[Vision2020] False ACLU claim/forwarded photos

[lfalen]

iw_mail p{margin:0;padding:0;}
Saundra
I agree that no one should be forced to prey. How do you accommodate them with out violating the rights of those who wish to prey?  Before I retired I shared my office for a time with a Muslim(nice guy). He asked me it was alright if he said his prayers at noon. I told him it was fine with me. Every day at noon  he got out his carpet, knelled on it and said his prayer, while I continued to work.
Roger


-----Original Message-----
From: "Saundra Lund" <v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm>
To: viz <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Date: 10/31/13 11:32
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] False ACLU claim/forwarded photos

 
Thanks, Sunil, for following up on this.  I knew the anti-ACLU claims made in the viral email were false and intended to respond . . . but then I forgot.  I’m grateful you didn’t because the ACLU’s work protecting religious freedom is something near and dear to my heart.
 
I completely support the ACLU’s work regarding religious freedom.  In a previous lifetime (circa 1998), as a State employee, our regional program manager required mandatory participation in Christian prayers (of the “in Jesus Christ’s name, amen” variety) during staff meetings.  As a Christian, I found the practice outrageous and a violation of my First Amendment rights as well as my rights under the Idaho Constitution, but what really got me hot under the collar was the fact that I had a couple of Jewish co-workers as well as some who were agnostics and atheists.
 
Unlike my co-worker pals who were afraid of losing their jobs if they complained, and not being afraid to speak truth to power <g>, I tried talking with my department manager, and with the manager’s manager, to no avail (“there’s no harm in it – non-Christians can just be quiet and bow their heads anyway”).  When reason failed, I contacted the Idaho chapter of the ACLU.
 
Fortunately, the head of Idaho’s Department of Health & Welfare had a better grasp of constitutional protections than did either of the managers I spoke with, remedial education was provided to H&W managers around the state (or maybe just in this region – I don’t recall – but I think it was state-wide because there had been another incident in H&W almost a year before that was then before the IPC), and the practice ended, at least in my program.
 
Had it not been for the ACLU’s staunch advocacy of religious freedom, there’s not a doubt in my mind that unconstitutional practice would have continued & likely have spread until someone decided to sue to get the practice stopped, which would have cost the State of Idaho a lot of money for trampling on both the State & US Constitutions.
 
So, thanks Sunil, for getting the correct info out here  J
 
Saundra
Moscow, ID
 
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
~ Aesop (The Lion and the Mouse)
 
 
 

From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] On Behalf Of Sunil Ramalingam
Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 6:37 AM
To: vision 2020
Subject: [Vision2020] False ACLU claim/forwarded photos

 
Tom,

Yesterday you forwarded a collection of touching pictures. I've tried to respond to that message, but can't do so, so I'm responding this way.

The claim at the end is false.

http://jacksonville.com/news/2013-04-05/story/fact-check-aclu-fighting-prayer-military

It appears the ACLU does oppose mandatory prayer:

https://www.aclu.org/religion-belief/aclu-calls-end-mandatory-prayer-us-naval-academy

Sunil
 
=======================================================
 List services made available by First Step Internet,
 serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
               http://www.fsr.net
          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
=======================================================



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20131031/a1ed1e28/attachment-0001.html>