As soon as I receive OFFICIAL replies, I will post them here for all of you to read.
I have never claimed that these quotes were actual quotes, and anyone who has written me via email, knows this. It's my hope that neither of the quotes are true, and it's my hope that an official denial will be obtained.
I've decided that the emails I've received are a valuable source of information for you, and have therefore decided to post the emails generated by the quotes on this webpage, protecting the senders' identities of course. ALL EMAIL ADDRESSES AND NAMES will be kept confidential! Please continue to email me. All emails are are appreciated. Look forward to the email responses soon!
" Our main agenda is to have ALL guns banned. We must use whatever means possible. It doesn't matter if you have to distort facts or even lie. Our task of creating a Socialist America can only succeed when those who would resist us have been totally disarmed."
If anyone can find a direct online source to The National Educator, Please E-mail the url source to KIM. Thanks!
Cultist is one who has a strong belief in the Bible and the Second Coming of Christ; who frequently attends Bible Studies; who has a high level of financial giving to a Christian cause; who home schools for their children; who has accumulated survival foods and has a strong belief in the Second Amendment; and who distrusts big government. Any of those may qualify (a person as a cultist) but certainly more than one would cause us to strongly look at this person as a threat, and his family as being in a risk situation that qualified for government interference. Waco was one of those situations that qualified under our definition of people being at risk that necessitates government action to save them."
If anyone can find an online resource for 60 Minutes, and if they have archives, please e-mail the source to KIM. Thanks!
Fwd: ??Are you a cultist, ACCORDING TO JANET RENO??... I Certainly HOPE SO!!!Attorney General Janet Reno,
"A cultist is one who has a strong belief in the Bible and the Second Coming of Christ; who frequently attends Bible studies; who has a high level of financial giving to a Christian cause; who home schools for their children; who has accumulated survival foods and has a strong belief in the Second Amendment; and who distrusts big government.
Any of these may qualify a person as a cultist but certainly more than one of these would cause us to look at this person as a threat, and his family as being in a risk situation that qualified for government interference."
Janet Reno, Attny. Gen., USA
Interview on 60 Minutes, June 26, 1994Do you qualify? Are you (as defined by the US Attorney General) a threat? If any of these apply to you then you are!!
This worries me. Does it worry you?
Let's impeach her too!!!Everyone in this country - "The land of the free" - with computer access should copy this and send to every other man, woman and child who can read.
Is the quote authentic? No. It's a hoax. According to CBS, Janet Reno did not appear on 60 Minutes in 1994. More to the point, even if she had made such an appearance and even if she did hold this unlikely opinion, the Attorney General would not have dared to publicly utter such impolitic words, which essentially consign the majority of practicing Christians in the United States to the status of "cultists" and "threats" to the society.
Background
In spite of the fact that most of us have only recently encountered this hoax for the first time, it turns out to have a bit of history. A variant of the same text, including an overt reference to the 1993 Waco tragedy, was already circulating by fax and email in 1994. That version went as follows:
'A cultist is one who has a strong belief in the Bible and the Second Coming of Christ; who frequently attends Bible studies; who has a high level of financial giving to a Christian cause; who home schools for their children; who has accumulated survival foods and has a strong belief in the Second Amendment; and who distrusts big government. Any of these may qualify (a person as a cultist) but certainly more than one would cause us to strongly look at this person as a threat, and his family as being in a risk situation that qualified for government interference. Waco was one of those situations that qualified under our definition of people being at risk that necessitates government action to save them.'
The controversial statement attracted enough attention at the time to spur Rep. James V. Hansen of Utah to query the Justice Dept. in regards to its authenticity. Hansen's letter elicited the following response, dated March 7, 1995, from the Department's Office of Legislative Affairs:
This responds to your January 23 letter inquiring about Attorney General Reno's alleged statement on the television program '60 Minutes' defining a "cultist."The plain fact is that the quote is a hoax. The Attorney General has never been interviewed on '60 Minutes.' She has never discussed cults, or tried to define one. There is nothing in the counterfeit quote that guides government policy.
The quote first appeared, to our knowledge, in the August 1993 'Paul Revere Newsletter' of the Christian Defense League in Flora, Illinois. The information came by telephone from a woman in Florida whose name was not noted. The newsletter subsequently ran a retraction.
Two months later, the Reno quote was again branded a hoax by The New Gun Week, a publication of the Second Amendment Foundation. Executive Editor John P. Tartaro reported the correspondence between Rep. Hansen and the Justice Department, adding:
Given Reno's other public statements, her public record in Florida and in federal office, and her responsibility for both the good and the bad of the Justice Department, it is not hard to understand why people might believe the "cultist" definition statement attributed to her. However, if someone concerned about her philosophy, her statements, and her unwillingness to publicly put to rest public worries about the Waco and Weaver cases, and a host of other flawed operations by FBI and other government law enforcement agencies which she supervised, were to publicly use the attributed quote in a speech or article, they could quickly be discredited by their opposition. Such an event would tend to also discredit any other comments made at the same time or at a later date, no matter how factual. Once you are publicly made to appear a kook, that will be the remaining public perception.– The New Gun Week, April 28, 1995
Well, the kooks – in the present case, the same rabid pro-gun groups and far right zealots who find the Clinton "Body Count" email convincing – are still at it. The phony Reno quote has remained on artificial life support courtesy of the Internet since 1994, circulating constantly by email among right wing groups and cropping up from time to time in Usenet articles and on Websites.
A 1997 variant posted by a Neo-Nazi organization alleges that Reno made the statement at a Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco luncheon. No date for the alleged speech was given.
Currently, the quote can still be found displayed on Websites ranging from the wholly uncritical and conspiracy-oriented Pissed Off American Page [Please note: the author of the POA Page removed the Reno quote subsequent to the publishing of this article] to the slightly more cautious, conspiracy-oriented Coming Earth Changes millennial site.
The authors of such pages would do well to heed the closing words of John Tartaro:
It doesn't matter whether inaccurate information is intentionally or accidentally put in our paths, we have the obligation to know that something is accurate before we repeat it. And it doesn't matter whether the slander is directed at friends or enemies. Otherwise we are merely proving the accuracy of another quotation, this one from Mark Twain:"It takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to hurt you to the heart; the one to slander you and the other to get the news to you."
Is anyone listening?
9/5/1998 PDT, I replied
Dear (NAME REMOVED),
Thank you for your email. I just visited (name removed) website, and it's fantastic. You're doing a great job with it. I heard about (name removed) website from an online-internet friend in a political chatroom that I visit.
(paragraph removed to protect identities)
Regarding your question about the source of Reno's quote, I am still searching for an online source for verification. When I first found the quote, which was last year, it was on another personal homepage. I recognized the quote, but couldn't recall where I had heard it before. I searched daily for about 2 weeks, then spent a little time each month. You are the 3rd person in over a year that has asked me if I've found the source yet...I wish I had the answer. Apparently, 60 minutes doesn't provide an online archives... so, I still at square one. If I find ANY legitimate reference source for that quote, I will send it
to you. I've saved your email so I won't forget! ;-) Hey, if your friend ever finds a source, would you mind forwarding it
to me? I would really appreciate it!
Sincerely,
Kim
PLEASE NOTE, THE FOLLOWING REPLY FROM THE ORIGINAL EMAILER, INCLUDES WHAT IS PRESUMED TO BE AN ARTICLE TO AN ALTERNATIVE ON LINE NEWS SOURCE. I'VE CHECKED EVERY SINGLE PAGE ON THEIR WEBSITE, AND CANNOT FIND THE ARTICLE IN THE ARCHIVES. The person who sent me the email, is semi-well known, at least to the online community, and I consider him to reliable. Due to the fact that the website from which the article was taken, does NOT have contributor archives, I will not give them credit. One never knows. I've sent an email to the on-line alternative news source, as and soon as I have his permission, I'll will post the article giving proper credit.--KIM
HI Kim!
(names removed to protect identities) came across the following article. I thought you might be interested.
(name removed to protect identity)
(name and url removed)
TITLE REMOVED
SEPTEMBER 4 -- On September 4th 1998, (name removed) ran a piece I wrote entitled (Title removed). Prominently featured in the article was a quote attributed to Attorney General Janet Reno in an interview done on 60 MINUTES June 26, 1994, giving what was supposed to be the administration's definition of a cultist, and what actions on their part would qualify for "government interference". The reaction to the article was swift and immediate, with some declaring the quote to be false.
In checking with the people at Burrelle's Transcripts (who handle the transcripts for 60 MINUTES among others), I was informed by two sources there that Janet Reno was never featured on the show, and that the quote was without merit or foundation. What was confirmed was that this quote was mentioned on an airing of the 700 CLUB on CBN July 12,1995. In the show was a discussion of this quote and its origin, and it most assuredly did not originate with either Janet Reno or anyone at the Department of Justice or within the Clinton Administration. It has since been determined that this quote came from a man in Illinois who put it in his newsletter, and after checking withDepartment of Justice, retracted it promptly.
This information that was passed on to me came from a usually reliable source, and based on my past dealings with my source, I accepted it in good faith. Given the highly volatile nature of this remark, I should have checked it more thoroughly, and for that, I alone must bear full and sole responsibility.
So accordingly, I wish to extend my most sincere apologies to the following: (name and title of on-line publication removed until verification is received), to CBS NEWS and the staff and crew of 60 MINUTES, to Attorney General Janet Reno and the people at the Department of Justice, and lastly to President Bill Clinton and his administration for hanging on his administration a statement of such content.
I assure all who read the (removed) that such an error will not occur again in any of my op-ed pieces, and that my "usually" reliable sources will be more carefully scrutinized in the future.
I would encourage all readers not to penalize (name of alternative news source removed until verification is received) for this error as I alone bear full responsibility, and will do my best to help ensure that the standard of excellence and
integrity of the (name removed) will be maintained in the future.***
From what I can tell, the item ran in a newsletter by an individual who picked it up on the net. It got wide circulation even on The 700 Club. It has since been shown to be a hoax.
There is no question that the current administration hates Christians but it appears this message may have been a plant by them to make us look foolish by repeating things that cannot be verified.
(NAME REMOVED TO PROTECT IDENTITY)
October 6th, 1998
Dear (name removed to protect identity)
This is a distinct possibility, one that I've pondered over as well. I appreciate the fact that you've kept me in mind, to continue correspondence over this issue. I'm going to call 60 minutes as well, to find out first hand, and will let you know what they tell me, which will more than likely verify what you said! That's incredible that you were able to get as much info as you did! If it's not verifiable..and we both know it probably won't be, I can say that I'm glad... However, so much was said over the waco incident, that anything is possible...
Thanks again...
Sincerely,
Kim
Wed, 7 Oct 1998
Kim,
I HAD an apology by a journalist who recently used this quote and then investigated it. The information I shared with you was from his research when he was challenged to document the information.
Either I deleted it or else I have forgotten what folder I saved it in. If I can locate it, I will send it to you. I can't even remember his name.
(NAME REMOVED TO PROTECT IDENTITY)
Oct 8th, 1998
Dear (name removed),
At this time, I'm still waiting for comments from 60 minutes... Other sources, and various emails from visitors like yourself, are not able to find ''proof'' as well. It would be a positive if she never said it, and it's my hope that she didn't. We'll have to wait and see. If I'm unable to locate the original source, it'll be removed with a full explanation as to why.
Thanks for your interest,
Sincerely,
Kim
-----
Thank you for your nice reply and taking time to write me.
(name removed)
RENO QUOTE
Cultist is one who has a strong belief in the Bible and the Second Coming of
Christ; who frequently attends Bible Studies; who has a high level of
financial giving to a Christian cause; who home schools for their children;
who has accumulated survival foods and has a strong belief in the Second
Amendment; and who distrusts big government. Any of those may qualify (a
person as a cultist) but certainly more than one would cause us to strongly
look at this person as a threat, and his family as being in a risk situation
that qualified for government interference. Waco was one of those situations
that qualified under our definition of people being at risk that
necessitates government action to save them."
-Janet R U.S. Attorney General, during a 60 Minutes interview.
I found the following on the 'net. While it isn't what you asked for, it addresses the quote, and it is from a reliable source (Does God Exist?, July/August 1996):
NEW HOAX STILL MAKING THE ROUNDS. We frequently find our Does God Exist?
http://www.gospelcom.net/amg/amgpages/pulpithelps/august/
work
having to be a debunking exercise because of the number of wild claims and
meaningless charges that people make in the name of religion. Over the
years, we
have had people hitting hell in Siberia, Noah's Ark being found on modern
Mt.
Ararat, human footprints with dinosaur tracks, and days missing from the
NASA
space probes. Now a report is circulating that Attorney General Janet Reno
declared Bible-believing Christians to be cults on 60 minutes. This claim
was
made over a year ago and seems to be expanding and growing. Reno has never
been
on 60 minutes, and the claim is totally false. Just as Madalyn O'Hair never
had
a suit to take all religious programming off TV and radio, Reno never
appeared
on 60 minutes or made a statement like the one attributed to her. We do not
support any political party or organization in this periodical, but it does
seem
that some very irresponsible reporting is being done in an attempt to indict
politicians from both political parties in the United States. Be sure to
check
out any claim about anyone because most of the time we find that the claims
being made are not correct.
--Pulpit Helps, July, 1995, page 22
------
Dear (name removed),
Thanks for the article. It's my hopes that 60 minutes will email me back, and allow me to post their response to whether or not it's a valid quote. Many people wish to know the truth. No one that I know has been able to verify it, and it's my hope that the issue will be resolved quickly! As soon as I can verify that she didn't say it, I'll offer the full rebuttal on the webpage in hopes of stopping the negative rumor. Please let me know if you can find out anything else.
Take care,
Sincerely,
Kim
http://usa-patriot.net/sbquote.html
(NAME REMOVED TO PROTECT IDENTITY)
Dear (name removed to protect identity),
Thanks for the URL, no I hadn't seen it before. Here's one you might be interested in:
http://home1.gte.net/johnp1/ne3.jpg
Granted, the article could be fake, but who knows!! I'm going to wait a while longer for an email reply from 60 minutes...I'm sure SOMEONE will respond eventually. Thanks again for your help. Take care, and if you find out anything else, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Kim
(name removed to protect identity)
----
Dear (name removed)
Thanks for your comments... As I recently posted on the webpage, it's never been my intention to NOT verify the quotes. As soon as I receive an official reply from either Reno's office, or 60 minutes, I'll post the information on the webpage. At this time, I'm still waiting for comments from 60 minutes... It would be a positive if Reno and Brady never said what is being attributed to them. We'll have to wait and see. If I'm unable to locate the original source, it'll be removed with a full explanation as to why.
Sincerely,
Kim
Do your homework before posting information. It is common courtesy for all those on the internet.
(name removed to protect identity)
-----
10-13-98
(name removed to protect identity)
----
Dear (name removed)
MY REPLY
Why thank you for your most eloquent input (name removed to protect identity). I have contacted 60 minutes more than once, as well as Reno and others, and am still awaiting a written reply. Thanks for your comments, I appreciate concerned citizens of this country taking action. You're not the only visitor that has replied to me about the quote. As soon as I get written proof from 60 minutes, I'll post it. If you'd like to forward to me, the comments you received from 60 minutes, please feel free to do so, I'd be happy to post the reply they sent you. Many are trying to get to the facts...and none of us wants the quote to be true. What about the Brady quote...what do you think of it?
Sincerely,
Kim
10th Emailer
Not yet, as soon as I do, I'll let you know. At this time, I'm still waiting for comments from 60 minutes... It would be a positive if Reno and Brady never said what is being attributed to them. We'll have to wait and see. If I'm unable to locate the original source, it'll be removed with a full explanation as to why.
Thanks for your interest,
Sincerely,
Kim