Alorton sign is fine by town — but maybe not by ACLUhttp://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/C7767D918C4CE3268625732B00147B87?OpenDocument
- ALORTON — The churches seem to turn up here often and randomly. In this town of 3,000 residents, there are at least 15 churches. Maybe 20…So you don't need to travel far to find the good Lord, as they say. In fact, visitors can't drive into town without a holy hello."Welcome to The Village of Alorton," say two green-and-white billboards with lights shining on them. "Where Jesus is Lord. Randy McCallum Mayor."
By all accounts, the longtime, city-owned signs have never seemed to stir anyone. As it turns out, though, they could be a problem.Attorneys with the Illinois office of the American Civil Liberties Union, the national civil rights group, said the signs might be unconstitutional.
So it’s a problem for those iconoclasts at the ACLU.
- "If it's been put up by the city, then it definitely raises a constitutional issue," said Wendy Park, a staff attorney with the group. A city-funded sign with a specific religious message appears to violate the religious liberty guarantee of the Constitution, she said. That guarantee says no religion should be promoted over any other by a government.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;…”
Number one: the Alorton city council is not Congress.
Number two: these signs have no prohibitions against differing belief systems.
Number three: that Amendment refers specifically to the institution of a national church, with compulsory financial support and/or attendance. Interestingly, the individual states were allowed to create state churches, and some did.
And don’t give me that “wall of separation” bullshit, either. That’s from a letter by Thomas Jefferson, who was not an author of either the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. He was a smart man, but his opinions – presidential as they may have been – do not have the force of law.
And don’t give me that “wall of separation” bullshit, either. That’s from a letter by Thomas Jefferson, who was not an author of either the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. He was a smart man, but his opinions – presidential as they may have been – do not have the force of law.
- The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in the past that a government cannot endorse religion or express a message that endorses religion because "it basically leads nonbelievers to feel that they are outside the political community and are not participants in the political community," she said.
The Constitution of the State of Illinois
Preamble:We, the People of the State of Illinois - grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He has permitted us to enjoy and seeking His blessing upon our endeavors…
I swear, you’d think the ACLU was staffed entirely by vampires, given their reactions to holy items. It’s all about the fucking feelings, isn’t it? Cry me a river. Nobody is precluded from participating in the political process based on belief or nonbelief. I thought that question was settled when Keith Ellison was elected to Congress.
- The city erected and maintains the signs, Mayor Randy McCallum said…"They've been there at least 13 years. Maybe 14. They were put up before I was mayor."… "If the community didn't want that Jesus there, I'd take the signs down immediately," the mayor said.But the ACLU said it doesn't matter whether residents approve of the signs.
It doesn’t matter how long the signs have been there. It doesn’t matter if there have never been any complaints. Now the ACLU has noticed them, so they’re a problem, and who cares what you rubes in the sticks think?
- "Even if the whole community is Christian, if someone is non-Christian and driving by Alorton or coming there to visit and sees that sign, they are led to think they are not full participants, or they are outsiders and don't belong in that community," Park said.
Guess what, chickie? If someone is just driving by, or coming to visit, they are outsiders; they aren’t full participants! We don’t allow visitors to our towns a say in the local council matters. They’re visitors! Are you really that stupid? Or do you think the rest of us are?
- The ACLU hasn't determined what, if any, action it will pursue, she said.
I have a suggested action you can pursue: Go fuck yourselves. All in the spirit of Christian love and brotherhood, of course.
2 comments:
The problem is the mindset can lead to real trouble. We see it now. Huge fits being thrown because someone of a different belief is a congressman, because they allowed a different prayer than christian. Constantly cries are thrown out to to take the country in the name of christianity, that we are a christian nation, that abortion must be banned because christians believe it's wrong. Every single day.
If we want to make it understood that America is for EVERYone, then we have to include everyone. If we could ever reach a stage where religion wasn't a deciding factor on what we ALL watch on tv, what our kids are taught in school, my choice to have an abortion or not (not that I would, but you know what I mean), then I'd say it'd be fine. But until that beautiful day comes, it's all or nothing. At the moment I'd personally prefer nothing. Then all the religions would realize: religion isn't going to decide policy, what the nation needs is. It's either that or ban all religions from anything related to the government. Including letters written by religious groups, and religious groups seeing that kicking and screaming on tv isn't going to change the fact that we are still going to teach real science in school. That if a family wants to let a vegetable die, then no amount of religious screams will get Congress to step in and violate the wishes of the people actually INVOLVED.
"And I looked as he opened the sixth seal, and behold there was a great earthquake, and the sun became as black as sackcloth, and the moon became as blood.
And, the seas boiled, and the skies fell. Judgment day."
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