opioids. Since 2000, 300,000 Americans have died from opioid overdoses, and 52,404 died in 2015 alone. It is estimated that overdose deaths in 2016 exceeded 64,000 - a rate of 175 deaths a day This startling statistic is more than the number of Americans killed during the Vietnam War. Needless to say, we have a problem and something needs to be done.

Don’t get me wrong, the actions of the Trump administration are a good start. The public health emergency designation will mobilize each department within the administration to use its available resources to fight the epidemic. As a result, this action will expand access to telemedicine services, and allow the Department of Health and Human Services to easily appoint specialists needed to respond to the public health emergency. The action also allows the Department of Labor to issue dislocated worker grants to workers who have been affected by the opioid crisis, as well as shifts resources within the HIV/AIDS programs to help those eligible for those programs receive substance abuse treatment.

Many have praised the President for officially bringing attention to the opioid crisis and placing the full force of the federal government behind fighting this epidemic. However, the epidemic needs more than just a good start. In order to fight the opioid crisis, we need a full on attack, and that is where the President’s plans fall short.

President Trump could have declared the crisis a full-on national emergency, which would have immediately freed up billions of dollars for emergency response, addiction treatment, and efforts to curtail the illegal distribution of opioids across the U.S. This more comprehensive approach (recommended by the President’s own opioids commission) would mimic the response efforts during natural disasters, and put more money where the President’s mouth is[ii]. Currently, the public health emergency designation does little to provide funding to adequately respond to the crisis. In fact, Forbes recently reported that the declaration sets aside a mere $57,000 for response efforts[iii].

Trump also announced that the administration would produce “really big, really great advertising” aimed at promoting awareness of the epidemic and the harmful effects of opioids to the younger generations, reminiscent of the Reagan-era “Just Say No” programs. The President is on to something – the fact that it will take a culture change to truly fight this epidemic. Advertising is an effective way to bring about this change (think the ban on cigarette commercials), but it must be done right. Today, such a campaign would need to be conducted with empathy and care, and not the harsh “doom and gloom” we typically prescribe for addicts.

It is unclear who in President Trump’s administration would lead the response to the epidemic. The President was forced to withdraw his nominee for head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Representative Tom Marino, after it broke that Marino had helped drug wholesalers collude against the DEA. In addition,Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was forced to step down because of his use of private jets.

The most success so far in the fight against the opioid epidemic seems to be coming at the state level. In Alabama, state leaders such as Attorney General Steve Marshall and Governor Kay Ivey have done an excellent job in curtailing the effects of the crisis in a state that has one of the highest opioid prescription rates in the nation. Marshall has joined several other state attorneys general to investigate the sale and marketing of opioids by wholesalers, while Ivey’s opioid council is expected to present solutions to the epidemic in the forms of legislation, policy, and community action

America’s opioid epidemic must be stopped before it spins hopelessly out of control – if it hasn’t already. While President Trump’s public health emergency declaration was a good start, it falls short of the increased funding, strong leadership, and a change in culture that are truly needed to combat this crisis. Governor Chris Christie, chairman of the President’s opioids commission recently said, “I still have not seen the passion for this epidemic that I saw in the AIDS epidemic.” Until that passion is evident from the President down to the smallest community leaders, this epidemic will continue to wreak havoc on America.

This article was co-written by Daniel Bruce and Chris Reid. Daniel is studying Political Science and Economics at Auburn University. Chris is a general practice attorney in Birmingham, and is a regular guest host on the Scott Beason Show, a conservative radio show in Alabama. He also contributes to his own column on Newsmax.

Photo Courtesy of Flickr user Gage Skidmore

[i] https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/10/26/president-donald-j-trump-taking-action-drug-addiction-and-opioid-crisis

[ii] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/opinion/opioids-trump-emergency.html

[iii] https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2017/10/30/trump-declaring-opioid-crisis-an-emergency-makes-57000-available/#fce16fe7f33a

Senator Corker vs. President Trump

Ed Henry & David Mercer

NewsmaxTV JD Hayworth Interviews Chris Reid - Will Trumps Robocall Help Strange