What does it mean to have a Freedom of Conscience Event? 

This was the focus of the Freedom of Conscience and Religion Conference held at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church Saturday, October 28th, 2023. An event that was the victim of cancel culture, having its original location which was reserved in advance at Bear River Casino canceled by the Casino itself.

The tribal elders apparently had their delicate sensibilities triggered by words Pastor Bramwell said regarding Christopher Columbus Day no longer being recognized by the County, and Indigenous Peoples Day celebrated in its place. Somehow, whatever Bramwell said a year ago in the video posted below, and their intolerance for it, is more important than providing equal accommodation at their place of business. 

If you think the tribe innocent and the Pastor a demon, stick around till the end and challenge your preconceived notion with some cold, hard facts. Be prepared, there may be some hard pills to swallow for the delicate among us.

What makes this decision made by the Bear River Band even more controversial is the response provided to Lost Coast Outpost from Josefina Frank, chairwoman of the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria. Frank responded in part by saying,

“The Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria has not made this determination out of discrimination towards another faith or others’ beliefs. On the contrary, The Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria supports one’s right to their faith as well as freedom of speech.”

Josefina Frank, BRBRR

However, if what she says was indeed the truth, they would have allowed the event to go on as planned. Lets take a closer look at the remainder of Josefina Frank’s statement which appears to illustrate that this was indeed a “determination out of discrimination towards another’s faith and another’s beliefs.” 

Bear River Band of Bigots?

Despite Chairwoman Frank claiming she and the Band supports the Pastors rights to his Faith and Freedom of Speech, unfortunately the justification she provided as the reason for the event’s cancellation appears to be the definition of denying one’s right to their faith as well as freedom of speech. Let’s examine the following quotes before we take a look at the video that ruffled their feathers. 

Notice how the video, an action the pastor made upon his own free will, is said to have “allowed” Pastor Bramwell to exercise his freedom of speech. No one is debating this, essentially she is stating the obvious. What follows is a complete decoupling from everything the Chair Woman previously said.

How can one claim to “support one’s right to their faith as well as freedom of speech,” and then point to the very content of Pastor Bramwell expressing his faith and freedom of speech, and use it as justification for canceling his event, and not realize how hypocritical and bigoted that appears. 

We Support Free Speech, Just Not Bramwell’s

The Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria are not the owners of YouTube, the platform the Pastor utilized and continues to utilize to express his faith and freedom of speech. They own and control the event spaces where he wanted to express his faith and freedom of speech. Their actions of canceling the event appear to be nothing less than discrimination from a place of hostility and intolerance. 

There is no doubt Pastor Bramwell intended to pay them for their products and services, throw a successful event without a moment of controversy or problems. However, due entirely to the Band’s intolerance for the Pastors Faith, and his personal beliefs, and his freedom to and willingness to express these, the Band chose to cancel the event predicated on their delicate sensibilities being triggered by the video posted below the following quote:

Let’s take a look and see the vile, wretched, slanderous, rhetoric Pastor Bramwell was so willing to opine and judge for ourselves, shall we?

VIDEO: Bramwell’s Vile, Pro-Columbus Hatred, Revealed!!!

Wow, how horrific. A man standing up for what he believes in and for the community he lives in and its history. What a terrible person to have the gull to think he can make videos like the one above from his Church in Ferndale, and that he’d be able to conduct commerce with the neighboring tribal council and their many services. 

Let us not forget that it was he and his Church which reached out, set up the original event, paid their deposit, and began advertising accordingly. It was Pastor Bramwell who essentially reached out to his neighbors in an honest and open effort to do above board business with them like any other Humboldtian, and due to the words he spoke in the video above they chose to cancel the event which obviously caused hardships for the Pastor and the Church organizers. 

However, the negativity of being treated like second class citizens purely for their beliefs, and right to express them, was outshined by a great event where happy people from all over Humboldt County came together to do just that.

The special guest for the occasion was Rev Dr. Adam Koontz, who currently serves as Pastor and Evangelist at Trinity Lutheran Church in Denver, Colorado, eloquently broke down the multiple levels of nuances facing those who won’t capitulate to the new Woke Religion. The event was completed with all attendees and the special guest breaking bread together with everyone taking their turns meeting each other and engaging in intriguing conversation. 

Lost Coast Populist Receives The Ol’ Cotton Bale Freedom of Conscience Award

We showed up to both cover and experience the event firsthand, being compelled by the controversial Pastor who invited us personally. It was to our absolute delight to have been presented with the Ol’ Cottonwood Freedom of Conscience Award for our willingness to cover controversial topics and our honesty in that reporting. 

Unlike our competitors who seek to vilify anyone who raises a critical voice against their political bedfellows, we do not have owners nor are we political zealots so we are free to cover topics with a nuanced and calculated approach. We apply this to everything we do and St. Marks Lutheran Church recognizes the value this is bringing to Humboldt County. 

St. Marks commissioned the creation of an incredible Seth Kinman rifle replica hand crafted from local redwood with “Freedom of Conscience” engraved on the side.

The replica was received by Ash Teeter, Liberty Lady, and I during the event.

We are incredibly humbled and honored to have been recognized and are very grateful for the Ol’ Cotton Bail Freedom of Conscience Award which will make for an excellent addition to the live stream studio.

Ahead of the event I was tipped off we were going to be receiving this award and asked if I could have a chance to speak and was told they could squeeze me in a 10 minute segment. After receiving the award, and after Ash and Liberty Lady thanked St. Marks and said their peace, the mic was handed my way but the event had been running behind schedule, and there were pulled pork sandwiches waiting for the lot of us in the adjacent room.

Needless to say I had to trim down my talk which resulted in a lot of what I wanted to say being left out. 

On my next Live Stream, this Monday 10-30-2023 at 6:00 PM Pacific, I will be reading this article as well as delivering my entire speech as written, which in all honesty would have never fit ten minutes! After the live stream I will post the video below. The following paragraph will make a lot more sense when read in the future, but for now it has been thoroughly explained.

Acceptance Speech In Full – Post Monday Night Live Stream

What follows is the entire talk I planned to give with links and videos for added context. The talk was intended to inform anyone in the audience about the many nuances that play out locally when a person is targeted for canceling by local leftwing activists. The talk focuses on multiple scenarios that have played out in Humboldt County politics from a thirty thousand foot view. A deep dive into the spectacles expanding on the many factors which play a part in each instance, and how the left, when they target someone and cancel them publicly they are really targeting you. 

If you were at the event I hope this serves as an added value to what I said. If you missed the event I hope this provides a glimpse into the event as well as a rally cry to get involved and do your part in the ongoing Culture War. 

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