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Louisiana anti-vaccine pastor explains why he preaches COVID-19 is a lie: 'I'm not a politician I'm a profit'
April 18, 2021
For America to reach "herd immunity" from the COVID-19 crisis 70 percent of Americans must be vaccinated. While many Americans are fighting to get their shot, conspiracy theorists are pushing anti-vaccine lies. One, is Louisiana Pastor Tony Spell, ironically of the Life Tabernacle Church.
The pastor isn't alone, the largest group of anti-vaccine people are far-right, white, evangelical Christians, which accounts for one-fourth of the United States. It's all being driven by distrust in the government, perpetuated by former President Donald Trump, who was vaccinated in January before leaving office.
"If anti-mask and anti-vaccine is anti-government then I guess I'm proud to be anti-government," said Spell as his church crowd cheered and danced. "Hallelujah, Jesus. You do not give me my rights, sir."
Speaking to former Vice-turned-CNN reporter Elle Reeve, Spell said that he would rather die free "than I had live on my knees (sic)."
"How is it living in your knees to take the vaccine," asked Reeve.
"Because you're vowing against your convictions," Spell said.
For others, whose convictions don't align with Spell, taking the vaccine is also a choice, but one they're gladly accepting. With Spell, it isn't an anti-doctor philosophy, it's merely an anti-vaccine policy.
"If you break your arm or something, would you go to the doctor?" asked Reeve.
"Sure I'd go to the doctor and get it set and wear a cast," the pastor said.
"At some level, you trust some doctors," Reeve said.
"Yes, we do," Spell said, speaking of himself in the third person. When Reeve asked where the line was, Spell said that the virus has been "a scam" since the beginning. Ironically, his parents both purported to have the virus and his grandfather confessed to getting the vaccine. Spell said he opposes it.
"There is a tendency within white Christian nationalism to want to believe these kinds of conspiracies," explained University of Oklahoma sociologist Samuel Perry."It reinforces us versus them. The problem is, the people who are feeding that fear have an incentive to keep stoking that fear because people keep clicking and people keep listening."
"Is the appeal of your sermon that the pandemic is scary, the virus is scary, and so you're telling scared people, you don't have to worry about any of that stuff, like come to my church and God will make sure you don't get this virus?" asked Reeve.
"Why are you giving them false hope?" she asked.
"That's not false hope," the pastor claimed. "What's false is our lying politicians."
If someone at Pastor Spell's church gets COVID-19 or dies of COVID-19, it's unclear if that person could sue him. It could become a key problem for Christian Nationalist pastors in the coming months.
See the rest of the interview below:
Christian NAtionalist pastor spreads vaccine lies www.youtube.com
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Texas GOPer trashed for 'appalling' tweet as cops responded to multiple shooting deaths in Austin
April 18, 2021
A Republican lawmaker from Texas was the recipient of a furious response on Twitter Sunday after he used the first reports of a shooting in Austin to promote a bill in the legislature that would make it easier for anyone to carry a gun.
State Rep. Jared L. Patterson (R) took to Twitter and first promoted House Bill 1927 that would allow handguns to be carried without a permit before extending his sympathy to the victims of America's latest gun-relatedmultiple homicide.
According to Patterson, "Evil exists in this world. HB 1927 gives law-abiding citizens the ability to fight back, to protect themselves and their families w/out being restricted by the govt. God bless and comfort those killed and affected by the shooting in Austin today. It's time for us to fight back."
Patterson's comments before police had even released details of the shooting that resulted in at least three dead, set off a flurry of criticism as you can see below:
@JaredLPatterson Fight back? I just want to LIVE. I shouldn’t have to fight back. You’re part of the evil that exists in this world.— Myndi Luevanos (@Myndi Luevanos)1618768826.0
@JaredLPatterson Texans don’t want to live like this. https://t.co/uutu4XETKT— Liz Hanks, J.D. (@Liz Hanks, J.D.)1618768056.0
@JaredLPatterson Your response is appalling, uncaring and frankly, an insult to the thousands of #Texans who've los… https://t.co/STuISuqbQE— Brody Andrew Mulligan (@Brody Andrew Mulligan)1618769838.0
@JaredLPatterson 40 yr GOP voter here: the good guys aren't winning this epidemic & we aren't going forward in tryi… https://t.co/p7BeQZpfl3— Brendajurgens 🛹🛹 (@Brendajurgens 🛹🛹)1618771699.0
@JaredLPatterson ‘Christ follower’. “Shoot them all and let Dad sort them out!” Jesus H. Christ Is that how you see it?— robert (@robert)1618769593.0
@moderatemama @JaredLPatterson @MomsDemand More guns, fewer restrictions, MORE DEATH. You tried it, it doesn’t work.— Liz Hanks, J.D. (@Liz Hanks, J.D.)1618768338.0
@clubJAGZ @JaredLPatterson He's a willfully ignorant Christian. There is no way to penetrate that dense stupidity.— Lee Allman (@Lee Allman)1618771885.0
@JaredLPatterson Protect you from what, exactly? Seems the only thing Texans need is protection from politicians like you.— Renee (@Renee)1618769546.0
@JaredLPatterson “Hello I’m Rep. Patterson. Even though I’m Christian and pro-life my God given right to own a gun… https://t.co/lqqycc703n— Who am I? (@Who am I?)1618770405.0
@JaredLPatterson I ALWAYS think of the rights of the freshly dead when the NRA and their sheep demand their ‘right’… https://t.co/zoZGxhGWxm— BVau (@BVau)1618772189.0
@JaredLPatterson You want to turn Texas into the OK Corral. A society ruled by laws doesn't work like that— Txmombee (@Txmombee)1618768823.0
@JaredLPatterson Texas has the most guns per capita in the US with already lax laws and we have very high gun homic… https://t.co/DHkdWas0rR— Evan Brot (@Evan Brot)1618769925.0
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WATCH: Florida Ferris wheel operator gets a beating from crowd after he physically attacks Black mom
April 18, 2021
A Ferris wheel operator in Florida was caught on video attacking a Black mother before being taken down by a crowd of onlookers.
The incident was said to have occurred Saturday night at the Opa Locka Hialeah Flea Market Carnival in Miami-Dade County.
Video shared on social media shows the mother scolding the operator as she exits the ride. The man can be seen putting his hands on the woman, pushing her back and appearing to choke her. Meanwhile, one of the woman's two children are thrust onto the hard floor of the ride.
Within seconds, a man and a second woman jump through the ride's gates to defend the mother. The ride operator is pelted with punches and kicks as more onlookers jump in to fight him.
According to people who were at the event, the ride operator had participated in another fight earlier in the evening. It was also caught on video.
Watch the video clips below.
😭 at opa locka flea 😭 fighting pic.twitter.com/nezvG1xZDt
— Miami♛ (@jusbeinqgabby) April 18, 2021
Okay, so apparently dude was just on one that night... tried to fight his coworker and everything. Look at this shit! Just before the fight happened pic.twitter.com/XFzn9s0vXl
— Your Dad's SideChick💋 (@iTw33tHoeShit) April 18, 2021
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