9/28/07

MADISON COUNTY (ALABAMA) EMPLOYEES DISRESPECTFUL TO ATHEIST SEEKING PERSONALIZED TAG

Today I went to the Madison County Satellite Office located in Meridianville, Alabama in the Flint River Crossing Shopping Center along US-231.

After standing in line for two hours I approached the desk to a very friendly staff, who up to that point had been joking with the customers standing in line. I told the worker that I wanted a regular renewal on my wife’s car and a personalized tag on my car. She asked me to write the tag that I wanted on my renewal form along with the type of tag I wanted it on. I wrote “ATHEIST” and “regular tag.”

I handed the renewal form to the worker who then asked pleasantly, “Is that an “I” or a one?” I responded that it was an “I.”

She then went to the computer and checked the availability with the Alabama Department of Revenue and advised me that “ATHEIST” was already taken. I then asked her to change the “I” to a one.

The worker’s demeanor changed drastically. After putting the new tag into the computer she repositioned the screen so her co-worker could see it. The co-worker exclaimed, “Oh no!” The worker then mumbled under her breath and the co-worker said, “He shouldn’t get it.” The worker then replied, “No choice, it’s that freedom of religion.” The co-worker said something else that I did not hear and the worker replied, “Yeah, I’m going to pray to God before I write it.”

She then came back over to the counter with her new angered demeanor. She never looked at us and did not say anything to us at all until it was time to collect the money. She scowled and made an angry face when writing “ATHE1ST” on the Alabama Sixty Day Temporary Tag. When she printed my new registration form she showed it to another co-worker who rolled her eyes.

After getting my receipt I said, “Thank you very much. Have a great day.” The worker did not reply and only scowled. I can only imagine what was said in that office after my wife and I left.

The staff was completely disrespectful, unprofessional, and made inappropriate statements about a customer. Their religious beliefs should in no way reflect upon their treatment of customers. It does not matter if I requested “ATHEIST,” “VISHNU,” “ZEUS,” “BUDDHA,” or “WICCAN.”

Their treatment of my wife and I made us feel like second class citizens. We were frowned upon, scoffed at, made fun of, mistreated, disrespected, and otherwise treated unprofessionally.

I think it is appropriate that my wife and I receive an apology from the Madison County License Director as well as the employees in that office. It is equally appropriate that the employees in that office, at a minimum, receive a letter of reprimand.

This kind of behavior by Madison County employees, directly tied to the Alabama Department of Revenue, is a discredit to Madison County and its employees and the state of Alabama. The mission statement of the Alabama Department of Revenue states in part, “…in an equitable, courteous, and professional manner…”

License Director Mark Craig’s biography on the Madison County Web Page states in part, “priorities are and will be to continue an open door policy, accountability, equality, and providing the very best services to the people of Madison County.”

I will be writing a letter to Cynthia Young, the acting Commissioner of Revenue, and Mark Craig, the Madison County License Director.

Visit Operation Foxhole Atheists for additional information.

OPERATION FOXHOLE ATHEISTS
ATHEIST SOLDIERS IN IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN
Need Your Help and Support!

PLEASE HELP US MEET OUR DEADLINE OF SEPTEMBER 22!

Blair Scott, the Alabama State Director for American Atheists and the North Alabama Freethought Association (NAFA) are putting together care packages for atheist soldiers stationed in Iraq/Afghanistan. This event is called OPERATION FOXHOLE ATHEISTS (OFA).

OFA started after hearing about several atheist soldiers in Iraq that attempted to start a group at their Forward Operating Base (FOB). They were harassed by a major that threatened to go after them with the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice). The soldiers did not violate the UCMJ at all. In fact, the major, by misusing his rank to harass the soldiers and try to trump their attempt to exercise their right in the military to the freedom of religion, violated the UCMJ directly.

We, as most American citizens should be, were deeply upset by this turn of events. We decided to help these soldiers by showing our support and sending them care packages and letters of support. That small initial event has now turned into a national effort to help support any atheist in the foxhole. OFA will send these soldiers care packages with needs and wants, as well as supporting letters from around the nation. But OFA needs your help!

• Donate goods at any upcoming NAFA event or via postal mail.
• Donate money to help purchase goods and pay for shipping costs.
• Send letters and cards to OFA to be forwarded to foxhole atheists.
• Tell us about foxhole atheists so they can receive care packages from OFA.

Please help OFA support foxhole atheists. No matter what your views may be concerning the war in Iraq or Afghanistan, it is clear that politicians are the problem: not the soldiers. Let these foxhole atheists know we care about them. Sending the foxhole atheists packages of hard-to-find items and letters and cards with words of comfort and support will help make their time in the war zone feel a little more like home. These soldiers go day-to-day without praying to any of the man-made gods. They get their comfort from reality, and from people like you that care.

Due to sensitivity for the privacy of our foxhole atheists, to reduce the risk of physical harm, and to maintain Operational Security (OpSec), the names, addresses, and specific FOB of the foxhole atheists will not be disclosed to the public.

Please go to Operation Foxhole Atheists for more details and how to help!

28 May 2007

OPREP: Speak Out and Rally for Reason in Kentucky

WHAT: Speak Out and Rally for Reason in demonstration against the new Creation “Museum”

WHERE: Speak Out at the Hilton in Florence, KY and the Rally for Reason in Petersburg, KY

WHEN: Speak Out on 27MAY07 and Rally for Reason on 28MAY07

WHO: Supporters of science

The Speak Out and Rally for Reason were put together to protest the opening of the new Creation “Museum” by Answers in Genesis.

I attended the Speak Out on May 27th at the Hilton in Florence, KY. The Speak Out was a sort of Pep Rally for those attending the next day’s Rally for Reason. A host of wonderful speakers talked to a crowd of over 100 people. Organizers had to open up the room’s partition to access the room next to the original room.

The speakers at the Speak Out included Frank Zinder (American Atheists), Chuck and Nicole Smalkowski, Dr. Gretchen Mann, Carly Nichols and Melissa Hartman (Rally for Reason), Dr. Gene Kritsky (Evolutionary biologist), Dr. Helen Kagin (Camp Quest), Rev. Mendle Adams, Hemant Mehta (I Sold My Soul On E-Bay), Arene-Marie (American Atheists, Michigan), Blair Scott (American Atheists, Alabama), and Edwin Kagin (American Atheists, Kentucky).

The next day we headed out to Petersburg to demonstrate outside the iron gates, roving creationism guards, and guard dogs of the Creation “Museum.” The head count during the peak period of the demonstration was over 200 participants there supporting science and speaking out against mythology and superstition.

The Smalkowski family band entertained the participants. Additional speeches as well as an open-mic period kept the participants excited about the event. We also had the pleasure of hearing from Dr. Lawrence Krauss, a professor of astronomy and physics at Case Western University and author of The Physics of Star Trek.

Press were everywhere at the event, including NPR (interviewing for Morning Edition), PBS (interviewing and filming for a documentary), Ohio and Kentucky newspapers and TV news channels. Video of the demonstration was also piped to CNN and was covered on Anderson Cooper during the 5 PM (EST) broadcast.

We had an excellent time at the Rally for Reason and speaking out in support of science and against mythology and superstition. It was an honor to stand alongside so many supporters of science and reason.

A gigantic kudos needs to go to the organizers of the Rally for Reason. Their professionalism showed through in one of the best-organized events I have ever attended. They arranged for a shuttle service between the designated parking area and the rally point, had visible vests to easily identify Reason for Rally staff members, and worked directly with the Boone County Sheriff’s office and with local land owners to secure our parking and staging area. The combination of the Speak Out and Rally for Reason was a powerful combination and served a great purpose for the scientific community.

Well done ladies and gentlemen, it was a pleasure meeting some of you for the first time and seeing others again.

As an added bonus, the Rally for Reason prompted the formation of a new atheist group in northern Kentucky, the Northern Kentucky Secular Society.

On the Net:
Rally for Reason
Rally for Reason recap video
Blair Scott’s speech at Speak Out
Northern Kentucky Secular Society
Answers in Genesis
Creation Museum

April 16, 2007

It is with great sadness that we learned about the shooting at Virginia Tech today. Our hearts and thoughts go to all of the families of the victims and to those wounded and affected by this great tragedy emotionally.

It is a great tragedy when any life is cut short, deprived at their one chance to live upon this earth. This tragedy has struck hard for the community of Blacksburg, Virginia, the state of Virginia, and the United States as a whole. The number of people killed in once event will take its toll emotionally on those directly and indirectly involved in this incident.

We all have one life to live and we should all go out of our way to enjoy our lives as best as we can. When psychopaths like the one today rob people of their lives prematurely, it is a crime on many levels.

As an atheist I urge people to help in a positive and effective way, by contributing to any trust funds established for the victims or by contributing to the American Red Cross, who help when communities are struck by tragedy, both natural and man-made.

In sadness,

Blair Scott
Alabama State Director, American Atheists
Blog, North Alabama Rant
MySpace, Alabama Atheist
Email: bscott@atheists.org
Phone: (256) 513-5877
Postal: PO BOX 41, Ryland, AL 35767-2000

American Atheists is a nationwide movement which defends the civil rights of nonbelievers, works for the separation of church and state, and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy. American Atheists, Inc. PO Box 5733 Parsippany, NJ 07054-6733, Tel: (908) 276-7300 Fax: (908) 276-7402

From the Office of Blair Scott
Alabama State Director, American Atheists, Inc.
bscott@atheists.org www.atheists.org/al/

March 12, 2007

Report on discrimination of atheist child at Riverton Middle School, Huntsville, Alabama.

My daughter had been informing me of small incidents at the school regarding religious infringement, especially concerning a group called “First Priority” (www.fpoa.org). First Priority was handing out fliers to students and at one point a nurse on the school’s staff confronted my daughter in the hallway before class wanting to know why she was not in the library (where FP is held before school starts).

In addition, she told me that some of the kids were giving her a hard time about her atheism. She said most of it was curiosity, but that some of it was clearly taunting. Most of this we brushed off as innocent childhood bantering.

On February 23^rd, my daughter returned from school visibly upset. She told me that the teasing and taunting was getting worse and that it was now occurring in the classroom in addition to the hallways. She relayed two disturbing incidents. In one of the classrooms, with the teacher present, five students began harassing my daughter about her atheism and telling her she was going to Hell. The teacher made no effort to stop the harassment and later advised the principal that she had no idea it was going on.

The second incident involved multiple students that surrounded my daughter and refused to let her go. They began singing “Jesus loves you” to her and telling her she was going to Hell and badgering her about not believing in god. Encircling my daughter was clearly an aggressive and threatening move. The kids were now singing “Jesus love you” every time they saw her in the hallway.

My daughter had tried to tackle the problem on her own, but she now realized it was getting out of hand and she told me everything. I sat down that night and wrote a letter to the principal, assistant principal, student counselors, and Madison County School Board, but did not send it out. My daughter told me the next day that she had talked to one of the counselors and that the counselor told her she had every right to believe or not believe in whatever she wanted and that the students were wrong. The counselor told my daughter that she would talk to any student that my daughter identified.

I called the counselor and talked to her on the phone for about 30 minutes. After the phone call, I decided to remove the Madison County School Board from my letter and give the school a chance to solve the problem on its own. My conversation with the student counselor went very well and she reassured me that such behavior would not be tolerated.

I sent the email on February 27^th at 1700 (see Enclosure 1). I received an immediate email from Mrs. Stone, the student counselor that my daughter had been talking to. Mrs. Stone again reassured me that the necessary steps were being taken.

On February 28^th at 0750 I received an email from Mr. Medlen, the school’s principal. Mr. Medlen advised, “This type of behavior will not be tolerated at Riverton Middle School. [...] Please be assured that this matter will be handled today.”

Later that afternoon I received an email from Mrs. Watts, the assistant principal, who stated, “…everyone is entitled to their own belief(s). I strongly believe in separation of church (belief) and state. I believe that it is the responsibility of the home to teach beliefs and values. Unfortunately, these incidents reveal that not every home teaches values.”

Toward the end of the day I received an additional email from Mr. Medlen who stated, “I have seen every student that I found to be involved in this matter and handled it as a disciplinary referral.”

My daughter continued to report incidents to the student counselor until every student involved had been verbally disciplined once and lectured on the values of religious freedom and harassment. On March 8^th my daughter was accosted again in the hallway by students that had already been warned. They were immediately brought to the principal’s office where they were suspended for five days.

There was another incident today on March 12^th in the lunchroom where a student tried to get other students to sing “Jesus loves you” to my daughter, but the other students were clearly uncomfortable. He was asking other students if they were “Christian or Catholic.” This student was brought to the principal’s office, but we are not aware of any disciplinary action yet.

From the moment I moved to Huntsville, I knew that it was not like the rest of Alabama. Huntsville is a diverse city with a multitude of nationalities, ethnicities, religions, and other dynamics. The actions of the school reaffirmed my impression of Huntsville and were a great credit upon the principal and the Madison County School system.

Huntsville is home to the largest atheist group in Alabama with 80 members and it continues to grow. The two times the local atheist group, an affiliate of American Atheists, has screened movies at the local Arts Center they have drawn the biggest crowds the Arts Center has ever seen.

The lessons learned here are plentiful. The first lesson I learned is that our children, being independent thinkers, will try to deal with and solve problems like these on their own before coming to us. I have sat down with my daughters and expressed my pride in their courage, but I also encouraged them to come to me for help on any matter, regardless of how small it may seem, so they do not have to tackle issues like these on their own.

The second lesson learned is that writing a simple letter can sometimes accomplish a lot.

The third lesson leaned is that even in the heart of the Bible Belt we can sometimes find friends in places we least expect to find them, such as in the administrative office of a local school.

The fourth lesson learned is that it is sometimes better to take complaints up the “chain of command” and to give the lower levels a chance to solve the problem on their own. The less bureaucracy involved the better.

ENCLOSURE (1) (Edited to protect the names of children involved)

February 26, 2007

Mr. Richard Medlen, Riverton Middle School Principal
339 Homer Nance Road
Huntsville, AL 35811

Dear Mr. Medlen,

I am writing about the recent actions of students and some teachers at Riverton Middle School relating to freedom of religion and religious prejudice.

I have two daughters at Riverton Middle School. Their names are (Child A) and (Child B). Both of them are in the sixth grade. One of my daughters is an atheist and my other daughter is a Wiccan. While both of them have had questions asked of them by other students out of pure curiosity, I am deeply disturbed by recent actions that have occurred at the school.

During fifth period on February 22^nd there were several children in Mrs. Tomasi’s class that were teasing my daughter (Child A) about her lack of belief in gods. The students were repetitively asking her “Why don’t you believe in god?” telling other students that she does not believe in god, and telling her repeatedly that she was “going to Hell.” While this threatening and harassing behavior is alarming on its own, what was more unsettling is that Mrs. Tomasi made no attempt to stop the harassment and religious intolerance taking place in her classroom. (Child A) has told me that this has happened before around other teachers, but it was during that incident in the classroom that she felt particularly threatened.

On February 23^rd (Child A) had a substitute teacher named Mrs. Muddler, who did intervene and told the students that belief was (Child A’s) choice and for the students to be quiet. Mrs. Muddler advised (Child A) to “just ignore them.” While Mrs. Muddler is to be commended for stopping the harassment, telling (Child A) to “just ignore them” was not the right advice. No one should have to “just ignore” harassment.

Also on the 23^rd during homeroom several students encircled (Child A) and prevented her from leaving. The students began to sing “Jesus loves you.” (Child A) felt threatened and was frightened because the students would not let her leave their encirclement. Where was the teacher during all of this? Did the teacher not hear the students singing or see them surrounding (Child A)?

My daughter (Child B) has recently had to deal with students telling her that she practices “Voodoo,” which is clearly a sign of ignorance on the students’ part, but is equally a sign of intimidation on their part as well. The idea being that (Child B) is not Christian and therefore is somehow “evil,” which is what the word Voodoo is meant to convey. This type of harassment and prejudice is detestable.

Both of my daughters are emotionally distressed over these recent events. It is worse for (Child A) who has received the brunt of the persecution and intolerance. She feels betrayed by the school faculty because they have failed to intervene.

Perhaps the real problem is the faculty and staff. Both of my daughters have repeatedly told me that on days of “First Priority” that several staff members have approached and asked, “Are you going to the library?” and tried to talk them into going to the library to participate in “First Priority.” (Child A) specifically remembers one of the nurses being overly enthusiastic about her going to the library.

Legal precedent has already been set regarding this action by faculty and staff. The faculty and staff are not allowed to promote or facilitate any religious events at the school or attempt to persuade students regarding religious beliefs. If the faculty and staff are harassing the children and promoting a Christian-based program before school, then it is no wonder that the students feel comfortable doing the same, especially since the teachers are making no effort to stop the prejudiced behavior of students.

Huntsville is a pluralistic city with a diversity of religious and non-religious groups. Huntsville is home to Islamic centers, a Buddhist temple, a Hindu temple, many Christian denominations, Jewish Synagogues, a Unitarian Universalist Church, a sizeable Pagan group, New Age groups, and a large atheist group. The religious and ethnic pluralism of the city and its residents is equally reflected in the students attending Huntsville and Madison County schools. I personally know of several Jewish, Hindu, Islamic, and atheist students at Riverton Middle School.

Bullying on its own is unacceptable, but when that bullying crosses into religious intolerance and persecution it is indistinguishable from hate crime. When teachers refuse to intercede or even actively participate in the prejudice activity, then the issue becomes problematic and an indictment of the school in question.

I should not have to remind Riverton Middle School of its “Beliefs,” which include “Everyone needs to be treated with respect and dignity,” “Everyone needs to feel valued,” and “Everyone needs love, acceptance, support, and guidance.” These are admirable beliefs that on the surface appear to not be in practice by students and more importantly, by several teachers and staff members.

At this point I see no reason to name the individual students involved in the prejudice and persecution of my daughters. I have to wonder how many other students are being teased and harassed because of their religious or non-religious beliefs that we are not aware of. I do know that one of the Jewish students I know of has expressed to me that she has been the victim of the “you are going to Hell” line and at least once has been told that “she killed Jesus.”

This behavior is inappropriate and unacceptable. The fact that teachers and staff are condoning this behavior (if they fail to stop it then they condone it by default) is unpardonable.

An additional line from the Riverton Middle School beliefs states, “Everyone needs positive role models.” At this point, the teachers and staff members that are allowing or engaging in this harassment and discrimination to occur are certainly not in agreement with that statement.

If you find it hard, as much of our society does, to sympathize, I ask that you replace the word atheist with ‘black,’ ‘Jew,’ or ‘female.’ Intolerance of any kind is unacceptable in general and even more so from authority figures, no matter what they may think personally of the victims.

On February 26^th, (Child A) found the courage to go and talk to Mrs. Stone about what was going on and Mrs. Stone took positive action to help. After another incident of a student saying “Jesus love you” to (Child A) in the hallway, (Child A) went immediately back to Mrs. Stone. Mrs. Stone talked to the student that was harassing (Child A). Mrs. Stone is to be commended for her actions and taking the positive steps needed to begin eradicating this prejudicial and threatening behavior.

I expect to hear from you on how you plan to address this issue and resolve the discrimination, harassment, intolerance, and prejudice that are occurring at your school.

Thank you,
Robert Blair Scott
Alabama State Director
American Atheists

cc: Mrs. Anna Watts, Riverton Middle School Assistant Principal
Mrs. Rhonda Pearsall, Riverton Middle School Counselor
Mrs. Amanda Stone, Riverton Middle School Counselor

Atheists say they’ve been threatened over their views

DYLAN T. LOVAN
Associated Press
December 30, 2006

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The note on Blair Scott’s windshield wasn’t a nice one.

The anonymous writer had to have seen Scott’s atheist-themed bumper sticker, an uncommon sight in the small south Alabama town where he lived at the time.

“It just amazed me that people would take time out of their day to return to their car, grab a pen and paper and write a ‘You’re going to hell and you’re going to burn in a lake of fire,’ and stick it under my windshield,” said Scott, a 36-year-old veteran who installs computer systems in prisons.

Outspoken atheists like Scott remain a minority, but there are dozens of atheist chapters sprouting up around the country, and even many in Southern states dominated by conservative Christians.

Many who consider themselves atheists said they’re afraid to mention their views on religion or that they don’t believe in deities. It’s an especially unpopular opinion in the South, they said.

“Do I think that any of these people are really afraid if someone knows they’re an atheist that they’re going to get shot down on the street tomorrow? No. But the thought is always there in the back of your mind,” said Joe Mays, Louisville computer technician who helped organize an atheist group that meets monthly.

Atheism is generally considered a disbelief in god or other deities, but some self-described atheists said they feel it is better described as a conclusion one arrives at sometime in their life.

“I don’t really care for the word belief,” said Edwin Kagan, a northern Kentucky lawyer who has defended atheist clients. “People say do I believe in evolution? It’s not something to be believed in, it’s something to be learned. Like the multiplication table. Do you believe in the multiplication table, or do you use it, do you learn it?”

Some estimates say as much as 15 percent of the population is atheist, though few call themselves by that title, said Jim Heldberg, national affiliation director for American Atheists in San Francisco. Heldberg said his group has 60 independent groups in many cities around the country. And there are many high-profile people who have expressed atheist views or a disbelief in God, including cyclist Lance Armstrong, golfer Annika Sorenstam and actresses Angelina Jolie and Jodie Foster.

At a meeting of the Louisville atheist group earlier this year, several members spoke of a fear of retribution if they mentioned their views around family or at work. Most didn’t want to be identified. The members – including a factory worker, a nurse, a real estate agent, an accountant and some who work in computers – considered putting up flyers in local bookstores to attract new members, but they scrapped the idea when one said they would likely be torn down.

“Nobody’s your friend when you’re an atheist,” one member said. Another member, Christopher Helbert, wryly suggested that he would rather his parents know he was gay than an atheist, because they would say “gay is curable.”

A study at the University of Minnesota this year lends credence to the group’s discussion. It found that Americans favor gays and lesbians, recent immigrants and Muslims over atheists in “sharing their vision of American society.” Respondents also said they were least accepting of intermarriage with atheists than with any other group.

“I think the key to this animosity is probably this idea that somehow morality and religion are deeply linked and if you lose any kind of religious doctrine, you inevitably lose some purchase upon morality,” said Sam Harris, best-selling author of “Letter to a Christian Nation.”

Harris’ book is a response to Christians who have criticized his writings on atheism.

“People think unless you’ve found Jesus, you can’t love your neighbor in any significant sense,” he said.

Some atheists have gone to court to challenge American institutions, most popularly the “Under God” portion of the Pledge of Allegiance, which was added in 1954.

In 2002, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the pledge is unconstitutional when recited in public schools, agreeing with a suit filed by atheist Michael Newdow of Sacramento, Calif. The Supreme Court in 2004 reversed that decision. Newdow has since revived the case and last year a federal judge ruled in his favor.

Newdow said atheists cannot get elected to office and that elected officials consistently side with people of faith on many issues.

“Government sends the message that it’s a bad thing to be an atheist,” Newdow said in a phone interview.

Scott said when he was living in Mobile, Ala., people were tipped off to his atheist views after he wrote an editorial to the local newspaper protesting a proposed bible class at a public school. He said he never mentioned that he was an atheist in the letter.

Scott said after that, his car was bashed up by a baseball bat and a cross was planted in his yard.

He has since moved to Huntsville and now heads a local atheist chapter in that town, which he said is much more tolerant because of the number of NASA scientists who live there.

“I think there’s almost an unwillingness to come out of the closet for most atheists, especially in the Bible belt, because of the type of repercussions from people of faith,” he said. “Some nasty stuff has happened to people, some really nasty stuff. And people are afraid of that.”

Reprinted with permission from Dylan T. Lovan (1/1/07): Credit to Associated Press

I just got back to my room after attending the American Atheists Winter Solstice Meet ‘N Greet in New Jersey.

I had a wonderful time and, as always, it was great meeting fellow atheists from across the United States.

Atheists first enjoyed a lunch catered by the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Then we enjoyed a speech by Ellen Johnson (American Atheists President). Frank Zindler gave a speech on “Where Jesus Never Walked,” which discussed the fallacies of biblical cities that Jesus supposedly spoke at, but never actually existed until after Jesus, if at all.

After the speeches a DJ began playing music and atheists got out and danced while other mingled and talked. Later most of us went to the American Atheists Center and took a tour. I stayed in the lobby and talked to other atheists because I had already taken a tour of the facility.

We then went into the recording studio and taped four episodes of Atheist Viewpoint, which is aired on public access television where we can find sponsors. Unfortunately, Huntsville, Alabama does not have a local access channel to show Atheist Viewpoint. For those without access or a local sponsor, the show is available on the web.

I was a guest on the second episode, where we talked about issues in Alabama. Ellen began to get sick and she asked me to host the next two episodes. I had a great time hosting the show with Dennis Horvitz and the two guests featured on each show.

After leaving the Center we went back to the Crowne Plaza and met at the bar. We had dinner and drinks and talked about atheism and other issues. I had the pleasure of meeting author Matt Taylor (Tent Revival for Agnostics), who was also a guest on two of the Atheist Viewpoint shows at the Center.

I think that I will be making the annual Winter Solstice Party a tradition in the Scott house, but from now on I will be bringing the family along. We had a great time!

First and foremost, I would like to express my sincerest sympathies to the Johnson family. My father-in-law suffered an aneurism earlier this year. While Senator Johnson did not suffer an aneurism, the post-trauma symptoms are the same and the recovery period will more than likely be the same, if not longer.

During the time that my father-in-law recovered, it was an emotional time as we all stressed over whether or not he would ever be himself again. My father-in-law ultimately recovered, but is still not 100% of who he used to be.

Having gone through the emotional ordeal of dealing with family members after a brain trauma and subsequent brain surgery, I feel for the Johnson family and wish Senator Johnson the very best on his road to recovery.

That being said, I find it rather twisted that all of the talking heads are worried about the implications of Johnson’s failure to return. While we certainly hope that is not the case, I suppose the Washington Philosophers must ponder for the worst.

While I concede a slight agreement over their concerns for the balance of power, it is not foremost in my mind as I have more pressing issues to be concerned about.

What is at the front of my mind, and what is bothering me about this situation, is that the governor of South Dakota gets to choose who replaces Johnson should that it be necessary. That is all fine and dandy, but the fact that a Republican governor can choose a Republican Senator to replace an elected Democrat astounds me.

The people of South Dakota voted and chose a Democratic Senator and they are due a Democratic replacement. That the voters can be trumped like this is another shining example of some of the things wrong with the American elections system.

How can the vote of the people be ignored? How did we create a law or procedure that simply ignores the vote? The laws, rules, and guidelines should demand that a replacement come from the same party as the member being replaced. It is that simple.

Governor Rounds, if you find yourself in the unfortunate circumstance of having to replace Senator Johnson, please do not violate the voice of your citizens: replace Senator Johnson with a candidate from the Democratic Party.

My best wishes to the Johnson family: you are in my thoughts.

24NOV06

OPREP: REV. PHELPS COUNTER DEMONSTRATION IN HUNTSVILLE, AL

Rev. Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church (Topeka, KS) arrived in Huntsville, AL to protest the funeral of Nicole Ford. Ms. Ford was one of the four students killed in a school bus crash in Huntsville earlier this week after the bus veered off the highway and plunged roughly 30 feet off the overpass.

Once local organizations found out about the WBC arriving in Huntsville the word quickly spread. Immediately, local atheists and freethinkers began to think of ways to counter Phelps’ presence.

Members of the North Alabama Freethought Association, an affiliate of American Atheists, were equally enthusiastic to become involved.

A scout team was sent ahead the night before to scope out a staging area and identify where the church was, where Phelps’ people would be, and where demonstrators could best position themselves to serve the greater good.

The purpose, as agreed upon by everyone involved, was not to protest Phelps and bring attention to him, but to show support for the grieving family and bring together the community for a good cause.

The emphasis, as was pointed out to several media personnel during the demonstration, was to put aside religious, political, philosophical, and ideological differences so that everyone could come together as a community and show that hate is not respected in Huntsville and that supporting the grief of a family is more important. Through tragedy should come love – not hate. This point was emphasized when two Christians, a Pagan, and a Buddhist joined the atheists in support of the family and in defiance of Phelps’ group.

Demonstrators arrived on scene at 10:30 AM only to find out that the road leading to their predetermined staging area had been shut down by the police. Out of all the roads available, the police chose that particular road as their staging area. Demonstrators quickly had to adapt to the change and designated a new staging area about one mile south of the funeral and agreed to shuttle everyone back and forth to avoid the mile long hike.

Before shuttling people back and forth, Blair gave a quick “training” on what to do when approached by police, press, civilians, or any of Phelps’ group. It was also important to emphasize, that while we were there as atheists, our primary concern was showing community support and not speaking out directly against Phelps, which would only have brought more attention on him. The idea of the demonstration was not to protest Phelps, per se, but to directly support the family and friends of those killed in the tragic bus accident earlier this week.

After the first group arrived on scene, Huntsville City Councilman Glen Watson (District 5) advised the atheists that they could all join in one area without fear of arrest or harassment by the police. Councilman Watson extended his appreciation for atheists showing up and did not flinch when demonstrators identified themselves as atheists. Councilman Watson welcomed atheists with open arms and a “verbal permit” was granted to counter demonstrate.

A verbal permit was important because demonstrators were unable to procure a legal permit due to time constraints. Demonstrators were planning on standing in groups of four at least thirty feet apart in order to not violate Alabama, Madison County, and City of Huntsville legal codes.

The Councilman’s support was a huge boost to the group. Two city buses were blocking Phelps’ view of the church where Ms. Ford’s funeral was taking place. The buses also prevented the media from covering Phelps’ group. Most importantly, the buses, and the presence of demonstrators, blocked those attending the funeral from seeing Phelps’ group. Councilman Watson joked that it was unfortunate that the buses ran out of gas and that gas was coming up from Birmingham and should arrive around 2 PM.

At one point the owner of the property that demonstrators were on asked everyone to leave. However, Councilman Watson was able to work out a compromise with the property owner and demonstrators only had to move approximately fifty feet south (closer to Phelps’ group).

While the atheists were clearly the largest organized group assembled, many other people showed up, including the North Alabama Peace Network, the local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and many concerned individuals. Everyone stood together, regardless of their differences, and showed support where it was needed and stood up to hatred and bigotry.

Phelps’ permit was from 11:15 AM to 12:00 PM. At exactly 12:00 PM the police escorted Phelps’ group away from their designated protest area. Demonstrators immediately started clapping and cheering as Phelps’ group left the scene. The police provided an escort for Phelps’ group out of the area.

In order to provide privacy to the mourners (the funeral started at noon), the demonstrators immediately began leaving after Phelps’ people departed.

Atheists gathered at a local Chinese restaurant for lunch afterward. Everyone agreed that this demonstration was both positive and rewarding. Everyone agreed that they felt really good about what they did, especially since the message we were delivering was positive.

NAFA members were interviewed by the Birmingham News, WVTM Birmingham, the Associated Press, and other news agencies.

This demonstration in support of the grieving family and friends of Ms. Ford was an outstanding success for everyone. Several family members of Ms. Ford drove by us and waved and yelled “Thank you” from their cars. Many regular citizens driving by also waved and gave demonstrators a thumbs-up. A cousin of Ms. Ford approached a NAFA member and asked for the sign so she could remember the support for her family. She was given a sign that said, “Respect the Funeral.” She thanked everyone for showing their support and then began heading toward the church where the funeral was about to begin.

Blair said, “I would like to personally thank everyone that came out and helped us support this family during their time of grief. It was important for the state of Alabama and the United States to know that the message of Phelps’ was not tolerated and that we supported our community, regardless of faith or lack thereof. We felt good knowing we let Ms. Ford’s family know they had community support.”

“We particularly owe Councilman Watson huge thanks,” continued Blair, “for his support in getting the police to allow us to stay and his compromise with the property owner. Without Councilman Watson’s support for the family and cause, the demonstration may not have been as successful as it was.”

It is estimated that forty people attended the demonstration.

Thanks again to everyone that came out and participated!

It is bad enough that three local students are dead and a lot more injured after a local school bus plunged off the I-565 onto Church Street in Huntsville. The community is dealing with that tragedy the best way it can.

Now we find out that Rev. Phelps and his band of moronic hate-mongers are coming to town to protest the funerals of the children killed in the accident.

Apparently, Rev. Phelps thinks that Alabama is going to Hell and has lost its godly way. Has he forgotten about Roy Moore and all of the other religious crap we have to deal with here in Alabama?

Because we found out so late that he was coming and the Thanksgiving holiday has closed the Madison County offices, we cannot have a large-scale counter-protest to this moron to let Alabamians and Americans know that his views are not tolerated here in Alabama.

However, as individuals, we have the right to freedom of speech and assembly and we will use those rights this weekend. As individuals we can stand on the street with a sign. As individuals we can line the street to let his people know they are not welcome and to let the mourners of the funeral know that we are with them.

Phelps is just one more reason why religion is bad.