The Patriot Post® · Football's Firing the Kickoff to Controversy
Sportscaster Craig James is used to being on the sidelines for games. But he’s not going to stay there when it comes to his First Amendment rights. For the first time since his shocking ouster at Fox Sports, the former NFL standout spoke publicly about the story everyone should be talking about. In an exclusive with Breitbart News, the former broadcaster couldn’t believe that his views on marriage – which he never once expressed on air – would disqualify him from breaking down football plays – or any other job.
“I was shocked that my personal religious beliefs were not only the reason for Fox Sports firing me, but I was completely floored when I read stories quoting Fox Sports representatives essentially saying that people of faith are banned from working at Fox Sports.” James went on, “I have worked in broadcasting for 24 years and have always treated my colleagues with respect and dignity regardless of their background or personal beliefs. I believe it is essential in our business to maintain professional relationships with people from a diverse background and have tolerance for those of different beliefs. I have never discussed my faith while broadcasting, and it has never been an issue until now.”
After a single day on the job, James was called into management’s office and sacked. “The reason, said [Fox Sports Southwest’s Jon] Heidtke, was that somebody higher up in the chain of command had been made aware of James’s comments during his unsuccessful 2012 Senate run about gay marriage” – comments that happened to be echoed by the voters of Texas and the majority of Americans!
What Fox Sports did is much worse than censorship. What Fox Sports is doing is demanding conformity on issues that aren’t even relevant to James’s job – then threatening his livelihood when he refuses. That’s not your garden variety viewpoint discrimination; it’s ideological terrorism. And it has to stop.
Fortunately, our friends at Liberty Institute are already taking steps to ensure that it does. Attorneys representing Craig James have fired off a letter to the network outlining the potential religious harassment lawsuit that awaits if Fox Sports doesn’t reinstate the popular football commentator. “Craig James believes that he, as a Christian, is called to love everyone regardless of their sexual orientation. [He] simply wants to receive the same tolerance for his religious beliefs that he himself practices toward others.”
We’ll see if Fox agrees.
Senate Deals with the Elephants in the Room…
Before yesterday’s Senate policy lunch, leaders already had a lot on their plate. One hundred forty-four hours away from an overhyped government shutdown, Republicans broke bread in hopes of breaking through a deal on ObamaCare. For now, the clock is ticking on the Senate, which is now considering the House’s continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government and defund the President’s health care law.
While Senate conservatives are taking their stand, the GOP establishment is having difficulty managing the situation. Why? Because the political landscape of America has changed. The grassroots are not only enraged but engaged. I’ve heard from Senate offices yesterday and today that their phones are being overwhelmed with calls. The average American family is tired of hearing about the art of making deals (which has led to $17 trillion in debt); a demoralized military that’s become the President’s battlefield for the deconstruction of America’s moral foundation; and an embarrassing standing in the international community that’s not only put Russia’s president at the head of the class of world leaders, but made our nation vulnerable; and more.
Yes, President Obama and his allies are to blame for leading America down this path, but the Republican establishment has served as enablers in America’s slow descent. This is a tipping point in the history of our nation. More voters than ever – 53% – oppose ObamaCare (41% of them very strongly). Like us, they know that the President’s law is a freedom-crushing, abortion-funding, debt-inducing, job-killing disaster. If the Senate fails to act, our country is just six days away from open enrollment in a policy that could be the nation’s downfall.
It’s time for true leadership that can rescue America from the brink. I stand with Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and a host of conservative leaders in the House who forced the reluctant GOP leadership to do what they’ve been talking about for four years: stop President Obama from plunging America into socialism.
This is a publication of the Family Research Council. Mr. Perkins is president of FRC.