Political-Religious Radio's King

BRYAN FISCHER: The preacher who desires to be king of politicaly-loaded Ultra Conservative Christian radio rides again.

In January 2011, Newsweek Magazine called Bryan Fischer "the media's new poster boy for right-wing extremism." On his radio talk show he has had a stream of notable conservative guests: Mike Huckabee, Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachmann, Haley Barbour and Newt Gingrich.

The Stanford University and Dallas Seminary graduate began to gain fame finding ways to denigrate the lesbian-gay-bi-sexual-transvestite (LGBT) community. He admired the Holocaust revisionist writings of Scott Lively. Lively’s infamous claim to fame is that Hitler and his whole Nazi Party were gay.

Because of the “savage nature” of gay men, Lively says the Nazis were able to carry out the Holocaust. (It should be noted: Lively's work has been roundly and fully discredited by reputable historians, but facts never seem to bother Fischer.)

Just a tad of research reveals how utterly out of touch with the real world preacher Fischer really is. An example of his absurd thinking: In a November 2010 blog post at the American Family Association site, Fischer groused that the Medal of Honor, like American culture in general, was being "feminized" because it was awarded to soldiers who saved their comrades rather than soldiers who "killed people." Fischer demanded to know when it would be awarded again to "soldiers who kill people and break things so our families can sleep safely at night."

If that does not make you want to throw-up Rick Santorium-style read on. Fischer called for "open season" on grizzly bears because two people were killed by bears in 2010 and "God makes it clear in Scripture that deaths of people and livestock at the hands of savage beasts is a sign that the land is under a curse." (Fischer has a neat sense of humor or he was absent from seminary on biblical interpretation day.)

At the end of Fischer’s two-hour call-in show on American Family Radio there is always a disclaimer that “the opinions expressed are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Family Association or American Family Radio." The disclaimer now follows all AFR programs. Cuts down on possibility of being sued.

He argues that Muslims should be banned from serving in the U.S. military. He is actively waging a culture war and any publicity is good for his cause. There has been plenty of it from mainline media.
He claims he is spreading a muscular Christianity and being criticized makes him a hero to his followers. He calls his work “that of enriching social conservatives,” and bringing America back to it’s pilgrim glory.

Over 30 years ago AFA started out with a focus on the family values of abortion, same-sex marriage, and pornography. Now the main theme is if Barack Obama wins re-election, it will be the end of America for sure.

Bryan Fischer is asking us to boycott the national chain Home Depot for donating to gay-pride parades; he is sure the Tea Party ended slavery in America; Bill Clinton was responsible for the rise in oral cancer. The man is utterly clueless.

Repeatedly Fischer says "people on the Left never check their facts and simply repeat false information ...” which is something he would never do.

Finally, he is proclaiming that President Obama does not believe that the Constitution has any "moral authority and therefore it does not need to be obeyed." For his belief the cultural war is “a winnable war,” I nominate Bro. Fischer for the PRRA (Polito-Religo-Radio Award) for 2012. while making American Christian again. Just note the small print: be sure it’s his brand of Christianity.

Making Movies in 1945

The Making of “Don’t Try Anything”

The making of the 8mm TSG film on the tank-training grounds of old Camp Bowie, Brown County, Texas, in 1945 was an event that went unnoticed by the public. It was not not expected to have a wide release. Using black and white film was a major decision. Who with TSG could afford color? TSG name comes from the major share-holders, actors and writers: Towery, Swan and Graves.

Work on the picture could only be done when school was out and some sunshine left. The three of us (Britt Towery’s comparades Joe Swan and Bob Graves have since passed away) created the story idea from our second floor office in the old Southern Building on Center Ave., in downtown Brownwood, county seat of Brown County, Central Texas.

Before the Southern Building was made into an office building it was the Southern Hotel. The three of us were employed now and again by the Lyric Theater, catty-cornered from the Southern Building. The Lyric, revived at the close of the last century, is now a community theater with all sorts of good entertainment. But no films, not ever the kind TSG once produced.

It was a very different world back in the first half of the 20th century. Not so many people and families owned most of the farms and neighborhood grocery stores. The county was dry, meaning that spirits could not be bought or sold. Unless you went into a frowned upon profession something like what Al Capone involved himself much earlier.

Bootlegging took talent, but our firm did not feel it wise to do a film or stories on them because it was just too risky.

Getting back to the film and major point of all this historic era of Texas westerns review there is not much to tell. It was not long until 8mm film was moving into Super-8 and with that an increase in film-making.

As far as known, the photo still from the movie is all that has survived. Audio was being put on a wire recorder which today’s media and public probably do not recall. It was a great invention that was later replaced by the reel to reel tape invention. No wire remains. If it did what could you play it on?

The film would without doubt been a trail-blazing success had it not been misplaced once our years as ushers and popcorn poppers at the Lyric ended and we all had to go to work for real

Bob Graves, whose sister-in-law Harrette Graves of New York City wrote for the Brownwood Bulletin forever, lived and died in John Steinbeck country. Wrote one magazine story that sold, had lot of wonderful kids and lovely wife.

Joe Swan was professor Photo-Journalism at San Jose State University, a little north of Steinbeck country, nearer home area of writer of “Call of the North.” He too had fine kids and wife. Laura was from Dallas and they met at Howard Payne College (now a university).