Category Archives: Radio Commentaries

August 17, 2018 Radio Commentary

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Churches and Politics

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, August 17, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

As long as a church is operating and functioning as an organized church body, it is automatically exempt from paying taxes to the IRS. But, in the past, many pastors and churches have assumed they could not be politically active and keep their tax-exempt status.

However, churches can conduct non-partisan voter registration, voter identification, and “get-out-the-vote” drives. Churches can provide church members with petitions and educational materials about legislation and critical issues. Churches can discuss church doctrine that applies to politics or legislation or candidates running for office.

Churches can introduce candidates and allow them to speak to the congregation, as long as all candidates for that office have the same opportunity. Churches can have candidate forums if they invite all of the candidates and they can lobby for or against specific legislation. Churches cansupport or oppose judges or cabinet officials. They can spend money on referendums and rent church member contact lists to lobbying groups that support or oppose local, state or federal legislation or constitutional amendments. Continue reading →

August 3, 2018 Radio Commentary

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Next Election Will Define Culture

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, August 3, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

During his acceptance speech as the 2018 Republican candidate for governor, Brian Kemp made this profound statement: “This election is going to be for the soul of our state. It’s going to be about our values and it is going to be literally a fight for the future of the great state of Georgia.”

Recognizing what’s happening in culture is SO necessary to understand the gravity of his statement. Notice his use of the phrases, “soul of our state,” “about our values,” and “a fight for the future.” He’s exactly right. Our culture is in peril and our cultural soul does hang in the balance.

The November election will pit liberals, ultra liberals, and radicals against conservatives and Christians whose values and way of life are being squeezed from public view. Since action on current legislation was postponed for a month in California, folks in that state still have time to defeat AB 2943 that threatens the freedom of professional counselors to advertise their services for minors who are confused about their sexual identity.

The California situation is important here because the Georgia General Assembly faced the issue in a 2016 gag order in H.B. 716, which said: “A person who is licensed to provide professional counseling under Title 43, including but not limited to psychiatrists, psychologists, professional counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, or any person who performs counseling as part of the person’s professional training for any of these professions, shall not engage in sexual orientation change efforts with a person under 18 years of age .” Continue reading →

July 27, 2018 Radio Commentary

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Did a Tweet Elect Brian Kemp?

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, July 27, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

On July 18th President Donald Trump endorsed Brian Kemp for governor with this tweet: “Brian Kemp is running for governor of the great state of Georgia. The primary is on Tuesday. Brian is tough on crime, strong on the border and illegal immigration. He loves our military and our vets and protects our Second Amendment. I give him my full and total endorsement.”

On the morning of the run-off, the president tweeted again, “Today is the day to vote for Brian Kemp. Will be great for Georgia, full endorsement!”

That’s powerful stuff, but Trump’s tweets did not elect Kemp. If the president lived in Georgia, he probably would’ve voted for Kemp, but even if he lived in Georgia, the president couldn’t elect anyone with his lone vote. Those tweets ignited the Kemp campaign, but Brian Kemp was elected by Georgians who decided voting in the run-off was too important to ignore. Although the run-off election was available as scheduled, 98 percent of registered voters didn’t bother to participate.

Only 585,515 voters decided whose name will be on the Republican ballot for governor this year. That’s astonishing, considering the fact that Georgia has 6,178,600 registered voters. But that’s not the end of the story. 28,793 fewer people voted for lieutenant governor than for governor and 22,890 fewer ballots were cast for secretary of state than for lieutenant governor. Continue reading →

July 20, 2018 Radio Commentary

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Supreme Court Okays Gerrymandering

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, July 20, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Every ten years, before and after the census, “gerrymandering” becomes part of the political conversation, because the census is used to determine district lines for Congress, the General Assembly, and the Public Service Commission. Judicial district marshals performed the first census in 1790 by visiting households and recording each person living there. Mail-out census forms were first used in 1960 and, since then, census data has been available on computer.

Since the constitution does not mandate straight district lines and the census was implemented to provide equal representation for voters, by 1812 district lines had become so erratic that the word “gerrymandering” was created to describe Massachusetts districts that were drawn to defeat the Federalist Party. Those lines were so crooked they were compared to a salamander, a mythical lizard. Gerrymandering was coined by using the Honorable Mr. Gerry’s name, the last two syllables of salamander, and adding “ing.”

In Georgia, the 2001 new district maps were not finalized until 2004. Although then-Governor Roy Barnes called two special legislative sessions to get it done, legislators did the work, but Barnes rejected the maps. One map squeezed 180 house members into 147 districts, meaning 23 of the most heavily populated house districts had two, three, or four representatives. Also, during those years, three lawsuits were filed. Continue reading →