Thursday, January 14, 2010
News Bobby. Franklin. Total. Nut. Job.
Posted by Scott Henry @ScottTheHenry on Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 10:24 PM
Ah, Bobby Franklin.
Even among his fellow Republican House members, the mere mention of the East Cobb lawmaker's name reliably elicits a smile and shake of the head, usually followed by a comment along the lines of, "Bless his heart" or "You know, he's actually a nice person."
After all, what can you really say about a guy who's bat-shit crazy — and, astoundingly enough, only seems to be getting crazier?
We thought Rep. Franklin had reached the lunatic fringe way back in aught-deuce, when he proposed a bill that called for women seeking an abortion to first obtain a "death warrant" from a Superior Court judge.
Since then, he's predictably written other loony legislation to prevent abortions and expand gun rights, but this year…oooh, boy. Let's just say ol' Bobby's gone off the rails on a crazy train.
First, he pre-filed a full dozen bills for the 2010 General Assembly. Four are standard Glenn Beck-ish measures aimed at limiting the power of the tyrannical, Obama-led federal government. One would prohibit government workers from taking photographs of private property without a search warrant. Another argues for a common-law "right" to drive a car. Two others would allow family to forgo vaccinations and pasteurized milk.
But the pick of the litter is a bill he dubs the "Life, Liberty, and Property Restoration Act," which seeks to create a committee of lawmakers — although no lawyers can take part — that would systematically repeal whole code sections of Georgia law and abolish state agencies.
Which ones, you ask? Why, the ones that usurp the role of God, of course.
I'll let Bobby explain his reasoning:
God has instituted four, not one, spheres of government.The first and primary sphere of government is individual self-government where everyone is to take personal responsibility for himself and his actions. The second sphere of government is family government where children are trained by their parents or guardians to be productive and responsible citizens. The third sphere of government is church government where there is a more public form of discipline for the unrepentant. The church is given the keys of the kingdom to help in the discipline of her members and to punish sins. The fourth, and least, sphere of government is the civil government which has been given the sword to punish those who infringe upon the life, liberty, or property of others
The bill then goes on for a while about King Saul and the Philistines before arriving at the point:
The only legitimate functions of the civil government are the ones that pertain to the punishment of those who infringe on the life, liberty, or property of others. All other functions undertaken by the civil government are usurpation and a blasphemous attempt to be God.
Earlier today, every member of the House found a letter on his or her desk that had been printed on Franklin's letterhead. It contained a quotation from R.J. Rushdoony, father of the scary, ultra right-wing Christian Reconstructionism movement:
Western liberty began when the claim of the State to be man’s savior was denied. The State then, according to Scripture, was made the ministry of justice. But, wherever Christ ceases to be man’s Savior, there liberty perishes as the State again asserts its messianic claims. Man is in trouble, and history is the record of his attempt to find salvation. Man needs a savior, and the question is simply one of choice: Christ or the State? No man can choose one without denying the other, and all attempts at compromise are a delusion.
Is Bobby hinting that he plans to resign elected office because he can no longer serve two masters. Or is this a final, desperate call for help?
(Phot by Jim Stawniak)
Comments (4)
Showing 1-4 of 4
Seriously, someone explain to me why you think this guy is crazy? You try explaining to me the theory of why and what government is... this could get really hilarious. At least he thinks about it instead of blindly accepting the status-quo.
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Andy, Do you think it's a function of government to build and maintain roads? Because, under Franklin's theory of government, it's not. Building and maintaining roads isn't restraining violations of life, liberty, or property....so I guess the church or the family should be doing it. Or maybe the individual...Andy, you mind fixing that pothole on Collier for me?
Benjy, the only thing you need to do with that pothole is to pray over it, and it'll be HEALED! Unless, of course, it's from Haiti and then nothing in the world will fix it.
Homey, needs to try getting his ideas of what government can or can't do from the State and U.S. constitutions instead of the bible. Trying to explain the relationships of local, state, and federal governments with the bible makes you look like a dumb ass. Also, if he hates the government so much - why does he draw his paycheck from it?
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