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Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Trump is attacking the foundations of church-state separation
President Trump said last week that he doesn't know whether it's his job to uphold the U.S. Constitution. That explains a lot about his actions — including his recent dismissal of church-state separation, a constitutional principle that protects religious freedom and legal equality for all. At a May 1 White House rose garden event on the National Day of Prayer, which did include prayers offered by a rabbi and imam, Trump announced an executive order creating a Religious Liberty Commission stacked with his supporters. Trump took credit for 'bringing religion back to our country' — a ridiculous claim. Noting that critics might raise concerns about church-state separation, Trump said, 'Let's forget about that for one time.' Trump's comments reflected how fully he has embraced his marriage of convenience with the religious right movement. Many of Trump's allies want us to 'forget about' separation of church and state, which some call a 'myth.' In truth it is a central feature of our constitutional form of government and we must not allow it to be dismantled in pursuit of making America a 'Christian nation.' Many members of Trump's new Religious Liberty Commission raise red flags. One of them is Eric Metaxas, a conspiracy theorist and cultish Trump devotee who, like fellow commission member Paula White, calls Trump's political opponents demonic. Another is Kelly Shackleford, a lawyer who works to undermine church-state separation. Shackleford has endorsed an effort by the Center for Judicial Renewal, a project of the American Family Association's advocacy arm, to impose a religious test on future Supreme Court justices. They want conservative presidents and senators to only consider potential justices and federal judges who meet their organization's standards as 'constitutional judges,' specifically holding a religious worldview aligned with theirs. Even at a time when Christian nationalists are pushing to replace school counselors with chaplains, and demanding taxpayer funds for religious schools, the idea that our judges have to meet a religious test that would exclude millions of Americans, including many Christians, is beyond the pale. The idea that this country is meant to be run by and for Christians, and that people of other faiths are somehow less American, contributes to rising bigotry and violence directed at those people of other faiths, including Jews and Muslims. To be clear, Christians who are not aligned with Trump are also targets. The recent election of Pope Leo XIV, who has advocated for the poor and criticized Trump's immigration policies, has been denounced by MAGA activists. Just a few days after Trump's rose garden photo op, I had an opportunity to be in conversation with Rabbi David Saperstein, a constitutional lawyer and wise spiritual leader. He led the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism for decades. He loves this country and has devoted his life to defending all that is best about it. Rabbi Saperstein told a gathering of young elected officials that by guaranteeing religious freedom, keeping religion and state separate, and banning any religious test for public office, our founders created for the first time in human history a nation that promised that your rights as a citizen would never depend on your religious identity, religious beliefs, or religious practices. Like many of the promises in our founding documents, it took a long time for those promises to be fully embraced and enforced. When the Supreme Court did begin to uphold church-state separation, religious minorities were able to move more fully into American civic and economic life and flourish. It also began a long backlash, one that has been building momentum, led by those who believe the country rightfully belongs to them. Some of Trump's allies argue that Christians who see the world as they do must act to take 'dominion' over government, education, media, and other institutions and get the power to transform our nation to their liking. Their political alliance with Trump makes it more possible to pursue these goals. So does the failure of most elected Republicans to defend the country's ideals. Rabbi Saperstein reminded us that major advances of the 20th Century in civil rights, environmental protection, opportunity and access for people with disabilities, legal equality for women, gays and transgender people were made possible by bipartisan, multiracial, and multireligious coalitions of decency. As recently as 2006, the Voting Rights Act was reauthorized by overwhelming bipartisan majorities — including a 98 to 0 vote in the U.S. Senate. Today it's hard to even imagine its passage by a Republican-led Congress. That's bad news for the U.S. We need bipartisan commitments to the Constitution and the ideals it embodies, including the rule of law, due process for every person in the country, and genuine religious freedom. Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, who died last week, was a Republican who strongly defended church-state separation and religious liberty. We need a lot more Republicans willing to side with the Constitution and against Trump's ongoing rampages. Svante Myrick is president of People for the American Way. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump is attacking the foundations of church-state separation
President Trump said last week that he doesn't know whether it's his job to uphold the U.S. Constitution. That explains a lot about his actions — including his recent dismissal of church-state separation, a constitutional principle that protects religious freedom and legal equality for all. At a May 1 White House rose garden event on the National Day of Prayer, which did include prayers offered by a rabbi and imam, Trump announced an executive order creating a Religious Liberty Commission stacked with his supporters. Trump took credit for 'bringing religion back to our country' — a ridiculous claim. Noting that critics might raise concerns about church-state separation, Trump said, 'Let's forget about that for one time.' Trump's comments reflected how fully he has embraced his marriage of convenience with the religious right movement. Many of Trump's allies want us to 'forget about' separation of church and state, which some call a 'myth.' In truth it is a central feature of our constitutional form of government and we must not allow it to be dismantled in pursuit of making America a 'Christian nation.' Many members of Trump's new Religious Liberty Commission raise red flags. One of them is Eric Metaxas, a conspiracy theorist and cultish Trump devotee who, like fellow commission member Paula White, calls Trump's political opponents demonic. Another is Kelly Shackleford, a lawyer who works to undermine church-state separation. Shackleford has endorsed an effort by the Center for Judicial Renewal, a project of the American Family Association's advocacy arm, to impose a religious test on future Supreme Court justices. They want conservative presidents and senators to only consider potential justices and federal judges who meet their organization's standards as 'constitutional judges,' specifically holding a religious worldview aligned with theirs. Even at a time when Christian nationalists are pushing to replace school counselors with chaplains, and demanding taxpayer funds for religious schools, the idea that our judges have to meet a religious test that would exclude millions of Americans, including many Christians, is beyond the pale. The idea that this country is meant to be run by and for Christians, and that people of other faiths are somehow less American, contributes to rising bigotry and violence directed at those people of other faiths, including Jews and Muslims. To be clear, Christians who are not aligned with Trump are also targets. The recent election of Pope Leo XIV, who has advocated for the poor and criticized Trump's immigration policies, has been denounced by MAGA activists. Just a few days after Trump's rose garden photo op, I had an opportunity to be in conversation with Rabbi David Saperstein, a constitutional lawyer and wise spiritual leader. He led the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism for decades. He loves this country and has devoted his life to defending all that is best about it. Rabbi Saperstein told a gathering of young elected officials that by guaranteeing religious freedom, keeping religion and state separate, and banning any religious test for public office, our founders created for the first time in human history a nation that promised that your rights as a citizen would never depend on your religious identity, religious beliefs, or religious practices. Like many of the promises in our founding documents, it took a long time for those promises to be fully embraced and enforced. When the Supreme Court did begin to uphold church-state separation, religious minorities were able to move more fully into American civic and economic life and flourish. It also began a long backlash, one that has been building momentum, led by those who believe the country rightfully belongs to them. Some of Trump's allies argue that Christians who see the world as they do must act to take 'dominion' over government, education, media, and other institutions and get the power to transform our nation to their liking. Their political alliance with Trump makes it more possible to pursue these goals. So does the failure of most elected Republicans to defend the country's ideals. Rabbi Saperstein reminded us that major advances of the 20th Century in civil rights, environmental protection, opportunity and access for people with disabilities, legal equality for women, gays and transgender people were made possible by bipartisan, multiracial, and multireligious coalitions of decency. As recently as 2006, the Voting Rights Act was reauthorized by overwhelming bipartisan majorities — including a 98 to 0 vote in the U.S. Senate. Today it's hard to even imagine its passage by a Republican-led Congress. That's bad news for the U.S. We need bipartisan commitments to the Constitution and the ideals it embodies, including the rule of law, due process for every person in the country, and genuine religious freedom. Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, who died last week, was a Republican who strongly defended church-state separation and religious liberty. We need a lot more Republicans willing to side with the Constitution and against Trump's ongoing rampages. Svante Myrick is president of People for the American Way.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayoral candidates pitch visions for All America City
TUPELO — With just two Republicans running for mayor in the All-America City, voters are primed to decide during Tuesday's municipal primary elections who will lead the city of Tupelo for the next four years. Voters will return to their polling locations on April 1 and pick either Rob Chambers or incumbent Todd Jordan as the city's next mayor. Chambers, executive director of the Conservative Coalition of Mississippi, said he believes the city is eager for change, and he will bring just that. Meanwhile, Jordan, who previously worked in real estate as an agent for Tommy Morgan Real Estate and owns a power washing company, said he believes the city is on the right path, a path he said he hopes to continue in a second term. Chambers plans to leverage government experience for city Born in Ackerman, Chambers moved to Tupelo in 2015 for work. He previously worked at the American Family Association as the former vice president of policy and legislative affairs until 2022. 'I have come from a rich, strong background of negotiating toward a desired outcome,' he said. 'That desired outcome for me is to make Tupelo the strongest that it can possibly be, the best it can possibly be, the safest it can possibly be, and the best place for people can live in community with one another. Where their children can feel safe ... I've been doing this before Todd ever picked up a pressure washer.' According to its website, the Conservative Coalition of Mississippi, which has chapters in central Mississippi, Oxford, the Gulf Coast, Desoto County and Tupelo, is an organization meant to help organize conservatives to make Mississippi a 'truly conservative state.' With this organization, Chambers said he focuses on First and Second Amendment rights: the freedom of speech and the freedom to bear arms. With the two decades Chambers has in state and federal advocacy and relations, he said he can best serve Tupelo by leveraging contacts made in multiple levels of government to speed up processes and encourage business growth. 'You have to work with a lot of different elected officials. People that are not only elected but also serve in administrative roles,' he said of his position. 'You have a responsibility when it comes to elected positions … to carry out your job to represent the people. Not just the people that elected you but the entire municipality. 'What I've done in the past has enabled me to garner a lot of experience in working with key decision-makers and helping move a particular initiative forward ... If there is some kind of initiative that comes before the board, I will be able to work with not only the council members but also be able to speak on behalf of the city.' On business, Chambers said his administration would focus on blending the business and community aspects of the city. 'Those two things need to work hand in hand,' he said. 'What I want to do is make that stronger.' Public safety, Chambers said, is another piece of the puzzle. He believes a city cannot have a strong community without public safety. He pointed to rising drug crime, which he said was up 28% according to information he said was reported from the Tupelo Police Department to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. He also pointed to cases of sexual violence in public schools since 2022, calling it unacceptable. The National Incident-Based Reporting System reports that crime is up in Tupelo by 28%. Data provided by the Tupelo Police Department, meanwhile, reports a total call volume of 91,000 from 2024 compared to 2023's 77,000, which is a 15% increase in overall calls. Data also shows felony drug arrests went down from 111 in 2023 to just 77 in 2024. Meanwhile, the report shows 53 sexual battery charges in 2023, which is higher than the 39 arrests in 2024. The department data does not report where the battery charges happened or the victim's age. According to reporting from the Daily Journal, two sex crimes against minors have been reported. Brady Patrick Dean, 25, of Tupelo, who faces a total of five counts of sexual battery and six counts of child exploitation in the two indictments which involve his former position as a U.S. Marine recruiter; and Alexander Ryan Blackwelder, 28, a former youth pastor who pleaded guilty to sexual battery of church member. With or without actual safety issues, he said for residents, 'perception is reality.' He said he wants to make residents feel safe. To do this, he wants to increase the number of police officers in the city and giving the officers raises to be more competitive with surrounding areas. 'Once that happens with that public safety element there, then the people feel more free to get out and shop,' he said, which he claims will increase sales tax revenue and grow business. 'We need more officers per shift, especially in some of these places where you have hotspots.' Alongside public safety, Chambers said he hopes to make a positive change in the rising homeless population, noting it creates a 'negative element' on the economy in Tupelo. He said he wants his administration to find pathways to help homeless individuals. Chambers said he believed Jordan's administration is not taking an active enough role in alleviating the issue, which he would do if elected. 'We have citizens in this city that feel unsafe because of a homeless population, and some of that is warranted,' he said, pointing to a recent incident involving suspect Ryan Hearn, 34, who allegedly assaulted a person near First Baptist Church. 'It is having an adverse impact on our economy ... How much better could it be if this administration had been proactive beyond saying this is the problem for the Salvation Army, (Mississippi United to End Homelessness) and S.A.F.E to address? 'This is a city responsibility, and I think it is a mayoral obligation to actually resolve that and not just farm it out to a nonprofit.' Chambers claimed Hearn, not by name, was homeless, though Tupelo Police Department reported Hearn was 'known for assisting homeless' individuals in the area. No further information on the incident was available at the time of reporting. Chambers said he is ready to work on Day 1, noting he believes he is already doing the job of bringing more transparency to the city. He pointed to him becoming aware of a homeless encampment near Carnation Street. After posting about it on social media and bringing it to public attention, the city cleared it out. 'My administration will be proactive, not reactive,' he said, pointing to a meeting at the Joyner Neighborhood Association. 'The other candidate … said just look around. Look how great it is. That's what I would say. Just look around." Jordan plans to continue ongoing projects First elected in 2021, Jordan said he's proud of his tenure as mayor so far. He said he hopes to continue projects started in the last four years into a second term, pointing to road improvements, drainage, emergency response and ongoing railway upgrades. 'I love what I do. I think there is a sense of pride where you have a project, and you see it from the beginning to the end,' he said. 'I said I wasn't going to sit behind a desk, and I don't. I get out ... I look at things that are important and put it on the list when it needs to be done.' When asked what he believes is the biggest issue facing Tupelo, Jordan pointed to housing. He noted that while Tupelo's population is about 37,000 people, its daytime population is much higher. He said there were multiple neighborhoods in need of revitalization. His administration has helped in this effort, he said, by buying derelict property, demolishing standing buildings and selling them to developers for market value. While he said it takes time to work on housing, the administration, in partnership with the Neighborhood Development Corporation, has made strides in providing property at lower rates to developers to make the bottom line for homebuyers cheaper. He pointed to West Jackson Street as an example of this revitalization. When the Jackson West Neighborhood was first conceptualized, it was meant to have 'starter homes' in a price range of $150,000 to $170,000. Homes on that stretch of West Jackson now reportedly sell for around $240,000 to $250,000 ... or even more. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development defines affordable housing as the occupant paying no more than 30% of their income on housing. 'Affordable housing, I don't know if there's one term for that,' Jordan said. 'Most people think of affordable housing as a young couple buying a house … at a good rate. That is what we want to target.' Jordan said his administration is focused on homeownership, noting that in the property it sells for redevelopment, there are binding clauses that the finished home must be sold to an individual who will not rent the property out for a certain amount of time. While there was a learning curve for his first term, Jordan said he believes his administration 'hit the ground running,' asserting that he put the 'right people in place' to run the city. 'We didn't have time to sit around. We didn't have time to learn,' he said. 'If you look across the city at everything we've done, I'd put it up against anybody in the state of Mississippi.' Another goal for the coming administration is updating the city's street program. Jordan said he plans to contract with a company that will grade road quality, including soil, asphalt conditions, stripping and signage. This data will go into the city's street saver program to build a better priority list of what roads need attention by empirical evidence. Jordan pointed to the complete overall of the Bristow Acres neighborhood's streets from the soil bed up, noting there are some other areas in town that will get that attention in the coming years. He said it is important to do that work from the outset to increase the longevity of the street in general. 'We have paved all of or part of 120 streets in the last four years,' he said. The city has three projects pertaining to railroad upgrades: building an overpass on Eason Boulevard, moving the switching operations further south of the intersection of Gloster and Main streets and establishing three quiet zones in the city, which are areas with more relaxed rules regarding train speeds and when to blow warning horns. The city received $1.4 million from the state for preliminary engineering, which Jordan said his administration is in the process of hiring a firm to assist in the engineering, and another $7.7 million from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation. The $7.7 million in funding has not hit the city's coffers as of Friday. The quiet zones, which are made through safety upgrades at each crossing, will take longer to accomplish, Jordan said. The goal is to have one start north of Crosstown and cover crossings through the west and north ends of the city. A second south of Crosstown will cover crossings east and south, and a third will cover the crossings that run north and south through town near downtown. 'Hopefully, our preliminary engineering will be pretty much done when we receive our money for the last quiet zone grant,' Jordan said, noting that a lot of neighborhoods get used to the trains, so the priority is to work downtown and more out from that radius. 'We are doing business around the world in the banks, and when the trains come through, they have to stop their conversation … to wait on the train.' Of the three projects, Jordan said the overpass on Eason Boulevard is the priority because of the safety concerns attached to it. When a train blocks that crossing, it slows precious time needed for emergency responders to get to and from the nearby North Mississippi Medical Center. Over the next term, Jordan said he would focus on finding grant funding to finish that project, which he said is about $10 million short. On emergency response, Jordan said his administration has emphasized establishing a real-time response center and installing cameras around the city. He wants to continue that effort. With the Fire Department, Jordan pointed to the upcoming replacement of the old Fire Station No. 5 facility, which the council recently accepted a $4.2 million contract with Southland Construction Inc. to build a new fire station. His next goal is to replace Fire Station No. 1 in downtown Tupelo, specifically building it as a nexus for emergency response in the event of a catastrophe. He said another priority of his administration is listening to his council, noting that projects they want also need focus, such as parks and recreation, beautification and neighborhood quality of life. He pointed to park upgrades at Hancock, Gum Tree, Ballard, Veterans Memorial and Dot Cooper Kelly parks.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tupelo municipal candidates field questions at Republican club forum
TUPELO — With less than 10 days until a majority of races in Tupelo's municipal elections will be decided, residents got one of their last chances to hear from Republican candidates in a public setting though a Lee County Republican Club candidate forum. The Lee County Republican Club held a Q&A forum at Bulldog Burger in Tupelo, Monday afternoon. All candidates took time to speak and field questions. 'We look to have respectful discussion. The club itself seeks to be a neutral platform for all Republican candidates to come speak to their vision for Tupelo … make their case to the people and give the people a platform to as questions in a respectful manner,' Vice President of the Lee County Republican Club Richard Stone said. Candidates gave their backgrounds and made their elevator pitches for why they believe they should be elected. The mayoral candidates got four minutes each and have 10 minutes of questions. Council candidates meanwhile got two minutes to speak and a varying amount of time for questions based on the number of candidates. Tupelo Mayor Todd Jordan, in his portion of the event, touted his record last term. His opponent, Rob Chambers, promoted his assistance in state legislation and pro-life advocacy. Questions included topics such as Chambers' lawsuit against the American Family Association, crime rates and economic growth. The lawsuit, which is ongoing, involves Chambers' termination from the organization. He said he filed a federal lawsuit over alleged misconduct. He declined to elaborate on the specifics of the case as it is an open lawsuit. On crime, Jordan noted the work already done to increase safety including the establishment of the real-time crime center while Chambers said he would build police posts in neighborhoods with high crime rates and work with communities by needs. Both talked about increasing cameras and lighting in town. Most races will be decided next week Of the eight races in Tupelo, all but two have a Republican candidate. Most of the races will be decided during the April 1 primary election next week, including the races in Ward 2, Ward 4, Ward 6, Ward 7 and the mayor's race. On top of this, Ward 1 Councilman Chad Mims and Ward 6 Councilwoman Janet Gaston are both running unopposed, meaning their reelections are assured. Mims and Gaston did not attend the forum. Ward 2 has two Republican candidates: Lucas Berryhill, industrial safety sales specialist, and incumbent Lynn Bryan, owner of Lynn Bryan Construction. In Ward 3, incumbent Republican Travis Beard, a retired teacher, will face Democrat Shirley Hendrix, who owns R&B Specialty Printing, in the June 3 general election. Bryan did not attend the forum. In Ward 5, there are three republicans and one democrat. Steven. J. Coon, a design engineer at Tiffin Motorhomes, Mike Horton, district manager for Northeast Mississippi Natural Gas District and Bentley Nolan, manager of Nolan Brothers' Motor Sales, all hope to replace outgoing incumbent Republican Buddy Palmer. When questioned about the possibility of bringing a grocery store and bank back to east Tupelo, Horton said it was important to build up local business to bring new opportunities. Coon noted that he'd work with the Community Development Foundation to bring economic growth. Nolan echoed the two but praised the area for its tourism dollars. In the event no candidate gains a majority of the vote, the top two candidates will face each other in a runoff on April 22. The winner will face Democrat Candria Lewis during the general election.
