Someone who I consider (not quite a friend, but) a very fond online acquaintance who I've met a couple times in real life at TDI get togethers forwarded me the Andy Rooney email that's making the rounds lately. Not surprisingly, it is exactly as accurately attributed as the George Carlin anti-Mexicans email that he forwarded to me several months ago. Anyway, the person who sent it to him added the following postamble (or should I say post-ramble): 


I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED

STATES OF AMERICA ,  

AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION

UNDER GOD,  

INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!



I was asked to send this on if I agree or delete if

I don't. It is  said that 86% of Americans believe 

in God. Therefore I have a very hard time understanding 

why there is such a problem in having "In God We Trust" 

on our money and having "God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Why don't we just tell the 14% to  BE QUIET!!!

 

If you agree, pass this on, if not delete. .

For some inexplicable reason this had a rather profound effect on me. I should expect that I am not surprised that atheists are one of the few groups in America that can still be openly hated in polite company. Also, it is clear from the prose that the person writing it is a Grade A rtard (sic). Also, it is a fairly good assumption that any reply would be ignored were one to be crafted. Still I felt compelled to respond. My thought was that this sort of thing is still allowed because no one bothers to stand up to the brutes that spout off. I was also offended by the sheer hatred inherent in the assertion that I ought to be denied my rights to speech, assembly, and (by extension) suffrage because I don't believe in Santa Claus. 


As one of the 14% I feel compelled to answer

this question:



"Why don't we just tell the 14% to  BE QUIET!!!"



Because anyone who can read above a 4th grade level

can see that the Bill of Rights is all about

protecting the rights of the minority against

infringement and curtailment by tyranny.  Freedom of

speech is exactly about allowing both the "good" ideas

and the "bad" ideas both to be aired in public with

the government not having any business in telling

people what they can say or think.



In the same way, the separation of church and state is

about the government remaining neutral in matters of

personal belief.  Only a fanatic mistakes for

antagonism, neutrality by the government (or the

demand from citizens of this country that the

government honor its obligation to be neutral) on

matters of personal belief.  Church/state separation

is the law of the land and just because the  majority

might be cool with mingling church and state does not

mean violating it is ok.  By the same logic, any other

item in the Bill of Rights could be ignored if enough

people just decide to go along with it.



This country is supposed to be ruled by the wonderful

principles laid out in the Constitution and Bill of

Rights not by narrow-minded thuggery.