Because — uh, because…well, like…separation of, you know, hilltop and state, and…no, that’s not it… WAIT: WE DON’T HAVE TO EXPLAIN OURSELVES TO YOU, HATERS! WE’RE OFFENDED, AND THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS!
Except that it doesn’t, and it’s long past the time that we — and let’s be clear here, I’m the farthest thing from a religion-driven social conservative you’re likely to find — tell these mewling little twats that their being offended doesn’t matter to me one iota, and that in fact, true tolerance demands that they accept being offended so that others may freely express their beliefs. The First Amendment wasn’t formulated to protect majoritarianism, certainly; but it also wasn’t formulated to create a permanent heckler’s veto over every single thing that someone somewhere could take as offensive. There is no “establishment of religion” here — and pace Fred Edwords, national director of United Coalition of Reason, an atheist nonprofit, it doesn’t make a difference if he feels the marker “gives the impression of government endorsement of religion,” because government endorsement of religion is not the same as establishing religion, which is why God and providence appear in our founding documents and are an integrel (if merely structural) part of the social compact that provides the rationale for natural rights.
The bottom line being there is no reason to call for the removal of a landmark just because you feel like you should be able to, and you shouldn’t even feel like you’re able to because of some vague impression that you have that does in no way any harm to you.
At any rate, it’s at about this point in our history where we tell these vociferous, litigious special interest groups, with their progressive form shopping and activist judicial colluders to back off or risk a really pointed pendulum swing. Of the kind Poe wrote about.
Because if we keep surrendering to this PC nonsense, it’s a short step from this to replacing the markers in Arlington National Cemetery with, say, busts of Hillary.
Do people even have a clue what an Establishment of Religion is anymore?
Public land does what, now? I am not represented by public land. Fred Edwords may be represented by the City Dump, but I am not.
I’d be tempted to sell that land to the American Legion for $10. Added bonus: they could kick the shit out of future war protestors for trespassing!
Time was in the early 1960s, the Commonwealth of Virginia used the word “Antidisestablishmentarianism” as one means to teach us elementary schoolchildren to read and spell.
Waterboreding!
Today? Can we do other than doubt it?
Didn’t the Supreme Court just settle this? Or is a cross on a hill somehow really fundamentally different than a prayer before a city council meeting?
This atheist doesn’t see the problem with the memorial … and does know what an Establishment of Religion is, and that this ain’t one, or even a penumbra of one.
They’re not offended, and they know damned good and well what Establishment of Religion actually is, and they know that a memorial cross on public land ain’t it.
Zealotry in the service of Making Other People Bend To Your Will is the alpha and omega of this behavior, not Constitutional Purity.
Or even a vague feeling. They’re just pushing as hard as they can until they’re stopped.
If that is what he truly believes, his organization is certainly misnamed.
fred phelps LIVES!
Because if we keep surrendering to this PC nonsense, it’s a short step from this to replacing the markers in Arlington National Cemetery with, say, busts of Hillary.
Best not to give them any ideas, Jeff.
“Best not to give them any ideas, Jeff.”
All men, all penis bearers, are named nothing but rapist and they need no other name. Let us fix the headstones, the histories, and the family trees to reflect that truth sisters.
Living the “trigger warning” life.
“Let nothing that offends me ever be in my sight, hearing, taste, touch, or smell.”
Beige padded rooms for all the little Rodgers-in-training out there. It’s only fair, and safe.
Don’t forget subjectively assessed micro-aggressions, implicit crypto-offensive undercurrents stemming from immersion in “x”-ist institutions, and the intersectionalities that govern their momentary evidentiary validity.
PO-MO asks, why should Adam get to name the beasts of the field and the birds of the air?
cuz Eve would have named them all Gerard Butler.
“This atheist doesn’t see the problem”
If you aren’t down with the movement, then you are an inauthentic atheist. Since Robert Byrd was down with the movement he became an inauthentic Kleagle. It’s like the immortal cleansing fire of Olympus except it can be revoked if like Juan Williams you ruffle the wrong (NPR) feathers.
When adam names something it’s kind of like a form of rape y’know? ‘Wildebeest’ sounds like that creature’s ‘rape name’. We prefer ‘gentlegrazer’. But you probably already gnu that.
But you probably already gnu that.
Yep, thanks to Flanders and Swann anyhow.
I thought I was an atheist at one time but, then realized I couldn’t be that arrogant.
And in other[ing] religious news…
it’s a short step from this to replacing the markers in Arlington National Cemetery with, say, busts of Hillary.
Dude, I denounce you.
But seriously, we all collectively need to tell these pantywaist atheist pansies to take a flying f#ck at a rolling doughnut.
You know, Jeff, I really didn’t need the image of Hillary’s breasts in my head…damn…
They’ll get there, regardless. Before that happens, though, I’d wager one of these delicate atheist flowers will argue that municipal building codes allowing a visible cross on the exterior of a Christian church violates the Establishment Clause. Especially if it’s big and “intimidating”.
In other news crazy name changing failed business no-shirt Dan Patrick (tea party) fed David Dehurst a dose of shoe in the primary run off for Lietutenant Governor.
This means “Ted Cruz stole tire secrets for the Chinese and got kickbacks for sending kids to juvieboot camp”Dewhurst is probably politically washed up.
Of course if Dan Patrick loses the general it will be hella embarrassing (just like using the term hella).
Texas
Unfunny humorist Kinky Friedman also lost as democrat Agriculture commissioner candidate. Take a #@#$ing hint Kinky. Even the dems don’t really want you. Novelty candidates are out.
Human sized Kevlar hamster balls. Bubble wrapped, of course. Just to make sure that life doesn’t get anything on them.
http://www.theonion.com/video/ohio-replaces-lethal-injection-with-humane-new-hea,36077/?playlist=recent-news
The onion is funny again. But most just because of the visual gags.
One of my favorite more interesting friends is a Hari Krishna but not a saffron robe-wearing type. Very philosophical fellow and enjoys engaging long conversations. Raised Jewish, he told me his mother hates, hates ,hates the cross symbol and that surprised the heck out of me. What is there to object to? Jewelry involving crosses unnerves her. He laughed when he told me or maybe he was laughing at my surprise.
I would be bugged if I were to encounter a crescent symbol on public land. I would view it as takeover by people who do not separate religion from rule of law and who are not so well known for building America into what it is. Conversely, a long time ago when I first saw the mosque next to the temple in Glendale I thought, “How sweet, now isn’t that nice. In Denver, religions get along.” Silly me. But that was well before I knew aught about Islam and now my opinion is altered somewhat and I do wonder why there isn’t more trouble.
Don’t you think it would be rather presumptuous to erect a Magen David on public property, or a monumental Torah where we see ten commandments (some to promote a film) where something else would be more appropriate?
But speaking of symbols, here, have a fish.
A cross was symbolic of a method of slow execution and degradation. It was associated with disposal of the officers of rebel armies who weren’t fancy enough for the imperator to strangle at a big parade. It could well have been an iron maiden or a catherine wheel or a rack or an impaling spike or a pile of large flat rocksrocks with bound feet sticking out.
But I don’t have a problem with a Baphomet statue or a Tora or Star of David on public property. Same for a muslim symbols. l might even put up with Gaia/Maya or whatever. Yeah even the fat armless venus of Malta version. or Masonic stuff. Or Tetzatlipoca if you must. But let it be set up by followers of a religion who believe in it and not by smarmy cynics trying to push a stunt. Cartoon Jerry Lewis juggling fish while standing on the flying Spaghetti monster is bullshit. Chtulhu is bullshit. A Pi smbol with feet is bullshit.
“Don’t you think it would be rather presumptuous to erect a Magen David on public property…?”
No.
“…here, have a fish.”
H8r.
This.
*** President Obama, in a commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, signaled a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy — one that pulls back from what he described as “military adventures” while wielding American power in other ways. ***
Pull back from military adventures?
Oh, like from Libya, I guess he means: *** The State Department Tuesday urged all U.S. citizens to immediately leave Libya due to security concerns.
The evacuation warning came shortly after the USS Bataan, with about 1,000 Marines aboard, sailed into the Mediterranean Sea to assist Americans in leaving if necessary, according to U.S. military officials. The officials made clear the ship has received no formal orders to conduct new missions. ***
Libya, “Münchausen syndrome by proxy” as a foreign policy.
Here’s a nice opening overview and analysis of Justice C. Thomas’s jurisprudence by Ken Masugi: Greece the Establishment Clause: Thomas’s Church-State Originalism