Someone should really keep Grampa Russell away from "the Internets," e-mail, Facebook, and just about any technology that followed the invention of photography. State Senate President Pearce just doesn't have a very good track record when it comes to newfangled technology, or any technology, to be precise.
Surely, everybody recalls the anti-Semitic e-mail from the neo-Nazi National Alliance that Pearce forwarded to his supporters in 2006. That same year, Pearce commented on public radio about the Eisenhower-era program "Operation Wetback," and what a dandy idea it was.
More recently, writer Jeff Biggers detailed Pearce's cut-and-paste methods of political discourse, where he has "regularly borrowed significant portions of text from the writings of hard-line white nationalists, fringe anti-immigrant activists, and others whose views far fall outside the mainstream and presented them as his own."
Then there's his "friends" list online, which recently included folks who've endorsed his opponent Republican Jerry Lewis as well as a few dead people. No, seriously.
The latest Pearce blunder comes in forwarding an e-mail ascribed to one of his wing-nuttier supporters, a lady by the name of LaRue Gates.
Gates' rambling, near-psychotic ravings against Lewis were recently posted by the far right Sonoran Alliance blog. And Pearce apparently thinks so much of Gates' Jeremiad that he has forwarded her e-mail screed to those on his listserv.
In it, Gates calls Lewis a "Judas goat," who is -- um, literally, it seems -- leading the Mormon faithful to slaughter, as that sinister devotee of Saul Alinsky and Satan, Randy Parraz of Citizens for a Better Arizona, looks on.
She writes:
"The rancher, Parraz, is smiling with glee as many sheep, especially in the LDS community who should know better, are following the goat into the pen. They are helping to lead a great nation to slaughter."
Indeed, Gates believes the end is nigh should Pearce fall from his mighty throne come November 8.
"This may embolden those who seek to destroy our Republic," she warns. "The flames may be fanned until this fire consumes our nation. We are slowly slipping into a Socialist state. This may accelerate it. We are on the verge of losing the very things we hold dear."
Gates comes close to saying that she was moved by divine forces to write her letter:
"This is geared toward LDS people, but all people of faith may find some wisdom herein. I feel that I was inspired to write what I am about to tell you."
She goes so far as to cite scripture from the Book of Mormon and the LDS Church's Doctrine and Covenants to back up her interpretations of current events.
All of which did not set well with Republican state House Representative Steve Court of Legislative District 18. Court, himself an LDS member, wrote a stinging rebuke of Gates' use of religion to influence local politics, stating,
"Claiming inspiration and using LDS scriptures to try a sway LDS voters is reprehensible and goes directly against Church doctrine of remaining neutral and not allowing any candidate to claim endorsement either by the Church or `inspiration.'"
Though Court has endorsed Pearce in the LD 18 recall race, he nevertheless called on both Pearce and the Mountain View Tea Party to "disavow this letter and its writer."
I called Court, who confirmed the validity of his e-mail response to the Gates diatribe. He said he wrote his message because he did not believe it was proper to use LDS scripture "to favor one candidate over another."
Court said he had yet to hear from Senator Pearce on the matter.
What makes the Gates statement problematic is that, like in the case of the National Alliance e-mail, Pearce forwarded it on to his followers. Back in 2006, Pearce claimed that he had not read the anti-Semitic propaganda all the way through, and that's why he mistakenly passed it on.
One wonders if he'll offer the same lame excuse here as well. Pearce had already messed up at a recent LD 18 meeting by claiming that the LDS Church was all good with his immigration stance. Now, here he goes again.
Talk about a God complex...
Note: For the record, below is Pearce's e-mail, to which the Gates letter was attached.
And below that is Representative Court's reply to the Gates letter, with the Gates letter beneath.
----- Original Message -----
From: russellpearce
Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2011 9:49 PM
Subject: Fw: Open Letter to District 18
Hi all. I want to send this e-mail out to all of you. If I offend anyone, just delete. If, by chance, I strike a cord I ask that you forward it to your contacts in district 18. I feel this is urgent. Thanks. LaRue
From: Steve Court [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2011 4:04 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: Open Letter
I am disappointed to see a letter of this type forwarded by the Tea Party, especially a Tea Party group that I respect and attend. This person claims to be alarmed at the rhetoric of the campaign and then goes on the claim inspiration to further fan the flames. ("I feel that I was inspired to write what I am about to tell you." 1st paragraph). Anyone who understands LDS Church doctrine knows that although members may receive inspiration related to their own lives, they cannot and will not receive inspiration for others.
Claiming inspiration and using LDS scriptures to try a sway LDS voters is reprehensible and goes directly against Church doctrine of remaining neutral and not allowing any candidate to claim endorsement either by the Church or "inspiration".
The writer of this letter needs to remember what the Church teaches about those who claim to receive inspiration and then tries to sway others with those claims.
I would hope that the Mountain View Tea Party and Sen. Russell Pearce would disavow this letter and its writer. The distrbution of this letter is a disappointing and dangerous precedent to set in Mesa politics. Members of the LDS Church have always campaigned against each other in this district without inciting anything close to this level of vitriolic language.
I have endorsed Sen Pearce in this race and I would hope that he would help bring this type of thing to a halt.
Regards,
Rep. Steve Court
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:53:50 -0700
Subject: Fwd: Open Letter
From: [email protected]
To:
The following is from LaRue Gates Addressed to the Mountain View Tea Party
Hi, I have an open letter to LDS Conservatives and others which I would like to get out to the elctorate as soon as possible. I was wondering if you would carry it on your site and perhaps forward it to others in LD18. Please let me know if you can do that. Thanks. LaRue Gates
AN OPEN LETTER TO MY LDS FRIENDS AND OTHER CONSERVATIVE VOTERS OF LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 18 October 19, 2011
Dear Voters,
I have watched with great alarm the rhetoric and name calling going back and forth between the supporters of Russell Pearce and Jerry Lewis, and have seen the LDS Church take a beating because of it. Church should not play in politics, but in this instance it has pitted member against member in the LDS Church. I used to live in District 18 and am saddened that it has come to this. After much thought and prayer, I put my hand to pen and began to write. This is geared toward LDS people, but all people of faith may find some wisdom herein. I feel that I was inspired to write what I am about to tell you. Read it; then draw your own conclusions. I am not going to dwell on the merits or shortcomings of the candidates. I just want to give you some background information and let you to know how this is playing out.
Have any of you heard of a "Judas goat?" Let me explain: Sheep have a tendency to resist being rounded up. They flock together in a tight herd and when one sheep breaks free and runs, they all follow. As a child on my father's ranch in Wyoming I saw this phenomenon many times. They resist going through gates or entering pens. This tendency becomes a real problem when the rancher wants to take them to market or to slaughter. It was discovered that a goat could be introduced into the herd and the sheep would become accustomed to the goat. Later, when it became time to take the sheep to slaughter, all the rancher had to do was herd the goat into the pen and all the sheep would follow! The goat would be spared, but the sheep would meet their demise. The goat, I'm sure, did not realize he was being used to betray his fellow ruminants. Thus the moniker: "Judas goat."
You may ask, "What does that have to do with the recall?" Let me explain. To know what this is all about we need to go back to Randy Parraz. I know many of you will say this has nothing to do with him. He is not the one running. But, please, hear me out. Randy Parraz, the leader of a group called "Citizens for a Better Arizona" (CBA), is the antithesis of what a Conservative Republican stands for. According to the website, www.latinocongreso.org, "Parraz was the Co-Founder and Executive Director of ... the Transformative Action Institute, an organization committed to ... the next generation of social entrepreneurs and agents for change." It goes on to say, "... he was recruited by the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) to be a community organizer in Dallas, Texas. In Dallas, Parraz learned the fundamentals of the Saul Alinsky model of church based community organizing." Please keep in mind the name "Saul Alinsky." I will get back to that later. This same article then says: "Parraz has experience with many different methods of social change." Parraz also graduated from U.C. Berkeley and received his Masters at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. These schools are bastions for liberal causes.
Another website, www.americanthinker.com tells us, "Parraz was a leader for nine years in the IAF and the AFL-CIO. The IAF (Industrial Areas Foundation) founded by Saul Alinsky, trains community organizers, the most famous being President Barack Obama." Notice that "Saul Alinsky" is again mentioned. This was in California. Parraz then came to Arizona and taught at the new "School of Social Transformation" on the ASU campus. (http://sst-dev.clas.asu.edu/
Thus, we can see his socialistic leanings.
After a time, he became the champion for the illegal immigrants. He was at the state capitol, bullhorn in hand, cheering them on as they picketed when SB 1070 was being debated. He was there as they defiled the American flag. He is a defender of LaRaza (tucsoncitizen.com). He formed "Citizens for a Better Arizona" and vowed to take out Russell Pearce. His minions conspired to find a loophole in the law so that they could carry on their deed. They found their answer in a recall, which is perfectly legal by Arizona law, but is it moral? "In November 2010, Pearce had just been reelected by the Mesa voters of LD 18 by a wide margin. He hadn't even taken office when Parraz started the recall effort in January 2011" (www.americantrhinker.com). I ask you what changed so dramatically from the time Pearce was elected until Parraz was threatening to go to any extreme to force him to capitulate and back down on his promises he had made to the voters of LD18? Absolutely nothing! I submit it was a personal vendetta by Parraz, et al.
My fellow Republican voters, there is much more at stake here than who will win in LD18. The entire nation is watching. The recall process was tried in Wisconsin and failed, but on Oct. 14 (msnbc.com) the Democrats announced they will try to recall the governor and some Republican senators of that state. If this recall election in LD18 is successful, it sets a precedent for the entire nation because this will be the first time in our history that a sitting state senator has been overthrown. This recall disenfranchises all the voters who voted for Pearce and empowers those who could not win in a regular election. This may embolden those who seek to destroy our Republic. The flames may be fanned until this fire consumes our nation. We are slowly slipping into a Socialist state. This may accelerate it. We are on the verge of losing the very things we hold dear.
Now I refer back to the Judas goat. Parraz said, when asked what qualities he was looking for in a candidate, "Someone who is a Republican, someone who is educated, has a rapport with people. Someone out of the LDS church, someone with deep roots in that community. Someone who cares about education and job creation" (www.azcentral.com). Enter Jerry Lewis. Even if Jerry Lewis has never met Parraz before, he is the unsuspecting goat who is betraying the electorate. The rancher, Parraz, is smiling with glee as many sheep, especially in the LDS community who should know better, are following the goat into the pen. They are helping to lead a great nation to slaughter.
Now, if you think I talk too boldly I want to refer to scripture. Ether 8:24-25 in the Book of Mormon declares, "Wherefore the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come upon you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; ... For it cometh to pass that whosever buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning;..." If you don't believe this is talking about our day go to the subheading of chapter 8 and read: "Modern Gentiles are warned against the secret combination which shall seek to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries." Another scripture, 2 Nephi 28:20-21 says in part, "For that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men and stir them up to anger... And others he will pacify, and lull them away into carnal security [Socialism?]... and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully [Judas goat?] down to hell." (Emphasis added.) We are in an awful situation nationwide. Secret combinations abound and I believe the CBA (Citizens for a Better Arizona) is one of them. Why give in to them? If Russell Pearce is so terrible, vote him out in the next election. Do not let Parraz have his way.
I asked you to keep in mind the name, "Saul Alinsky." The book which is the "bible" for community organizers, written by Saul Alinsky himself, is called Rules for Radicals. Inside the front cover of this book is this affirmation, signed by Saul Alinsky:
"Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgement of the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know when mythology leaves off and history begins - or which is which) the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at last won his own kingdom- Lucifer." Now, go back and read Ether 8:24-25 again. I believe this is cause for alarm.
D&C 123:12 proclaims: "For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it." Verse 13 goes on to say, "...we should [bring] to light all the hidden things of darkness..." I have tried to show you the truth and bring out the hidden things. Wake up and get out of the pen before it is too late! Check out what I have said. Do your own research. Don't be misled.
Also, as an afterthought, remember the 12th Article of Faith: "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law." As far as illegal immigration is concerned, the federal law can be found here: wwwuscis.gov. If we honor and sustain the law, this is the law we must uphold. End of story.
I hope I have shed some light (literally) on this subject and perhaps made you think about it a little more. If so, I have succeeded. Thank you for hearing me out. May we all be ever vigilant.
