Independent line. North carolina. Independent line. Caller thank you for taking my call and thank you so much, cspan. You guys are amazing. Im glad it went back to free speech pertaining to college campuses. Its interesting that we talk about there should be freedom of speech and all this stuff. The country allows people to say whatever they want. But the idea that you necessarily get a platform i dont think is the same thing. So milo from what i have seen of his videos, he, yes, is a gay conservative, but on top of that, a lot of the stuff he talks about has this undercurrent of really white nationalism. And a lot of times from what i have heard, hell talk it will come off very antiislam. He comes off answer transpeople. Its one of those things that people get frustrated and they get angered by his speech. And just like he can say whatever he wants, that doesnt mean if im going to a particular college or school, he has the right to a platform there. People are very quick to say, oh, we dont want people getting in the middle of the road and causing problems. All the progress in this country has always started from the ground up. Congresspeople dont just sit around and say, lets give rights to blacks. Lets give rights to women. It always starts with people on the street making change happen. So its like the idea that people are saying, oh, no. We always all these college kids doing whatever they want to do. They should just follow the rules, it doesnt work that way. Our country we have the right to be heard. Im not ok with someone preaching about nationalism, reaching about antiislam. Antiimmigrant. If someone tries to bring that around, me and the other people in my community are going to be vocal about stopping it. Host ok. Asheville, north carolina. We heard one perspective on the potential repeal of the Johnson Amendment. Well hear from another one. Jordan sekulow joining us via skype serves as the executive director. Good morning. Make the case that this Johnson Amendment needs to be repealed. Guest the pastors and other leaders of 501c3s not just churches but other religious and charitable organizations should be able to speak out, especially when they are being asked by their parishioners. This is the interesting point. Its not the term churches or other 501c3s into political organizations, in fact, if they became those they would be subject to thats why i saw your last guest from the american humanist association, they would be subject to other regulations, including the s. E. C. Were talking about speech. That was what was banned here in 1954 was any speech in support of or in opposition of a candidate. And we go to our pastors, we go to our leaders, for so many different issues of guidance. When it comes to an election were not always talking about president ial etext, could be local election, state election, Congressional Election if the pastor feels like his church is asking for that information, he should feel comfortable and able to under the law to speak about it. I dont believe this parade of horribles that all churches are going to become so basically political organizations, moving money for that this is about speech. And ultimately, ultimately i think a lot of churches will decide not to engage that often, but occasionally when its necessary. I point to an important time in our history, during black history month, the Civil Rights Movement where black churches really led a lot of the political discussion involving the Civil Rights Movement. We dont want this kind of restriction now or in the future. I dont think people need to worry p about it. We all choose whether we go to a church or not and which church. If you dont like the view being expressed, there are plenty of other places to go. I dont think thats an issue, either. Host how much can a pastor currently say . I ask the question dont pastors already sharply speak out on these issues already even under the Johnson Amendment itself . Guest its different for each how each pastor has interpreted the way they are comfortable doing t some dont speak out because they are afraid of losing their tax exempt status. Others will do it in an independent capacity. They will not speak about candidates inside the church as the pastor, they can do it as independently outside of the church where people, again, they attend the church, would have to search for the information, looking for it, but if they are asked, many are concerned about answering that question. On some of the issue advocacy, that also can be complicated because they could be interpreted, if you are proa certain issue then you are against someone who is not. That is why just needs to be cleared up. Will i tell you as a 501c3 organization executive director, were a religious charitable organization, provide free legal services. We have a radio broadcast. Some of those shows are on nonprofit christian channels. If someone calls in and just wants my advice, just, jordan, who are you going to be voting for . I cant say it right now. I cant say. I can go somewhere else and do it, but i cant say it there. Thats because of this arbitrary Johnson Amendment which legislatively doesnt have a great history. It was lyndon johnson, senator at the time, wanted to silence churches in texas who opposed some of his issues during one of his election campaigns. Host do you think congress, the current congress, has an interesting in following along with the president s lead as far as this repeal . Guest there is a lot of support in this in the conservative community to allow churches to be able to have this freedom of speech. And i dont i get the idea. I think it crosses party lines, by the way. Sometimes republicans and democrats like the fact that these churches have this restriction. Dont think its just a liberal issue because there are plenty of churches that have a more liberal position on things and other religious institutions do as well who could speak out more freely if this restriction was lifted. Remember, this tax exempt status is given to labor unions. They are able to speak out. 501c4s can speak out, social welfare organizations. Ultimately i do believe in congress we have the votes, it is something again, President Trump has made a priority. Hes continued to speak about t so long as he continues that, do i believe congress will act. Host we asked the previous guest about advocacy they are doing on this issue. Is your Organization Currently involved . Who are the people you are talking to . Guest sure. Weve got we support, long time supported repeal of the Johnson Amendment. This is nothing new for the American Center for law and justice. We now have a president and congress that we believe is willing to do it. We have been educating people online at acla. Org, our website. When there is specific legislation that is actually introduced, we will start an Advocacy Campaign supporting that legislation. We want to see the language. And what will be important, pedro, is not just repealing the Johnson Amendment. But what will come from that is also a rule making process. Still issue will gines still issue gines so that churches and other 501c3s are clear about not becoming a Political Action committee, which would, again, require you to file differently. Under the tax code. Potentially be subject to different regulations and different kinds of review. That is why i think that the groups opposing this are just making a lot out of nothing. And truthfully, this doesnt force your pastor or church to engage in politics t gives them the option to speak on it. Your pastor and church when they feel like that is the right thing to do or if they are being asked by their parishioners to do so. Jordan sekulow, joining us to talk about this issue involving the Johnson Amendment. Thanks for your time this morning. Guest thank you, pedro. Host next, well hear from charles, new orleans, louisiana, democrats line. Go ahead, charles. Thanks for waiting. Caller thank you. Good morning. I have been watching television for a while. Cspan in particular. The topic is very important, especially in this day and time. Whether you are republican or democrat. Im just seeing people being pitted against each other based on their fears, their beliefs, their ignorance. At the end of the day how would this be facilitated . Not being doom and gloom here, how would it be facilitated by the government if we ever get to the point where no one has free speech anymore or the right to protect themselves . The righttosocialate with who they choose to. People calling in that list themselves as Everything Else before their own humanity. Any social construct theyll fight and die for that before they stand up for another human being u black, white, christian, is he gay . These things are important to us because we were born into this, subjected to it. But when you get to step away from television and step away from all the noise, whether you believe that donald trump is coming to save your live or hillary, all these people work in tandem together. All of them. No matter who you believe is going to make things better for you in your life, you have to look at yourself in the mirror antipeople closest in the mirrors to you and your own personal tribe and get yourself together. They are getting out of hand. The government has been out of hand. They are showing their teeth more and more. Give us something to fight over to see how well react. And theyll give us a solution they already preplanned. How would you get us to a point to where we dont stand as a human race . Were going to wake up one day and not have any rights and the government will still be the government. Telling people what to do. What to believe. Wake up. Host next to thomas, glen bernie, maryland. Democrats line. Caller pedro, how you doing . Im concerned with Political Correctness and how that limits free speech. Particularly for a white person. I can be called a white boy, im an adult male. If i use the n word to refer to a black, im a horrible, horrible person. The blacks can march all over the place and do protest as much as they want. The tea parties, if they march, they are racist. Malcolm x is ok, whatever he says, his hateful speech about white people, but trump is a racist. You got tim tebow, a football player, who had a very good year with the Denver Broncos one year, he cant even get a backup job in the nfl because hes a politically conservative white man. White people need to staun and show some pride in their race. And white parents need to start educating their children to all the great things that white people have done in this contry. Host thats thomas in glen bernie. A couple of tweets this morning. Tom keller, in response to discussions about the Johnson Amendment we have been having this morning. He says, the solution is simply to have churches pay taxes. This is maverick who writes tax exim status goes tour in my opinion. Like the nfl, some of these megachurches, he adds as far as examples. Again we have been having some discussion about the Johnson Amendment if you want to be find out other things that have been said or discussed on this network, go to our website at cspan. Org for more information. Can you also remember the president paying a visit to the National American museum for africanamerican history and culture. The president also expected to report in the papers the next phase of immigration executive orders expected this week as well. A lot of things happening. Stay close to the website. Including the selection of the new National Security advisor. Find out all that information on our website. Well go to randy, williamsburg, virginia. Republican line. Hello. Caller good morning. Thank you, cspan. I really like those comments from the gentleman in louisiana. I want to talk about a personal experience. I own a Small Business that works in secondary and elementary schools. I had to sign a contract with the School Division that was had hired me through a fund that was provided by a local not for profit. In the contract it stated that i could not speak negatively about the balance of the program that was outside of the work that i was doing there. So more or less they were any shortcomings or anything that i saw that i thought should be brought to the attention of the school board was written into the contract that i could not talk publicly, discrediting a very expensive schoolbased health program. That same county, james city county, told me when i hung a sign on the side of my trailer that a local couple of the local School Board Members had interest in improving and reducing the cost of this program and i would park my vehicle county property. They wrote me a letter and sent the police after me a couple of times telling me that i could not have my trailer with that sign on the side of it. I told them whats the difference between a political Bumper Sticker . My sticker just happens to be a little bit bigger . Host lets go to ben, cincinnati, ohio. Independent line. Good morning, pen. Ben. Caller good morning, pedro. Im just listening the free speech. Im completely for it. When the guys were talking about the Johnson Amendment, i dont know if the religious rights taken into consideration about all the ose god making rules. This leaves it wide open for sharia law. Its kind of dangerous. Im a man in my 60s. I grew up in a time sticks and stones may break my bones, words never hurt me. Its simple. Host dubuque, iowa. High diane on the republican line. Good morning. Caller good morning. Thank you for taking my call