The Republican Party of Bedford County held its annual Reagan Day dinner on Thursday at the Blue Ribbon Circle.
The Rev. Jason Porter gave the invocation and benediction. Rod Stacy gave the pledge, while Anita, Bonnye and Donnye Fields sang the National Anthem and “God Bless America.” Military veterans were recognized as well.
Keynote speaker
Cathy Hinners was the guest speaker. She is a retired police officer from Albany, New York and has worked as a terrorism consultant for law enforcement. She is the founder of a blog, dailyrollcall.com.
Her topic was on the presence of Islam in America, including Tennessee, and how Islamic “front groups” seek to make Americans comfortable with the religion and create a caliphate here.
Hinners mentioned several Islamic groups, including one, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), that is seeking recognition as an official campus organization at Vanderbilt University. Her blog calls it an anti-Israel “hate group.”
A number of front groups are seeking to push legislators to vote in favor of the Islamic worldview in various bills, both in Washington, D.C., and in Nashville, Hinners said.
On April 13, the new U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) visited Congress, she said. They say they are the first national Muslim political party. American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) is part of this group. AMP helps train and support groups like SJP as well as high school Muslim Students Associations.
Legislators speak
State Rep. Pat Marsh also spoke. He mentioned local issues like efforts to create an industrial park and The Celebration and its victory earlier this year when a federal court threw out a USDA lawsuit over mandatory penalties. He also referenced road work on North Main Street and how the current “pain” will be worth the effort once the work is done.
State. Sen. Jim Tracy also mentioned the industrial park and North Main, as well as the Legislature balancing the state’s budget.
“I know it’s hard to deal with right now,” Tracy said about North Main.