Richard Wolfe: Ottawa Impact’s objective nothing less than forced religious injection – HollandSentinel.com
Richard Wolfe| Community Columnist
The Chicxulub crater in Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula was formed some 65 million years ago by the impact of an asteroid. That cataclysm was believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and countless other species.
This mass extinction event was first theorized by scientists in 1980 and confirmed in the early 1990s. Beginning in December 1995, NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory conducted the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) program, surveying the sky for near-Earth objects. No one was sure what we could have done about any adverse information NEAT might have provided but it nevertheless seemed prudent to keep an "eye on the sky."
Journalism as a study and a profession is the "program," so to speak, that surveys societies for potential calamities. Currently, Christian Nationalism is the societal asteroid many journalists are tracking. Its prudent to do so because Christian Nationalism is a cataclysm in the making.
The extinction of democracy is well within the realm of the possible.
Ottawa Impact is an analog to space dust, sucked along in the wake of the Christian Nationalism movement as it hurtles forth. Ottawa Impact is limited in scope, but its absolutely part and parcel to the larger theocratic plan.
In our Constitution, "freedom of religion" is the given shorthand for a rightbestowed by secular authority. The founding fathers as a group were not a church conceived or comprised deliberative assemblage. Mortal men conferred rights unto other men (non-male and non-whites excepted).
Not a part of the original Constitution which focused solely on secular matters relating to the organization and execution of governing the new nation that right is ensconced in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.
The relevant text reads Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. This was designed as a prohibition, forbidding prescriptive action contemplated by the secular government. It was not meant as license to presume a preference for any one religion, indeed any one belief over another, Christianity among them.
While certain invocations of "God" or "the year of Our Lord" or "creator" appear elsewhere in the text of the Constitution those references reflect only any given writers personal inclinations toward faith. They are not an endorsement of the Christian creed. In fact, among the Constitutions scribes many, including Thomas Jefferson, were Deists, holding beliefs regarding God that were not in line with Christian doctrine.
Not surprisingly, secular primacy is inconsistent with the ethos advocated by Ottawa Impact. Their self-styled "contract" is rife with Christian Nationalist undertones. Vagueness is its hallmark and ignorance of county commission authority its defining attribute.
Non-existent is any notion of or respect for those who, like Jefferson, dont adhere to Christian dogma. For parents who greatly value a public education for their children that hews to science and history, and not Christian sensitivities. Who believe biological realities, constructive criticism and broadly diverse points of view are essential to understanding the real world in which their children must live.
Parents who shun the notion that such an education is in any way "grooming" or "indoctrination."
Parents who, despite their own personal inconvenience, support public responses to a health pandemic that has, to date, killed more than a million Americans. Who greatly value preventative steps such as mask mandates that protect their children from infection, particularly those carried by other, unvaccinated children.
Parents who support the tireless, unsung (but all too often maligned) efforts of public servants who are charged with implementing and maintaining health guidelines never before envisioned. Or at least not since the Spanish Flu decimated world populations at the turn of the last century.
Take note, fellow citizens, Ottawa Impacts objective, like that of Christian Nationalism, is nothing less than the forced injection of their preferred deity into secular governance. Which, by definition, means the exclusion of all other deities.
As of the Aug. 2, 2022, election there were 230,881 registered voters in Ottawa County. In that election only one Ottawa Impact candidate for county commissioner garnered more than 5,200 votes. Primaries for midterms are marked by very low turnout.
Lets see how Christian Nationalists fare in November when many more voters are surveying the political firmament.
Community Columnist Richard Wolfe is a resident of Park Township. Contact him at wolf86681346@gmail.com.
See original here:
Richard Wolfe: Ottawa Impact's objective nothing less than forced religious injection - HollandSentinel.com
- Cancel culture is undermining the First Amendment and the press is helping | Column - Tampa Bay Times - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Charlie Kirks Death Has Created New Debates Around The First Amendment - Religion Unplugged - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- FBI Cuts Ties With Southern Poverty Law Center, Anti-Defamation League After Conservative Complaints - First Amendment Watch - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- How Unique is the First Amendment? featuring Floyd Abrams Harrington School of Communication and Media - The University of Rhode Island - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Apple and Google Block Apps That Crowdsource ICE Sightings. Some Warn of Chilling Effects - First Amendment Watch - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Iconic First Amendment Attorney To Offer Forecast 2026 Keynote - Radio & Television Business Report - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Opinion: Local journalism is too important to give up on, and the First Amendment is too important to surrender - Anchorage Daily News - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- The Trump administration is waging a systematic assault on First Amendment - The Durango Herald - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Press, protesters sue Trump administration over First Amendment violations at ICE facility in Broadview - Yahoo - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- SCOTUS To Consider Whether Conversion Therapy Bans Violate First Amendment - GO Magazine - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- California educators First Amendment rights face test in wake of Charlie Kirks killing - EdSource - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- Reagan-Appointed Judge Calls Out Trumps Full-Throated Assault on the First Amendment - Democracy Docket - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- Federal judge overturns part of Fla. book-ban law, drawing on nearly 100 years of precedent protecting First Amendment access to ideas - Middle... - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- Senators Blumenthal and Warren on First Amendment and the FCC - C-SPAN - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- A Word From Legal: Social Media, the First Amendment, and You - Maryland State Education Association - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- League of Women Voters spotlights First Amendment - Midland Daily News - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- A grave dancing teacher tests the First Amendment in San Jacinto public schools - Orange County Register - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- Clemson University being sued, claiming the school violated First Amendment - WLTX - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- First Amendment invoked in bid to demolish Holy Cross Catholic Church. Here's what historic board decided - IndyStar - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Is counseling entitled to protection under the First Amendment? - American Psychological Association (APA) - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Jane Fonda Relaunches Committee for the First Amendment With Support of 550 Celebrities Including Pedro Pascal, Viola Davis and More - Variety - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- US stars back relaunched Committee for the First Amendment - Music Ally - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Jane Fonda reboots Committee for the First Amendment: Artists must speak out before its too late - The Hill - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Nearly 80 years after McCarthyism, Jane Fonda relaunches Committee for the First Amendment: The stakes are too high - CNN - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Full-throated assault on the First Amendment: Judge rips into Trump over attempts to deport pro-Palestinian academics - CNN - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Your right to know: What the First Amendment really says about freedom of the press - The Montpelier Bridge - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Rhode Island Latino Arts vs. the Trump administration: Inside a First Amendment court battle - Rhode Island PBS - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- LETTER TO THE EDITOR: School district doesnt believe in First Amendment - Rogue Valley Times - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Judge Finds the Trump Administration Unconstitutionally Targeted Noncitizens Over Gaza War Protests - First Amendment Watch - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Jane Fonda Relaunches the Committee for the First Amendment with 550+ Signatories (Including Me) - The Ankler. - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Jane Fonda Relaunches McCarthy-Era Committee For The First Amendment With Support Of 550 Celebrities Including Barbra Streisand, Pedro Pascal, Ben... - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Committee to Protect Journalists calls on FCC chair to respect First Amendment rights, press freedom - Editor and Publisher - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Trump is targeting the First Amendment rights of all Americans - The Contrarian - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Sens. Blumenthal and Warren Hold Forum on First Amendment and FCC - C-SPAN - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- The First Amendment Applies to the Doctors Office, Too - National Review - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- Readers respond: Stand strong for First Amendment - OregonLive.com - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- The First Amendment as a racist weapon - People's World - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- Judge Rules MyPillow Guy Mike Lindell Defamed Smartmatic With False Claims on Voting Machines - First Amendment Watch - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- Someone remind Florida universities that you either have a First Amendment, or you dont - Creative Loafing Tampa - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- A Big Win for the First Amendment in Retaliatory Case Filed Against Journalist Timothy Burke - freepress.net - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- Guest Post: Your favorite college team is likely to be violating the First Amendment at its stadium - Extra Points - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- Where America stands on the First Amendment: key takeaways - Free Speech Center - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- The Trump administrations relationship with the First Amendment - 1A | Speak Freely - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- Voices of the Newsroom: Is comedy a First Amendment right? - Los Angeles Loyolan - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- New York Times columnist discusses the state of free speech and the First Amendment at WashU - studlife.com - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- Does the First Amendment Apply to Hate Speech?: News Article - Independent Institute - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- In 'Crucial Victory for the First Amendment,' Charges Against Journalist Timothy Burke Dismissed - Common Dreams - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- The First Amendment: 7 things you need to know - baldwin-bulletin.com - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- Jimmy Kimmel Thanks Trump for Record Ratings After Suspension; Julia Louis-Dreyfus Brings Host a Puppy Whos a Big Fan of the First Amendment - Variety - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- Jimmy Kimmel May Be Back. Trumps Attacks on the First Amendment Arent Over - Rolling Stone - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- How the First Amendment protects Americans speech and how it does not - The Conversation - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- First Amendment lawyer on Jimmy Kimmel, the FCC and free speech - CBS News - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Peter Strzok, the FBI agent who sent anti-Trump texts, loses First Amendment case over his firing - Politico - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- SPJ Foundation recognizes The State News of Michigan State University with $10K Pulliam First Amendment Award - Society of Professional Journalists - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- America has lost its belief in the First Amendment - Columbia Missourian - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Ball State violated First Amendment by firing employee over Charlie Kirk post | Opinion - IndyStar - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Letter: Stand up for First Amendment - The Columbian - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- First Amendment: "The Canary in the Coal Mine," by Ben Tripp - Claremont COURIER - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- First Amendment Day and the insincerity of Rep. Lisa Fink - Arizona Capitol Times - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Press Release: Rep. Laura Friedman Leads Rally in Hollywood to Defend Free Speech and First Amendment - Quiver Quantitative - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Speech: First Amendment rights are non-negotiable - News and Sentinel - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- YouTube bans were First Amendment violations, but thats not the whole story - Washington Times - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Book Review: The First Amendment: Essays on the Imperative of Intellectual Freedom, Tara Smith (with contributions by Onkar Ghate, Gregory Salieri,... - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Jessell: A First Amendment Win, And A Crossroads For Nexstar - TV News Check - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Cal Thomas: Jimmy Kimmel and the First Amendment - wng.org - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- How Jimmy Kimmel is giving us a crash course in the first amendment - JoySauce - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Professors weigh in on First Amendment boundaries - Spectrum News - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Sean 'Diddy' Combs argument filming 'freak-offs' protected by First Amendment blasted by feds - New York Daily News - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- LAffaire Kimmel and the First Amendment - American Enterprise Institute - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Why Jimmy Kimmels First Amendment rights werent violated but ABCs would be protected if it stood up to the FCC and Trump - Nieman Lab - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Judges have looked unfavorably upon Trump in First Amendment cases this year - CNN - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Balderas interviewed on First Amendment and Jimmy Kimmel - Elon University - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Did Brendan Carr Violate the First Amendment? And Can Anything Be Done? - Divided Argument | Substack - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- ACLU and Exodus Refugee Immigration claim records request from the State violates First Amendment rights - WFYI - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Metro attorney speaks on First Amendment following Kimmel's suspension - KCTV - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Its still censorship (even if it doesnt violate the First Amendment) - Cory Doctorow Medium - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- West Point is violating the First Amendment with a crackdown on professors, lawsuit says - AP News - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Comedian Jimmy Kimmels suspension from ABC television generated a national debate on the First Amendment. To what extent do you think the government... - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Letter: What's happening to First Amendment rights? - InForum - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- There is no First Amendment right to obstruct law enforcement - Washington Examiner - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]