Today in the House, several members went to the well speaking against an op-ed written by Georgia Baptist Convention lobbyist Mike Griffin. In the op-ed, Griffin compared the House and Speaker Ralston’s inaction on Religious Liberty bills to Hitler’s policy towards the separation of church and state. Jon wrote about the Representatives speaking against Griffin earlier, but Griffin responded since the initial post.
My statement in question today was simply a warning of the historical dangers of the church not standing up for Religious Liberty.
— Michael R. Griffin (@mikegriffinsr) March 10, 2016
Two points about Mike Griffin’s response: First, if you’re invoking Hitler, you’re losing the battle. Second, Hitler isn’t remembered for his extreme separation of church and state policy, but rather the horrific genocide of Jews. The anger and disappointment on display in the House chamber this morning was shared by many people on Twitter. Search “#gapol” to see a plethora of responses to Griffin’s tweet.
One response in particular caught my eye. Robbie Medwed, a LGBT+ activist in Atlanta, has an interesting perspective on the situation. In my opinion, he condensed the gravity of the situation into a few tweets.
.@mikegriffinsr Maybe tell my grandmother, who was in Bergen-Belsen, that her experience was just like bakers and florists today? #gapol
— Robbie Medwed (@rjmedwed) March 10, 2016
.@mikegriffinsr tell my dead relatives that not being allowed to discriminate against gay people is JUST LIKE the gas chambers. #gapol
— Robbie Medwed (@rjmedwed) March 10, 2016
If you claim to be a political strategist or government professional, rule number one is: Don’t invoke Hitler unless you’re dealing with genocide. It’s that simple. Mike Griffin should apologize to the House, Speaker Ralston, and the Southern Baptists (like myself) he represents at the Capitol.