Another absurd and
unconstitutional 'WTF' is happening in Florida.
Joseph Richardson, 51, repeatedly asked the city of Winter Garden to change its policies regarding invocations and reciting The Pledge of Allegiance at town meetings.
"As a resident of Winter Garden, I would like our city to be known for its inclusiveness for all points of view and its respect for all individuals," Richardson wrote in May.
The city ignored him, and last week, Richardson was asked by the mayor to leave the meeting, after Richardson refused to stand up for
'One Nation Under God.' Eventually, the 'obstinate' man was escorted out of the room by a police officer.
Later, Mayor Reese, 64, had this to say:
"I just said, 'Either stand or go in the hallway.' He wouldn't." "It wasn't premeditated. I just reacted. It hit me. I said it. I gave him an option. ... Life will go on."
The national nonprofit group,
FFRF (Freedom From Religion Foundation), filed a lawsuit. FFRF is the largest organization that advocates for the separation of church and state, while offering public education on matters relating to atheism, agnosticism, and non-theism. Last year, I covered a story where the
FFRF came to the rescue of an Oklahoma high school atheist, who wanted the 10 Commandments taken down from his school's classrooms.
Here is the WFTV Channel 9 video:
Being a Left/Liberal Christian (with a splash of Buddhism), I'm disgusted to see there is still so little separation between church and state in this country. I witnessed this, first-hand, during a North Carolina General Assembly meeting last summer. I was participating in a Moral Monday event, and thought I was 'the sh*t' for 'getting into the assembly room (not knowing these meetings were open to the public). My Moral Monday comrades were outside the glass doors, doing their great thing. I was inside feeling like an undercover Liberal, in a candy apple Red state where the GOP dominates the House, Senate, State Supreme Court, and Governor's Office.
Then it began. Out came a big ol' Come to Jesus prayer before the session commenced its order of business. I felt so embarrassed for the lawmakers and our government, and I was offended. This is not democracy. This is not freedom of speech. Unless we give equal time to all religions/non-religions (which is impossible) the system is exceedingly flawed.
Many thanks to Joseph Richardson, for peacefully objecting to the ceremonious, brow-beating, pseudo-Christian BS. I hope to see his efforts become a national issue. Yes, it will get ugly before it gets better, but the discourse is way overdue.
You can also find Freedom From Religion Facebook.
Special thanks to Heather Digby Parton/Salon, and Rachael Christine.