Owner Refuses New York Taxes

I want to bring in our guest. He's our good friend, longtime friend, Pastor John Speed out of Syracuse, New York, and he's had a very eventful couple days. And so if you don't know who John is, he was actually one of the the founding members, if you will, of Babies Emerge here.

And he had a big part to play in that. And he's known Marcus for a long time. And we actually have the first sign, the original sign right there that he was a part of. Actually, he sent us that sign. Anyways, so John is a longtime friend of ours.

And so, John, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me. So tell us about the last two.

The March for Life, the New York Vote, and Closing the Bookstore in Mourning

Days for you. What's been going on? Well, I got back from Washington, D .C., the March for Life, late Monday night, and the vote in New York was on Tuesday. We had several members of the church at the in the legislature, in the legislative building there, the Capitol building with signs protesting that that bill.

And they were there for about seven hours, you know, on their feet just trying to make a statement. And the bill, of course, you know, the rest of it you've been talking about, it was voted in that night.

I was just distraught, man. I mean, we did what we could. I contacted our legislators and all that sort of stuff. And, you know, we did really everything that we knew to do. And I was just burdened by the whole thing.

I really couldn't sleep that night. And I was just praying, Lord, what could I do to make a statement that would be appropriate for this? The wickedness of this. And so the next day, I just thought, you know what?

I'm just having a day of mourning. I'm not opening the store today. They're not going to get my sales tax today. And so we just printed out a sign explaining that to our customers. And we ended up, you know, closing the store for the day and hanging that sign up and took a picture of it.

Yes, we sent it over to Marcus. And next thing you know, the thing gone. It went viral. Yeah, literally viral. I've never had anything really go viral before. Yeah. And I guess my my wife's cousin contacted us today and said, you guys have your own hashtag now.

So somebody's hashtag and John Speed. Well, that's amazing. I didn't even know that. Well, that's what we're on. I was on Glenn back this morning briefly. And Shapiro shared it. Even March for life, shared it right to life, shared it.

It's been all over the place. And we've got other interviews that I'll be doing today and tomorrow. And we've been getting orders. Glenn Beck pushed our Web site really hard. And so every two minutes, the phone's been ringing here.

They're just not used to seeing anybody do anything about this issue. Yeah. You know what I mean? You go out to the abortion clinics. I've had abortionists spit in my face. I had them try to run me and my wife over with their car.

You know, you name it. That's the stuff that I think is brave or whatever, if you can call it that. And even that's by the spirit of God and by the grace of God. Yeah. But this was just hanging a sign in a window.

And they're all acting like I went out to Boston and threw a big case of tea into the water. And, you know, I'm grateful. Don't get me wrong. But it's been a little bit mystifying to me. Yeah. That, you know, five years ago we do babies are murdered here.

This really should have happened back then. Yeah. But, you know, I'm not I'm thankful. I'm very thankful because it's giving us a platform now on the bookstore's Facebook page. You know, if I post something up there, I get about 32 likes in a minute.

And so I can I'm using it now to post up stuff on abortion, which is crazy from a business standpoint. But I'm using it instead of babies are murdered here right now because it's actually more effective.

It's getting it's crazy. Never would have seen it. And you and you said there's.

Been seven thousand more views of babies are murdered here since yesterday. Correct. At least.

I haven't looked at it since this morning. I think Marcus was amazing. And and and the thing I think.

We have been the most amazed about and that we love the most is the fact that there's all these pro-life groups that we have so vocally spoke against. Right. That you said just kicked you out of a parade not too long ago.

And they're now sharing your post. They're sharing babies are here. And we're extremely grateful. I told Marcus is like, oh, it took us a stupid little sign in the window. Right. Like all these five years we've been trying to, like, get everybody to open their eyes.

And that's all it took. It's, you know, like Zach said, it's just God's timing.

But yeah, that's incredible. Yeah, I think it's God's timing. Maybe we just weren't ready for it. You know, back then. Yeah. You know, sanctification wise or whatever. But.

I'm praise God. I mean, better late than never. Yeah. Well, well, this I just saw a comment on the live feed that this brings up a good conversation. I think I think you John has about 12 more minutes with us.

So when you got to go, just let us know. We'll keep you on as long as we can. But I saw someone in the comments said something about that, that it can't it cannot be stopped at a state level. Right. And so we were talking with us yesterday.

Zach and I were wondering why is it that the pro-choice groups and the liberals get this? Why is it that they understand that it can only be changed at the state level? The same thing happened with marijuana.

Right. And now you have the pro-choice groups are saying, oh, no, we're not waiting on the federal beast. Right. You know, we're just going to do it ourselves because that's how our nation was set up and established.

It has to happen at the state level. And the problem we have is that the pro-life groups sit back and they're waiting for something to happen at the federal level. And it's never going to happen. It has to happen at the state level.

And I'm going to let Zach say something. But like when I saw this come across the other day, it was like it's like, man, we need and I know you're one of them, John, but like we need the Christians. We need the pastors in the state of New York to make a stand to stand up because they have to be the ones that are going to have to make make it make a difference.

It's not going to change if it doesn't come from from.

State-Level Abolition and the Need for Christian Leadership

The pulpit. Exactly. I think Zach was going to say something. But no, I mean, that's man, shepherds instructing the people, but also talking to the magistrates, instructing the magistrates in terms of what God requires, especially at this juncture of such injustice reigning throughout the land.

And you said it, man. Why is it that the pro-aborts and the cheerleaders for death get this? Yeah. When for the past four decades now, you know, you have those within the pro-life movement who seem so content to take piecemeal victories here and there with the incremental abortion legislation.

Right. That says you can kill a baby as long as it's under these circumstances. But the other side isn't playing that way. Right. They're not playing the little piecemeal game. They're they're coming for dominion.

They're coming for victory. And they know how to fight and they're not really they're not really taking a break. Right. They're not really sleeping on the job. Yeah. They are relentless in their pursuit of what they want.

And they make a lot of noise. So, I mean, how how is it that Christians and those within the pro-life movement just haven't seen that, you know, state level change, local change is the way to go? Yeah.

And we have we're.

Just talking to I think we did the math. There's was there five states, four states? I believe.

Let's see. I think five. So so four that we would say, I mean, if you're new to this discussion, there's four states right now solidly that have legislation trying to be pushed through, you know, personhood at conception, personhood of South Carolina.

There are several abolition bills right now that would ban abortion outright from the moment of conception. That would be the difference between that and say an incremental approach. Yeah. Right. It would be end it, outlaw it, period.

Yeah. Right. So there's a handful of states that are now really trying to push.

On the other side of things. Yeah, exactly. And we're we're trying to get in that club. Yeah, we can. Arizona will be working on it. Well, what do you think about that, John?

What do you say, brother? Well, yeah, it really is. I think in New York, there's still actually hope. I think in New York, if we could approach the conservative counties and the conservative cities and villages in upstate New York, I think it's possible that you could create sanctuary counties and sanctuary cities for the unborn.

If you because the upstate is basically disgusted with almost everything that downstate does. Sure. And I think that it's something I want to pursue is approaching pastors and approaching conservative politicians in upstate and say, look, let's let's show Cuomo that we can beat him at his own game and we're going to declare these places sanctuary cities and counties, even if they don't have abortion clinics in them.

Just say it's never happening here. I think there's a way even in New York, as liberal as New York is, to at least, you know, push back. And I think that's part of what this sign thing in our window did, is that it gave people some degree of hope that, hey, we can push back.

Yeah, it's as simple as that is. Let's take it to the next step. Let's let's do the next thing.

Sanctuary Counties, Local Resistance, and Prophetic Vision

Right. Yeah. We were talking yesterday, too. It's just I know it's sad for for guys, people like you in New York or like California or Washington or Oregon and liberal states. Yeah. We're like really over all the states.

Well, I would just say the overall states like that are actually conservative, but because of where all the politics happens in a liberal area, it's where all the votes and stuff. Right. And and so it ruins it ruins stuff for the rest of the rest of you.

They're like, no, no, no, that's not us. That doesn't represent us. Excuse me. They don't speak for us. I mean, that's why that's why California is like legit trying to like separate into three states, you know, because they got the top half saying we're not I don't want anything to do with Orange County.

I don't want to do with L .A. and Hollywood. And and yeah, so it's it's crazy. But when we we feel we feel for you, man, we're praying for you. And we just legitimately like asking God to have mercy on New York and.

Yeah, not go full Sodom and Gomorrah state. Well, that's that's what this does. This is I mean, what John has done is it's one righteous stand. Yeah, that God is blessing. So God is blessing that. And it's going to take more men and women making righteous stands like this one to make enough noise to show people we're not going to kill babies in our state.

And especially Christians. Christians are the ones that have to take these kind of principled righteous stance, because if they don't, who's going to if they won't show the community, if they won't show the cities and the towns and the local magistrates how to stand for righteousness, who's going to do it?

Right. Because Christians are the ones that have the objective, unchanging, revelatory standard of God to stand on and say, no, this is wicked. This is evil. This is not reproductive health care. Right.

I don't care what it's called. I don't want to I don't care what you want to call the bill. OK, but that's that's not what this is. And so it's going to take more principled stands like this. How do you think we're going to get.

Pastors to preach it from the pulpit? How are we going to get the body to start doing stuff like this? Lead by example. Exactly. And that and that's that brings me. I don't know if we're gonna be able to play this video because it just got posted.

I don't know if Carmen's gonna be able to pull up into the show today or not. But, you know, we've we've been going to the Phoenix City Council. We went yesterday again. I got to speak in sex. Younger sister, Desi Thunder Jr., brought it yesterday.

Man, she and I are. And so, you know, we've been challenging. We've been challenging people now since. And it's happening. December. It's happening. Yeah. So like anymore, though, we you know, if you're watching, you haven't heard this challenge.

I'm challenging you to go to your local city council and and hold them accountable and tell them to end abortion. We, you know, the official challenge, I guess I've been proclaiming is that we want somebody in the top 10 cities in the US this year to start doing it on the regular.

We've been doing it since December. Zach's been able to do it a couple of times. You've been able.

To do it a couple of times. And give us a liberal one. Someone go to Vermont and just or L .A. and.

Just herald or New York. Yeah. For goodness sakes. You know, like Phoenix is number six. I want the other nine cities like and so. But you're right. We've what has there been? There's one floor for other five other states.

People started doing that. Yeah. December. So, you know, we want people to do this. One of our friends tried in Oklahoma. Yeah. Shane, five and a half hours. He was at that meeting. Yeah. They closed it and closed it.

It's going to take some recon to figure that out. Yeah. But, you know, we always I keep mentioning Proverbs, you know, where it says where there's no prophetic vision that people cast off restraint. Yeah.

And and so we want to put an end to that. We want to we want to have a prophetic vision. And, John, that's what you did, man. That's what you did with your sign. That was an opportunity for prophetic vision.

You said, I'm not going to stand by and allow this to happen. And look, look what's happened. You know, you know, people are responding positively. And that's that's what that verse says, that they will do that, that they will love God's law.

So, yeah, man, people will follow courage. Right. Yeah, absolutely. Well, I know you got to go.

Sorry, brother. My wife just held up a note for me and said that Fox and Friends wants to interview me Saturday morning. And yes, so good, man. I don't know. This is crazy. But pray. Just pray that God will use all that to do exactly what you're talking about.

Yeah. People have you guys.

Got the movement? Sorry about that. Did you get any negative pushback, any hate messages on Facebook.

Or Messenger or anything like that? You know, only from people locally, not from, you know, all the major outlets that we've been on. It's just been some people locally who are not happy.

With us saying anything about it at all. So, yeah. Well, praise God, man. I really feel like God's blessing you, man, for for standing up and and doing the right thing. And, you know, like I said, casting some prophetic vision.

So we love you, brother. I know you got another interview you got to do here in a couple of minutes. So I'm grateful for the time you're able to give us. And if you're watching, go support. Wait, that reminds me, what's your.

Website? Where can people go for the bookstore? Yeah. John Speed Books dot com. It's just J .O .N.

John Speed Books. No H. Look him up on Facebook. Share his post. Go get some printed work. Y 'all books. Yeah. But keep blessing this man. We love him. All right, brother. Well, thanks again, man. I know you got to get going.

So we'll be praying for you and all these interviews and opportunities you have to further this this this mission and hopefully God willing allow us to be a part of any abortion in our nation. Yes. All right, brother.

Thank you.