It Pays to Complain

The Freedom From Religion Foundation received a complaint from a Foundation member about a city truck in North Charleston, S.C., which was festooned with bumperstickers advertising a local Christian radio station: "Gospel 106: Where Jesus Still Lives." The local complainant had contacted the city, but four months had passed with no resolution to this easily remedied violation.

In a Sept. 10 letter to Mayor Keith Summey, the Foundation noted that city property should not be commandeered to promote personal, political or religious activities or views.

"For instance, under your policy, an atheist employee should be permitted to place bumperstickers such as 'Godless America,' 'Faith is believing what you know ain't so (Mark Twain),' and 'The Bible: a Grim Fairy Tale' (all bumperstickers we sell and would be happy to make available to the city). A Muslim could put up a bumpersticker to Allah and Mohammed, and so forth. The objections would be vociferous, as you know."

The response above was received promptly. It pays to complain!

Columbia County, Wis., has been closing government offices to observe Good Friday as a government holiday, despite the Freedom From Religion Foundation's solid federal court victory in 1996 overturning the Christian date as a state holiday.

The response above was received in answer to a Foundation inquiry sent last spring. It pays to complain!

The Foundation has written several other rogue Wisconsin counties (if you live in a Wisconsin county flouting the court ruling, let us know).

Theocratic Campaigning, Louisiana-Style

"I took this from a corner in the Broadmoor section of uptown New Orleans, shortly before the November 2003 election."--Maureen Freedland, Wis. Rufus may have had "the favor of God," but not the favor of voters, polling only 6%.