| Shooting at Family Research Council DC Headquarters: An Act Of Terrorism? |
| Aug-17-2012 |
| Keywords: Southern Poverty Law Center, family research council, tony perkins, terrorism, shooting |
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins believes the shooting at the conservative Christian organization's Washington, D.C., headquarters was an act of terrorism. He's also accusing the Southern Poverty Law Center of fostering the climate that allowed the crime to occur.
"Terrorism is designed to intimidate and to drive people back and make them feel fearful. Well, that I believe would describe what they tried to do here yesterday at the Family Research Council and by extension to traditional value supporters, Christians across the nation," Perkins told Fox New's Megyn Kelly. "But I want to tell you it's not going to work. We're not going anywhere. We're more committed today than we were yesterday to defending and advancing faith, family and freedom here in our nation's capital."
The gunman suspected of shooting the guard and shouting a political statement was charged with assault with intent to kill on Thursday, according to reports. Floyd Lee Corkins II, 28, of Virginia told the building manager, Leo Johnson, "I don't like your politics," and then shot him in the arm on Wednesday morning.
"Corkins was responsible for the wounding of one our colleagues and one of my friends yesterday here at the Family Research Council, but I believe he was given a license by a group such as the Southern Poverty Law Center, who, as you pointed out earlier, labeled us a hate group because we defend the family and we stand for traditional, orthodox Christianity," Perkins added.
The FRC head noted that while he holds Corkins solely responsible for the shooting, he believes the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) must also be held accountable for its "reckless" labeling of the FRC as a hate group.
In 2010, the SPLC listed the FRC as a "hate group" and called the organization a "font of anti-gay propaganda throughout its history."
And in response to Perkins' comments on Thursday, the SPLC said that the FRC head's "accusation is outrageous."
"Perkins and his allies, seeing an opportunity to score points, are using the attack on their offices to pose a false equivalency between the SPLC's criticisms of the FRC and the FRC's criticisms of LGBT people. The FRC routinely pushes out demonizing claims that gay people are child molesters and worse - claims that are provably false. It should stop the demonization and affirm the dignity of all people,"
Perkins told Fox News he believes certain people such as Corkins could be inspired by the "hate group" label bestowed by the SPLC. |
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Posted by Lou Dobbs Staff at 5:00 PM Email to a friend |
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