Arrest Pat Robertson for Domestic Terrorism

We, the American People, expect nothing less than a United States of America that is secure from terrorism, both foreign and domestic, and a legal system that provides justice regardless of race, religion, nationality, or political ideology, among others. These fundamental American rights of security and equality are the basis for our demand: the arrest of televangelist Pat Robertson on the grounds of domestic terrorism, as defined in the U.S. PATRIOT Act, section 802.

Marion Gordon Pat Robertson is the host of the long-running CBN [Christian Broadcasting Network] program The 700 Club, as well as the founder of the Christian Coalition. Despite at least two terrorist remarks in 2003, Mr. Robertson a Christian with strong ties to President Bush and former Attorney General John Ashcroft has yet to be charged for any wrongdoing. He remains free while other Arab-Americans sit prisoner in Guantanamo Bay without trial. It has been widely speculated that the many of these prisoners have done nothing worse than that of Mr. Robertson.

In a June 2003 interview on The 700 Club, Pat Robertson said the following:

"Maybe we need a very small nuke thrown off on Foggy Bottom to shake things up..."

Foggy Bottom is the nickname of the U.S. State Department's headquarters in Washington DC.

In October 2003, Mr. Robertson gave the same idea to approximately one million of his faithful viewers. In an interview with author Joel Mowbray (whom he also spoke with in the aforementioned June interview), Robertson said the following:

"I read your book. When you get through, you say, 'If I could just get a nuclear device inside Foggy Bottom, I think that's the answer,' and you say, 'We've got to blow that thing up.'"

While the author did agree that things need to change in the State Department, he has never once stated that it should be "blown up, as Mr. Robertson so clearly declared.

Perhaps these statements by Mr. Robertson were simply a very poor choice of words; or, perhaps it was a conscious act of subversion. The fact remains that he used those words in a context of violence, and on two separate occasions, and he did so in front of hundreds of thousands of his viewers. Considering that Pat Robertson was the leader of the "Christian Coalition", a group thought by many to be extremist, his ideas of bombing the State Department may certainly be heeded by one or more of his most overzealous followers. This is indeed frightening.

Under the USA PATRIOT Act, Mr. Robertson should be considered a domestic terrorist. His actions have clearly shown his contention that the U.S. State Department should be destroyed if not by himself, then by someone else. His presence on television attracts one million viewers regularly. Pat Robertson is very dangerous to the security of the United States of America. For our safety, we demand that immediate action be taken against this individual.