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A leaked memo from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reveals plans by the Biden administration to make changes to Americans' First Amendment rights and other religious liberty protections.

The internal memo describes plans to "sign delegation of authority on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and religion clause of the First Amendment" to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

It's a move that Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford believes will undo religious liberty protections and disregard the First Amendment.

"I am an outspoken advocate for religious liberty, and I have a very 'negative reaction' to this Administration ignoring the First Amendment and failing to protect Americans of conscience," he wrote in a statement. "Americans do not support President Biden and his team's absolute lawlessness when it comes to upholding Americans' Constitutional rightsincluding our right to freely live our faith."

The memopenned by Lisa J. Pino, director of the OCRdoes not deny there will be pushback if enacted.

"The action will likely be well-received among civil rights advocates and litigators, as well as groups advocating for the separation of church and state," the memo reads.

"Groups who share the prior Administration's broad view of the application of RFRA or who will interpret this action as an indication that the Department is abdicating its responsibility for compliance with RFRA will likely issue strong negative reactions," it continues. "This includes members of Congress who have been outspoken about OCR's conscience and religious freedom activities and who have repeatedly asked questions about changes to OCR's organizational structure and legal authorities."

The memo recommends HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra sign the action as soon a possible.

Becerra has claimed he supports religious liberty. During his narrow Senate confirmation, 50-49, he promised to uphold religious protections.

"I believe deeply in religious freedom, and I will make sure that as Secretary of HHS that you will know that I will not only respect the law when it comes to these issues of religious freedom, but I will enforce them as Secretary of HHS within my department," he said in February.

BECERRA: Nurses Forced to Help with Abortions - GOP Lawmakers Say HHS Secretary 'Sabotaging Federal Conscience Protections'

But Lankford, who did not support Becerra's confirmation, has cited his concern with the secretary's hostility toward conscience protections and lack of experience to lead the agency.

"This action from HHS means that the Office for Civil Rights will no longer uphold the civil rights of religious Americans," Lankford wrote. "HHS clearly intends to go back to the days of light to no enforcement of the law that protects the rights of people of any faith."

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver told CBN News that RFRA is a major legal obstacle stopping the Biden administration from enforcing the federal COVID-19 mandate.

"Certainly the federal government can't force it. And moreover, they're not even considering religious freedom," he said. "They're pretending that the First Amendment and the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act just don't exist."

Read more here:
Leaked HHS Memo Reveals Biden Admin Seeks to Strip Americans of Religious Protections - CBN News

Treasure Coast Newspapers

Funny that Star Parker, in her Nov. 12 column, says our country keeps moving left. The 13 colonies were strung along the right side of this continent.

Then Americans went looking for free land beyond the Appalachians, after first the Brits cleared out the French and Indians at great expense.

Then further left across the Mississippi, and over two more mountain ranges to the Pacific, and even across the other ocean to Hawaii and the Philippines.

Parker is worried about government expanding fiscally into peoples lives. Yet the U.S. Constitution sure seems to give the government a whole lot of powers to do stuff, as long as there are regular accountings, and it is done fairly.

Our founding fathers seemed way more worried about religion taking control. See the very First Amendment. Read George Washington. But here goes Parkerinsisting we accept biblical values.

The first part of the Bible tells us to be stewards of His creation. Conserve means save, doesnt it?

Parker asserts that Republicans have grown more conservative.So how can they demand more drilling for oil, more mining for mineralsand continuingto clear cut trees?

The Tower of Babel is in the Bible too, warning us not to try to search for heaven. Yet former President Donald Trump increased spending for NASA to $42 billion a year, while cutting the budgets of so many government entities that do take care of planet Earth.

Was it Republican Gov. Rick Scott who poured more concrete on the beach for Space Florida? What kind of toxins are going into our air and water?

Florida Republicans still continue to refuse to expand Medicaid, for 10 years now. Brings to mind the biblical tale of the Pharaoh hardening his heart.

War is over, if we want it, John Lennon said. Do we?

Helen Frigo, Jensen Beach

Taxpayer dollars are being used to build a security wall costing more than$445,000 around President Joe Bidens $2.7-million-dollar beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Biden chose to keep himself safe and secure, but canceled contracts to complete the southern border wall that would assist in keeping Americans safe and secure.

Biden has not visited the southern border to evaluate the continuation of constructing the border wall to enhance security and safety for Americans.

This is just another example of Biden's belief for me, but not for thee.

The southern border with Mexico has seen the highest level of border crossings by illegal migrants in 35 years. According to The New York Times, migrants were encountered 1.7 million times in the last 12 months, the highest number of illegal crossings recorded since at least 1960.

Data released by U.S. Customs Border Protection revealed that in August, 208,887 illegal migrants were apprehended trying to enter our country through the southern border.

American citizens living in Texas cities that border with Mexico have not felt safe and secure with the entry of thousands of illegal migrants at the southern border.

Another large caravan of migrants is passing through Mexico traveling to the southern border and Biden has not addressed the issue with the American people.

Biden has ignored the safety and security of American citizens while he used taxpayer dollars to secure his own safety. A president should advocate to protect and secure the safety of American citizens.

Pam Ouellette, Jensen Beach

Childrens play teachesessential skills

Childrens play serves many purposes and provides an excellent vehicle for learning. As teachers, we can guide the development of social-emotional competence by using different strategies.

Play materials can support and challenge childrens abilities. Play promotes problem solving and appropriate risk taking. Play provides appropriate responsibilities and meaningful jobs in the classroom or at home.

Play helps children express their feelings and resolve conflicts in constructive ways. Play supports children as they interact with one another. Play supports childrens memory development.

Play teaches turn-taking and sharing, and models cooperation. Play helps children detect and interpret cues about how other people feel.

Play is also linked to self-regulation skills, memory development, language and literacy skills, math skills, positive approaches to learning, and social skills.

Purposeful, engaging play also supports character development. Character development is about building good habits and habits take time to form. As our kids are playing, they are building character.

Courage: Courage involves making good choices, developing our skills and doing what is right;

Resilience: Grit involves sticking with something until you succeed. It gives us the strength to try, try again;

Responsibility: Means being dependable, making choices, and taking accountability for your actions;

Honesty: Honesty means we are truthful in what we say and do. It means people can rely on us;

Compassion: Means we care about others, treat them with kindness and feel a strong desire to help people in need;

Gratitude: Involves both feelings and expressing our thankfulness. Show our appreciation for others. Know how and when to say thank you.

Through imagination, creativity and music children learn the key skills necessary for school and life.

Alma Collins, Fellsmere

If Gov. Ron DeSantis thinks northerners and Canadians are flocking to Florida because of your schools, roads, etc., created by his Trumpian politics, his incredible ego needs a cold dose of reality. We come to Florida for one thing the warm weather!

Paul Kozel, Jensen Beach

Visit link:
Letters to the Editor: Nov. 26, 2021 - TCPalm

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case this term that pits the two religious liberty clauses of the First Amendment against each other on a flagpole.

At issue is a request by a Christian civic group, Camp Constitution, for the City of Boston to allow a Christian flag to fly on one of two City Hall flagpoles commonly used by civic groups and movements. The city offers groups the opportunity to fly their flags briefly on the two poles to encourage civic engagement.

To date, the city has allowed at least 284 private organizations to raise their flags and never had turned down a request until Camp Constitution asked to fly what is commonly known as the Christian flag a white background with a blue square at the upper-left corner containing a red cross. The group wanted to fly the flag for about an hour on Constitution Day 2017, to commemorate Constitution Day and the civic and cultural contributions of the Christian community to the city of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, religious tolerance, the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution.

Flags previously flown on the poles include the flags of various countries, a Juneteenth flag,the LGBTQ rainbow pride flag and the transgender rights flag.

Camp Constitutions request was denied because the group wanted to fly the flag of a single religion, which city leaders feared would place them in violation of the First Amendments Establishment Clause, which says government may not give preferential treatment to one religion over other religions.

On the other hand, Camp Constitution claims the city denied its First Amendment rights to free exercise of religion the other half of the First Amendments religious liberty statement.

There is no evidence the city had been asked previously to fly the flag of any other single religion, although Camp Constitutions attorneys point out that they had flown the Turkish flag, which depicts the Islamic star and crescent, and the Portuguese flag, which uses religious imagery.

In January, the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the city, which argued that the flagpole is not a public forum, the citys raising of a third-party flag is government speech, and the city can choose the views it wants to express. The appeals court supported the original ruling of a federal judge who first heard the case.

Camp Constitution appealed that January ruling to the Supreme Court, which chose the case from among hundreds of other cases denied hearing.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State was among the first religious liberty watchdog groups to urge the Supreme Court to reject Camp Constitutions claim, noting the case, Shurtleff v. Boston, could significantly endanger religious freedom and church-state separation.

Americans United President Rachel Laser said: The separation of church and state is the constitutional principle that guarantees everyones right to religious freedom and to be treated equally under the law. To protect this core American principle and to respect the religious diversity that defines our country, the Supreme Court should not force the City of Boston to fly a Christian flag at city hall.

Forcing the city government to fly a Christian flag on its property would not only undermine the foundational principle of church-state separation, it would play right into the hands of Christian nationalists who want the government to force everyone to live by their beliefs threatening everyones religious freedom and widening inequality in our communities and country, she added.

Camp Constitution is being represented by Liberty Counsel, an evangelical Christian ministry active in pursing religious liberty cases, especially those focused on free exercise claims.

We look forward to the U.S. Supreme Court hearing Bostons unconstitutional discrimination against Camp Constitutions Christian viewpoint, said Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver. The city cannot deny the Christian flag because it is Christian and allow every other flag to fly on its flagpoles. There is a crucial difference between government endorsement of religion and private speech, which government is bound to respect. Censoring religious viewpoints in a public forum where secular viewpoints are permitted is unconstitutional and this case will set national precedent.

Related articles:

On religious liberty views and other issues, theres still a wide gap between evangelicals and the rest of America

Religious liberty is being hijacked: expressing our faith responsibly within the civic realm | Opinion by Molly Marshall

BJC offers timely answers to questions about religious liberty

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Supreme Court will hear Boston flag case that pits First Amendment religious liberty clauses against each other - Baptist News Global

BRUNSWICK, Ga., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 22, family members of Ahmaud Arbery, will join the Transformative Justice Coalition at a press conference to address recent attacks raised in court proceedings against the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC). The press conference will precede a March sponsored by TJC and the family of Ahmaud Arbery at approximately 2:00 PM EDT. Following the press conference, the march demanding justice for Ahmaud Arbery will commence and go through the community in which Ahmaud was raised.

The Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) sponsored 100 activists from around the nation to attend the first week of the trial of Ahmaud Arbery's accused killers. Kicking off the march with a press conference, TJC will also discuss its impressions from the first week of the murder trial and its response to the scurrilous and unfounded attacks on TJC and the First Amendment.

What:

Justice at the First Amendment

Who:

Diane Arbery, Matriarch of Ahmaud Arbery Family

Marcus Arbery, Father of Ahmaud Arbery

Barbara Arnwine, Esquire Founder/President/Co-Leader, Transformative Justice Coalition

Daryl D. Jones, Esquire, Board Chair/Co-Leader, Transformative Justice Coalition

When:

October 22, 2021 at 2:00 pm

Where:

Brunswick, GA

Founded in 2015 by Barbara Arnwine, president emeritus of the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights, the Transformative Justice Coalition seeks to be a catalyst for transformative institutional changes that bring about justice and equality in the United States and abroad. Learnmoreattjcoalition.org.

Formoreinformation,contact:

Lynn Whitfield, Esq.

322008@email4pr.com

(561) 856-6757

Ricky Parker

Cell: (347) 524-2530

Email: 322008@email4pr.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transformative-justice-coalition-tjc-press-conference-and-march--justice-and-the-first-amendment--301406859.html

SOURCE Transformative Justice Coalition

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Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) Press Conference and March: "Justice And the First Amendment " - Johnson City Press (subscription)

The months-long legal dispute of publisher Activision trying to take down an indie web-based incremental strategy board game to safeguard its lucrative Warzone trademark has hit a new lawful curve.

According to court documents obtained for a hearing which took place in the United States District Court for the Central District of California earlier in the month, plaintiff Activision admitted that defendant Warzone.com was the first one to use the Warzone trademark in 2017, nearly three years before Call of Duty: Warzone was officially released.

However, Activision still argues that its use of the Warzone trademark as the title for its [Call of Duty] game is protected under the First Amendment and as such seeks massive damages from the defendant for reverse trademark infringement. That in addition to forcing the indie developer to completely abandon the Warzone trademark for its web-base game.

Activision has now forwarded a motion to dismiss any and all counterclaims made by the defendant. Warzone.com has in return pleaded that if the motion to dismiss is accepted by the court, it would signal that a corporate giant can claim the mark of a direct competitor without the claimant even being afforded an opportunity via discovery to explore the issues presented, merely because the defendant is using the claimants mark in the title of an expressive work.

It would mean that a large corporation can engage in reverse trademark confusion with impunity even filing for the same trademark for the identical description of goods. Such an outcome would place a fist not a thumb firmly on the First Amendment side of the scale balancing the constitutional interests between Lanham Act protection and free expression.

Activision sued Warzone.com several months back for using the same name as its own battle royale phenomenon despite Call of Duty being at least three years late. In a statement given to SegmentNext earlier today, the makers of Warzone.com reminded that Activision made this a legal dispute after endless effort by us to resolve the situation and now we will fight to the very end.

More:
Activision's Banking On The First Amendment To Win Warzone.com Trademark Lawsuit - SegmentNext