The Glenn Beck Program - Best of The Program | Guests: Dave Isay, Niger Innis, & Christopher Ferrara | 6/19/20

Episode Date: June 19, 2020

It’s our turn to stand up for our country, families, love, and peace against Marxist revolutionaries. StoryCorps founder Dave Isay joins with a powerful story this Father’s Day weekend. Civil rights leader Niger Innis makes the case that today’s so-called civil rights movement is just the latest in the war on black families. Christopher Ferrara, special counsel of the Thomas More Society, joins after Orthodox Jews sue NYC mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Cuomo for “blatant” lockdown double standards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming up on the podcast, Glenn gets right out of the shoot and takes it in strong, a barn burner. To start this one off today, we also talk about Anjama. And who really likes Antimima? You're going to be surprised at the answer to that. Also, we get into Christopher Columbus with Michael Knowles of the Daily Wire, who goes through the whole situation and all the misleading things the media is saying about Christopher Columbus and trying to pull his statues down. And Niger Innis, a great voice from the African-American community, who's just talked. common sense and trying to lay it out for us. It's a great show on tap for you today. Make sure to subscribe to blazTV.com slash Glenn. Use the promo code Glenn. You'll save 10 bucks off. You'll get tonight's show with Glenn as well as Stu Does America. Pat Gray Unleashed, Stephen

Crowder, Mark Levine. There's so many great shows. Chad Prather. I mean, news and why it matters is great as well. There's a million of them. They're all great. Just watch them. BlazTV.com slash Glenn. Here's the podcast. You're listening to The Best of the Glenn Beck program I want to play quickly some audio that came from Seattle and Ami Horowitz

talking to one of the leaders of this Black Lives Matter group I want you to listen to what she said Every single day that I show up here I'm not here to peacefully protest I'm here to disrupt until my demands are met You cannot rebuild

until you break it all the way down respond to the demands of the people or prepare to be met with any means necessary by any means necessary that's not just a slogan no no no it's not a slogan it's not even a warning I'm letting people know what comes next a response to violence is not violence itself May I ask, where are the pastors? Where are the preachers? Where are the men and women of God that know what is actually happening right here, right now, and have the guts to stand up and lead this nation back to common sense, to kindness,

to the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, everything our parents and grandparents taught us, all the things that that simple man from Nazareth taught. I want you to listen to me really carefully. I want you to listen to these words. This nation is not evil. But believe me, it is about to be. If good men and women do not stand up, if they continue to do nothing,

the freedom we all enjoy as well as the hope of freedom, now only dreamt about by the 40 million men, women, and children who are actual slaves today. Those who have been taken, ripped from their families so they can be sold to the highest bidder, and that doesn't even include the political prisoners. Those who are persecuted because of their faith, their sexuality, their race, or 100 other stupid reasons. That small flicker of hope that those people hold on to, that they're somewhere to run, that somebody cares, that somebody's coming, that somebody hasn't forgotten them, that light will be snuffed out.

And we will become more dark and terrible than any of the totalitarian states Karl Marx could have ever imagined. Where are you? Moms and dads, grandparents, millennials, where are all the black matriarchs? Those of you who know what's good and healthy for your grandchildren, you know what this country can mean for them. You know your grandchildren's biggest threat comes from the streets,

the gangs, the drugs, and the loss of God. Where are you? Do you realize that only 16% of the American public, and that's white and black, Republican Democrat, only 16% of the American public are actually for defunding the police. Even fewer are for disbanding

the police. Now, why is that? Because you and I both know what life in the cities would mean without a police force. We know it. Chaos, cruelty, and all those who are the most vulnerable will suffer the worst. But mark my words,

no matter how much you play along, the mob will come for you. They will take what you have because when you actually read the words or listen to people like I just played for you, the people who lead these groups, they are for revolution. They are for chaos. They are for taking you, the system, and everything you've ever held dear down, rip it apart, destroy it, burn it, and never look back. Where's your voice? America, why are you silent? What your grandparents, the greatest generation, what they fought for is about to be lost, but not on the beaches of Normandy. No, shamefully, it's all about to be lost with a yawn and a whimper.

Father's Day is this weekend. Where are you, fathers? Have we all been so hypnotized and so misled by social media that we fail to see the cost to our children? Hey, Columbus, Ohio, they're now demanding that the statue of Columbus be taken down. Well, when there is no Columbus, what's the name of your city? Chas? chop? Afraid.

Look, I understand fear. I understand the fear of losing your job. I understand the fear of losing your friends, being an outcast. I've been there. I understand the fear of losing your life. Being completely erased. But there is more to this gift of life and freedom that we have been granted here in this country. There's more to it than a job or popularity.

I've lived this gift far more than my fair share. I'm okay. I'm okay with losing it for me if it means saving it for my grandchildren and my children. Because that's what's happening. And it's our turn to stand as Martin Luther King or Abraham Lincoln stood. And they were afraid. were terrified. They were tired. Have you seen the look of Abraham Lincoln in a few short years? He didn't want to do any of that. But he knew someone had to do it. The same for Martin Luther King.

He knew that he was born at that time for a reason, just as you are born at this time for a reason as well, in this country. And it wasn't to bow down. It wasn't to kneel down. It wasn't to grovel and kiss the feet of Marxist revolutionaries. They will not bring you a new peaceful world. They will bring you one of terror, oppression, death for our children. We're about to hit an amazing birthday

for our nation in just a few short years. 300 years, the oldest constitution in the world. And it's hanging by thread. And what are our church? is doing. Oh, shame on you, churches. Our churches are either preaching Marxism or its gateway drug from the pulpit, or they're just playing it safe, carving out a safe space for their church or their faith, or just remaining silent so they can keep their congregation intact for the tithing money. Which is worse? At least the Marxists, the social justice warriors, at least

they believe in something. Do you even believe? the words you preach? Have you all gone mad? Where is this? Where is freedom? Where is forgiveness? This is a message of no forgiveness. Where's the individual in this scheme? Because

Christ didn't come for us as a group. He came for us each individually. This is a mob. Did Jesus preach mobs looting class warfare? Did he teach one race over another? Redistribution of wealth? Did he and his apostles throw down the

statues of the Roman gods because certainly the son of God found those statues offensive and personally hurtful. Do the disciples of God, do the disciples of Jesus Christ now support revenge, covetness, and violent revolution? The lies, the deception, the downright deceit, it is evil. And if you don't see it, or at least feel that something has gone wrong here, Frankly, you may be too lost. But believe me, history will find you. History will remember you for what you chose to do or not do as man's greatest experiment to see if men could rule themselves.

Oh, history will remember that when it got tough, because frankly, it became too easy, you traded our freedom for what? For what? No cops? You're an imbecile. Man, if I were the devil, I couldn't have planned this better. Where are you valiant, honest men and women who are awake? Stand up.

Square your shoulders. You are the son or daughter of the only king who doesn't need you. He wants you. Has anybody noticed the gift that we've been given lately? Because of COVID, we've had a short, period of time where everything, all this busy nonsense of the world is put on pause, a chance to come back to our families, to our roots, to our God. We have been taken out of the noise and the filth of the world so we could be quiet enough to remember who we really are. And yet we're

still restless. Why? Because even in this miraculous time, we haven't recognized the only thing that can truly give us rest. Listen, if tomorrow, and time is of the essence, if tomorrow we began a massive national action, not to do anything but personally teach our children the true history and then stand in our own communities, we win, because we surround them. Americans versus Marxists, not left versus right,

Americans versus Marxist revolutionaries. But let me just say this. Even if we didn't have a chance of winning, where are those who would join a losing fight just because it's right? Where are the real civil rights leaders of today who will take a beating from this Marxist mob because it's right? Where are those today that die to the Alamo? It'd be funny if it weren't so tragic.

They died for the freedom of those they didn't even know. And this generation won't even risk being befriended for those we love. Where are those who came from foreign lands? Where are those who saw the promise of freedom when they were oppressed? Where are those who were held captive elsewhere? Those who loved America's founders behind the iron curtain. Those who know this evil because they seen this evil, they lived it when so many didn't. Your new country needs you.

Where are the Cuban and Venezuelan communities? Your country is being torpedoed by thieves and saboteurs that you personally have seen come and rape your own country before. This country is going down. It is time all hands on deck. Organize yourselves. Where are the handful of men and women who know why Gandhi and MLK-1? Who have the peace, the love, the fortitude to march hand-in-hand into the jaws of hell? Who have the...

Who is it now that has the faith to know that the gospel truths are the only shield you need? Who will call out this evil by name? Who will not apologize for what you know is true? true. Let me tell you something. All of the forces on earth are arrayed against you. That is absolutely true. It was reported today that the leaders of Black Lives Matter have spent millions on travel and consulting. I was in the Tea Party. We didn't have a hundred bucks between us. And you know what? This time we won't have any of that either. But if we are united in our cause and humbly ask God for forgiveness and guidance.

Who could possibly stand against us? Know this. He will never be on our side. We must be on his side. And here's a great thing. They are so delusional. They think they've already won. They're arrogant, and in their arrogance, they will fail. They want violence and chaos.

But if we fight fire with water, hate with love, chaos with peace, They will not know what to do. And the world will watch as perhaps they haven't, since simple Americans put a man on the moon and Martin Luther King marched against actual racist cops. The media, the elites academia, far too many in our local state and federal positions. They need you to feel small and insignificant.

That's what they've been doing to you for 15 years. But you are not. you have all the power or they would have silenced you or me a long time ago they are afraid of you when we are one

we are unstoppable never bet against a united America Sarah blow off the spot I'll make it up later pause for 10 seconds for the stations here's what I want you to do I want you to go out and get the 5,000 year leap I haven't talked about

it for a while. I need you to read it. I want you to learn it. I want you to get a pocket constitution. I want you to learn it and teach it. I want you to get a Bible and read it and preach it. You need to stand. You stand proudly as an American. This country is not evil. You stand proudly with the truth. You stand peacefully together. You march like king. You are not a racist. This country is good. We saved millions from the death chambers of Marxism and we have millions more to yet set free. This is not about white versus black or rich versus poor or even left versus right. This is simply about right versus wrong.

And I for one will not go over the cliff with the rest of humanity. I know what's true. I know what's right. You will not silence my voice. We were known the world over as people who did the impossible as a force. as a force for light and goodness, and we will be again. But only if you stand now, only if you speak now with love and only what you know to be true,

it is time, America, to come out of the shadows. It is time for your voice to be heard. Take a stand. Because if you do, together, we will restore our sacred constitution and the promise of the Declaration of Independence, and we will reach higher heights of opportunity and equality, because that's the one thing we have in common with the protesters, except I think we actually believe in it.

They're just using. They're just using people. Let us live up to our ideals. Let us restore truth, justice, and the American way. Let us live the Constitution. let us all once again find these truths to be self-evident. But let's do it together. Let's do it in peace and love.

And with God's light, not man's. And let us mutually pledge to one another. Our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. You're listening to the best of the Glenn Beck program. Welcome to the Glenn Beck program. It is the weekend of Father's Day, and I've been thinking about my father today. And I've also been thinking a lot about, because of COVID-19, how many people have not seen their father for a long time because he's elderly or in bad health. And here comes Father's Day, and you're not going to be able to spend time with him again.

Meanwhile, my kids are just inviting people over to the house just to cough on me. But that's a different story. if you haven't seen your father for a while, I want to tell you something that StoryCorps has done. They've created StoryCorps Connect, which allows people to interview a loved one remotely and then upload it to the Library of Congress where it becomes part of American history.

I think this would be a really cool Father's Day present. I mean, my kids would never do it because they're sick of hearing me talk, but the idea that you are talking to your dad about his life and and then it's going to the library of Congress, I think it would be a great, great present telling your dad what he taught you and how you feel. Now, the last time we had Dave Isayon with us from StoryCorps, we played a clip of his son, Toby, who had coronavirus and was recovering, and he was interviewing his grandmother remotely about what was like to live through

coronavirus and her losing her grandmother to the flu epidemic of 1918. If you're interested in doing this, go to storycore connect.org and get started. It's a great Father's Day thing. StoryCorps connect.org. Go there this weekend. We have Dave, I say, on and with us. He's going to share a great Father's Day connection story. First of all, Dave, how's Toby doing? Hi, Glenn. It's great to hear your voice. Happy Father. later's day. He's, um, he's, he's starting to get better. It's been a long road, but I really appreciate you. Wow. Remembering. Thank you. Yeah. So he is a hundred, a hundred days and he's still

not fully back? Yeah, he's not, he's not, I think there's a lot we don't know about this, uh, illness. He's, he's, he's not, you know, he's not deathly ill, but he's, he's, he's, he's still sick. Yeah, it stinks. It stinks. That's incredible. And, but, and he's, he's doing better. He's doing better. Good. Thank you. Good. I'm glad to hear it. So I got to believe, Dave, there's a lot of people that don't get to see their dad this weekend and celebrate Father's Day the way they would want to or the way we always have. And I would assume that your traffic is going to be very, very heavy this weekend. Can you give us a story?

I think we have William and Kimberly Weaver about Father. Day. Is that right? Can you set this story up? So people hear what this is kind of like. Sure. So this is an interview that was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, and it's a dad talking to his daughter about his dad. Lynn Weaver's dad's name was Ted Weaver, and he was a janitor and a chauffeur in Knoxville, Tennessee. And Lynn wanted to talk about him to his daughter, the most important person in his life. Here it is. Listen, my father was everything to me. And it's actually kind of difficult talking about him without becoming very emotional. Up until, you know, he died, every decision I made, I'd always call him. And he would never tell me what to do,

but he would always listen and say, well, what do you want to do? And he made me feel that I could do anything that I wanted to do. I can remember when we integrated to schools that there were many times when I was just scared. And I didn't think that I would survive. And I'd look up and he'd be there. And whenever I saw him, I knew that I was safe. You know, I always tell you that your mama is the smartest person I've ever met. But I think my father ranks right up there as brilliant. When I was in high school, I was taking algebra. And I was sitting at the kitchen table trying to do my homework. And I got frustrated and said, I just can't figure this out. I'm just, so my father said, what's the problem? He came by. He said, what's the problem? And I said,

that's this algebra. And he said, well, let me look at it. I said, dad, they didn't even have algebra in your day. And I went to sleep. And around four o'clock that morning, he woke me up. He said, come on, son, get up. He sat me at the kitchen table. And he taught me algebra. what he had done is sit up all night and read the algebra book. And then he explained the problems to me so I could do them and understand them. And to this day, I live my life trying to be half the man my father was, just half the man. And I would be a success if my children loved me half as much as I love my father. That is exactly how I feel.

if my children would love me half as much. It's an amazing thing. Dave. Lynn went on to become chairman of surgery at a Morehouse School of Medicine, a very famous renowned surgeon. He passed away last year. And just like you wish you could talk to your dad, I mean, I think, you know, this time of COVID as a reminder,

that it's important, you know, to take the time to listen to the people we love and to honor them by saying, who are you, how do you want to be remembered? Because remember your great, great grandkids will hear this someday. So, yeah, and I'm sorry about the loss of your dad whenever that was. I lost my dad doing it. It's tough. It never really goes away. Never really goes away.

Nope. You know, I have to tell you, my great, great uncle, and great-great-grandfather fought in the Civil War. They fought for the North. They were in Andersonville, both of them. I mean, it's a typical backstory. They were fighting for like four days and caught

thrown into the world's worst concentration camp, or at least at that time. And one of them died, and the other one never really fully recovered. And I only have one letter from my grandfather, my great-grandfather, father's daughter who talks about it. And it's just a quick paragraph.

And what I would give to hear their voices, to hear him being interviewed by his daughter now. And that's the great thing that I want, please, I want you to understand storycor connect. It's saved by the National Archives, so it will live on forever. And you're not just giving a gift to your dad, but you're giving your gift to your children, your children's children, their children. They will actually be able to hear the voices of the people that you hold up now and say, these are the, this is what I learned, this is the principles that we lived our life on. how remarkable would that be. Dave, thank you so much for everything you do. You're welcome.

Thank you, Glenn. And Glenn, even if your kids don't want to interview you, maybe they can ask you about your dad, and you could have that record for your great, great-grandchildren. So just a thought for the weekend. Yeah, thank you so much. StoryCorps connect.org. StoryC-O-P-S-Connect.org.

You're listening to. Niger Innes. He is a civil rights leader, national chairman, Congress of racial equality. We thought we would get him on. We've been trying to get him on for a while. I really respect his voice

and his bravery for standing up now and talking about things that nobody really wants to hear except I think the American people that are honestly trying to solve race relations and trying to get us to move forward.

and everything that is happening, I believe, is setting us way back. Niger, how are you? Good morning, Glenn. It's great to be on with you. Thank you. So please explain to me what's happening to the black community. Do they actually agree with what's happening in Atlanta? We all agree on Minnesota.

But do they actually agree with what? what's happening in Atlanta and what's happening now in our cities? Is that the majority of black Americans? No, I don't think it's the majority, but it is extremely loud minority that gets facilitated by the mainstream media into making people believe that it's an actual majority in the black community. The reality is most of us in the black community, while many of us sympathize with the rank-and-file protesters,

the overwhelming majority of which I think want to be peaceful and are, you know, trying to protect black lives, the overwhelming majority of us do not support violence. We do not support burning down of a Wendy's that had absolutely nothing to do with that tragedy, that tragic case in Atlanta. or another black leader going on in our cities right now

what's going on in our country right now where you create this animus patroar among young black men and the police lives and the safety of young black men it's a very dangerous time he was very very very concerned well I'm concerned because this is

this is a generational thing and I think the next generation that's coming up behind this one is not going to be having the same kind of opinion if we make it that far. And, you know, what are you going to do with this whole generation that is embracing Marxism and truly just trying to destroy the Western way of life?

That's all this is really about. There are, like you said, I think, really honest protesters, black, white, yellow, everybody that really see and say, you know, we want justice. We want justice for everybody, and everybody should be treated equal. And I think there are a lot of good people, but they're not paying attention to who's leading these things and who's funding these things and what they stand for. They're being used, Niger. That's the right place, but they're being used, like you said. The founders of the BLM movement, Elisa Garza and the two others, are very old.

It's not me saying bad things about them. It's not you saying bad things about them. It's what they say about them. Self-identified queer agenda. And if you don't know, on the Idrinas, just go to the Black Lives Matter website, and you will see the family, which, by the revolution, the nuclear family,

one dad, one mom in a household, raising children community, for decades before the civil rights revolution. And, you know, Bob Woodson, who's another person you should have on very soon, a great civil... My father. he says that in

1965 before the war on poverty, 85 children were being raised in households with one dad and one mom. And 80, and the fact of the matter of it, pardon? No, I was just going to say, if I'm not mistaken,

didn't they have a better family, stronger family unit than white in the early 1960s? Yes, in the poverty, the nuclear families in black communities was higher percentage than the average white family. And tragically, I think Lyndon Bain Johnson, his heart might have been in the right place, but actually the war on poverty ended up being a war on the black family.

And the breakdown of the black family is a direct economic that we have had ever since and that we have today. So, Niger, can I say something kind of controversial that I don't have any evidence of? I've wanted to do the research on this and write a book, but I just, I don't have the time at least yet, but maybe before I die. I really believe Johnson was one of the worst racists ever. I mean, he's the guy who stopped the Civil Rights Act in 1959. Never, never, never, never. If you look at what he said, even when he was president, the way he spoke about blacks and the, and he was just an out-and-out racist. and I find it interesting that he's the guy that delivers this and that this the progressive

movement was also you know through through Planned Parenthood trying to kill African-Americans for years for decades and then all of a sudden all of these people they come together and they come up with a great society to help inner cities when the results are slavery the results are devastating to the black community. Do you think there's a possibility that any of these guys knew exactly what they were doing when they put this civil rights bill together or the great society? Do you think there was a chance that they knew? I think some of the progressives definitely did. I actually think Johnson, who grew up a segregationist, I do believe he had a legitimate

change of heart. And he really didn't want to do something for poor blacks and whites, for that matter. But there was also a political calculation. And it is rumored that during the passing of this legislation and the war on poverty, that Johnson said that these in-words will be wedded to the Democratic Party forever. And that is insidious, and that is disgusting. and unfortunately, it manifests itself quite greatly. You know, Glenn, you talked about a couple of days ago, as you can tell, I listened to your show, not even when I'm on. Wow, thank you very much. You've talked about, you have a great program, and you've done, people should be calling you professor.

Historic information that the American people are not getting in our schools. And you talked about the great Book of T. Washington. And when he, when he passed away in 1916, how it left a void. in the black community in terms of bootstrap conservatism. Actually, Bob, who was a great pan-Africanist, came in and stepped. But he was only in power for maybe five to six, seven years. After he was a huge void in the black community and the socialist and to the black community like leeches and had, you know, and even though the black community for many decades

after that remained, the majority of us remain Republicans, we were certainly pro-constitution, etc. It's one. Hopefully it's a temporary victory, but there's no question. Politics came to dominate black leadership, and it manifested itself in that war on poverty, which on the concept that had wedded

the black American community to the essence of the United States. Niger, what do you say to people like me or others that actually do care? And I thought we've, you know, we're never going to achieve. the utopian world of all men are created equal and endowed by their creator.

I mean, that is the greatest mission statement of all time. And because we're flawed human beings, we will ebb and flow. But for the most part, I really feel that we made great progress. And the last 10 or 15 years have been a nightmare. And we're being driven apart. And yet there's a lot of Americans, white Americans, that, We want to make things better, and we want to make sure that everybody has a chance. What do you say to us who don't know what to do, don't know what to say, and won't kiss the hand or kiss the ring of Marxist socialists?

I say have faith, have confidence, we've overcome worse. And actually, I'm tremendously optimistic. even though those in the mainstream media and some elements or most elements of what calls itself black leadership have a particular perspective. The overwhelming majority of blacks, whites, Hispanics, Asian Americans, we get along. We just want to go about our lives, make a living for our families, get our children to go to school or to trade school or get a good job. That's what most of us want.

And the fact of the matter is, in terms of a multi- racial, multi-ethnic, even multilingual republic that we're in, America is not a country. It's a miracle. I mean, you've had the pleasure. I've had the honor and privilege of traveling around the world. There is nothing like America. And the degree to which white Americans have changed and evolved and grown since the battle days of America.

And I think it is because of our Constitution. It is because of a Judeo-Christian traditions. The right track. You know, let's go to the Nadia, Plessy versus Fagian, and made it legal throughout the land. Well, there was one descent. The grandfather, the spiritual grandfather of Dr. Martin Luther King's statement content of character. And in that decision, one dissenter, and that dissenter was slavery, a southerner that changed and watches to read. The dissent, he acts premises.

I believe the white man is superior. Tutian is a colorblind document. It is a document that says that when it comes before the law, the highest of the high is equal from now will be looked at historians as one of the great things in our history. And that concept and that vision is what Dr. Martin Luther King inherited and said from the Lincoln Memorial when he said, we should be judged on the content of our character,

not the color of our skin. And that concept and that vision is what should give Americans optimism and give us whole sense that we're dealing with. Talking to the National Chairman Congress of Racial Equality Nigerianis. Niger, one last thought. Are we going to see a group of people led by a brave individual, use the tactics that Martin Luther King used because they're violent.

Martin Luther King was peaceful. Are we going to see somebody rise up that will teach people how to link arms and walk through the jaws of hell and take a beating if that's what it means? Because the American people need to see, as Martin Luther King said, when the American people are shown,

good versus evil, side by side, they will always go with good. Absolutely, and I think it's not going to be one. I think it's going to be several of us. I don't think it's going to be limited to one race. I think it's going to be a multiracial coalition that represents the true majority of Americans that love our country, that love our Constitution, that have a very happy that we have the Judeo Christian tradition that we have and we rest upon that, regardless of what your faith

may be. It is that tradition that protects us, that tradition, the Ten Commandments, which are universal in terms of morality. That's what undergods us. That's what gives us the foundation that we will use. Niger, when you find that group or when that group starts, I would be honored to march next or behind anyone that actually believes the things that Martin Luther King did and march with you right through the jaws of hell. Please consider me an ally on that. Absolutely, Glenn.

You're a good friend, a good ally, and you've done a great, great deal to educate the American people in ways that, unfortunately, many of our public schools don't do anymore. Yeah. Thank you so much. Really appreciate. Niger Innes. This is the best of the Glenn Beck program. You want to talk about...

uh, Anne Frank and anti-Semitism and the fear that Jews had, uh, back in the 30s, you can point pretty much to de Blasio and New York.

I mean, when there is a story that I read last night. Oh, you know about the park, right? That they, they chain the park up. And while everybody is looting Macy's,

the, Blasio is making an example. out of this Jewish community that are letting their kids play in the park, so he locks it up. De Blasio has targeted them for funerals and everything else,

and he's always targeting these religious communities. Well, on 10-10, was it 10-10 wins or, I think it was 10-10 wins. The two hosts in the morning got a tip from a neighbor of some Jews. that notice the Jews were going to school, and it's dangerous.

And Tenten Wins has led this investigation when riots are happening on the streets, when people are going out in parades in the streets, this small little Orthodox Jewish school is open and being spied on by the neighbors. When we do know one thing about COVID, the least likely to have any kind of harm are kids. Our kids are safe. But no, no. And I said to myself last night, I cannot believe that they are, this group is, they are so under the gun by de Blasio and the state of New York. and they're always singled out.

And with all the other stuff that's going on with religious liberty, I can't believe there's not a lawsuit. Well, there is a lawsuit. And we have one of the guys, he's special counsel for the Thomas Moore Society. His name is Christopher Ferrara. Hi, Christopher. How are you? Hi, Glenn.

Thanks for having me on. I appreciate the opportunity. Sure. You bet. Now, you are a Catholic society. and you have joined with this Orthodox community. They and a couple of rabbis and a couple of priests, if I'm not mistaken, and you're suing New York.

Tell me about it. That's right. We're suing on behalf of a couple of Catholic priests in New York's North Country, which is up by the Canadian border, and several practitioners of the Orthodox Jewish religion in Brooklyn, which is down south. And the south were in phase one moving into phase. of this Kakamami reopening

plan which has done nothing but destroyed jobs. And in the northern section which is in phase three we have somewhat looser restrictions on gatherings but nevertheless religious gatherings in the state of New York is subject to peculiar restrictions.

So indoors right now they're limited to 25% of capacity the only such limitation in all of the capacity limitations in this plant. Various offices and other businesses are rather at 50% capacity indoors or 100% capacity indoors, including homeless shelters, for example.

So we're arguing in federal court that there's a discriminatory application of these guidelines that impacts religion adversely. And now with the George Floyd demonstrations, thousands of people thronging the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge, Mayor de Blasio participating in a huge rally at Cabin Plaza, We're arguing that those demonstrations, quite simply, exposed the whole regulatory regime as a total sham. It's all theater. Because there's nothing worse in terms of a super spreading event than thousands of people standing shoulder to shoulder, screaming and yelling.

And that's what they're permitting. And when they're asked about it, Blasio and Cuomo both essentially say, and we have quotes from transcripts that, well, this is such an important movement, you see. this is the protest and injustice, and so we have to allow it. And you know what? Fine. That's the First Amendment protected activity. The argument we're making now is, yeah, the argument we're making now, though, is

yes, fine, let them protest. But don't pretend that you're enforcing a generally applicable and neutral law at this point because you're not. You're creating massive exceptions for the protest activities you favor, and you're discriminating against, in particular the Jewish group, in Brooklyn. So at this very moment, while they're allowing mass demonstrations in the lower, in the lower part of the state in Manhattan, they're chasing Jewish children out of parks in their chain lines in parks.

So, Christopher, why do you think, of 30 or 40? Why do you think this is happening? Why do you, do you think that it is anti-religion, anti-Semitism? Or do they not even believe what the the stuff that they've been shoveling for a while. Why is this happening like this? You know, we don't even have to get to the question of whether they harbor any specific animus toward religion. What we do have to show is what is quite obvious now at this point, that they're favoring secular activities over religious activities for whatever reason.

So they make value judgments in favor of protests, and they make value judgments in favor of certain businesses and other activities. and they don't make the same value judgments in favor of religion. Well, that means that the scheme of regulations is neither generally applicable nor neutral. Now, what does that mean legally? It means that if you have a system of exemptions and prohibitions, and the impact is on religion, you have to have a compelling state interest for that, and the regulations have to be narrowly tailored so that you don't harm religion any more than is absolutely necessary.

Well, there's no narrowed tailoring. It's an hour 10. Right. If they would have come out and said, hey, we understand your First Amendment rights. We don't condone this. We urge you to stay inside. And they were saying consistently the same kind of stuff. But they would have had a out of a crackdown on it because that's what they've been doing to the religious community.

If they would have done that, you would have a hard case. But what they chose to do instead, how is this going to spend more than 10 minutes in court? Well, there's an obvious problem, and it's a huge problem, and they can't overcome it. Like I said a few moments ago, the fact that they granted this massive exception for tremendous demonstrations, thronging bridges and plazas, destroys the whole public health rationale for this entire cockamamie scheme of regulations, which is increasingly ridiculous, by the way, as the days go by, for example, you look at the office guidelines now for phase two. You're in an office. You have to be six feet away from all the other employees in the office.

and if any of them comes closer than six feet, you have to slap a mask on your face right away. And then when the employee gets further away than six feet, you take the mask off, mask off. How are you supposed to operate an office like that? It's just a contraption of bureaucratic contrivances that's dreamt up in some office somewhere. So you're right about that point.

If they had said, well, we'll just tolerate this because we can't do anything about it, but you really should stay home. That will be one thing. But they're still defending it. It's just in itself that there are these mass demonstrations. Just a couple of days ago, June 16th, the mayor was asked point blank, how do you justify allowing these massive protests when you don't let people gather outside bars?

And you know what he said? I'll quote it for you. I understand when people ask that. And I think we just have to keep it in perspective. We're seeing a social movement growing before our very eyes that's addressing 400 years of oppressive reality in this country, et cetera, et cetera. So in other words, this is such an important movement. government. Well, we just have to allow, but you can't congregate outside of a bar with 10 or 20 people. So we'll allow 50,000 to March, but none of these block parties, please, because we have to enforce social distancing.

So that's why I say the whole thing is being exposed as a sham when it was put to the test of neutrality with a protest movement. It collapsed. And now we see what it really is, just a bunch of value judgments, masquerading as a public health. regiment to meet with an emergency. And it's not that at all. So what is the goal of the lawsuit? I mean, what is the, what is the, I think, best thing that we could expect coming out of this? What would it change? Well, let's talk about the outdoors first. In New Jersey, Governor Murphy did the same thing. He led these protests. He praised these protests. He said they're so important. We just have to allow them. But when the public outcry came, he at least had the honesty with Executive Order 152 to say that,

okay, all outdoor gatherings are now conducted without limitation if they are for a religious or a political purpose. So he said basically, oh, what was I thinking? Yes, everybody has First Amendment rights to demonstrate outdoors or engage in religion outdoors. So we're saying in the New York suit, the governor of New York and the mayor of New York City should have the intellectual honesty to do the same thing. So there should no longer be any restriction whatsoever on any kind of outdoor gathering. It just isn't justified. There haven't been any spikes that we know of following these massive demonstrations. And so where is the scientific or public health rationale?

It's gone. So zero limitation outdoors. What about indoors? Well, we're arguing that if you can let homeless shelters, operate at 100% capacity, and they're filled with the older, more vulnerable populations who are sleeping overnight in the shelters or in the drop-in shelters, they're staying there all day long in close quarters, then how can you say that a synagogue or a church should be eliminated to 25% capacity?

It doesn't make any sense. So we're arguing that the indoor restrictions should be eliminated, and we should be treated the same as the most favored businesses, under this scheme. For example, supermarkets, bagel shops. How's this for irony? There's a bagel shop across the street from one of the synagogues in Brooklyn. Bagel shop is packed with people. You go across the street to the synagogue. It was 10 people only before, and now they say 25% capacity, which by the way is with many of these small synagogues, that's the same thing, because they only hold about 40 people. So we're asking for a parity of treatment. Treat religion

the same as the favorite businesses indoors, drop all the outdoor gathering limitations because they've basically already done that. So there's no justification for picking and choosing which groups of people get to congregate outdoors. Christopher Ferraro. Thank you so much. He's with the Thomas Moore Society

and fighting for your religious freedoms, at least in New York. And may there be a thousand of these that are brought around the country. Christopher, thank you so much. You're welcome.