Headline Muse 1/18

When the sweet taste of privilege sours
Local businesses show off their powers
Saving Jessica’s banner
In a rather strange manner…
By refusing to bring her her flowers

Headline: Cranston florists refuse to deliver roses to Jessica Ahlquist

Of course, what’s hilarious is that none of the protesters seem to have read the judge’s decision–it’s their fanatical devotion to, and reverence of THE BANNER that led the judge to the obvious conclusion that it was indeed a matter of establishment of religion. The more Cranston makes a big deal out of this, the more obviously it is unconstitutional!

While you’re at it, Cranston, bring up that bit about “in god we trust” on our money a few more times. In the long run, I’ll thank you for it!

Cuttlecap tip to Randomfactor, again!

The Other T-Shirt

Ophelia Benson sees a T shirt.

We need a “We are all evil little things” T shirt.

And a banner, and a coffee mug, and a letterhead. And a pony.

And she’s right. I personally prefer the simpler “Evil Little Thing” T-shirt, but Ophelia had the idea first, and it’s a good one.

The other T-shirt is not for the Evil Little Things (that is, the defenders of the constitution), but for the citizens of Cranston and their supporters who have defended the banner on the grounds that its message is the only thing standing between Cranston’s students and utter chaos. Taking them at their word, this T-shirt is a direct quote from the banner.

Front: Smile when we lose…
Back: …as well as when we win.

Of course, they could save some money by just printing the front. I understand they’re going to need that money to file their appeal.

For a completely different take on different T-shirts (still Cranston, though)… see JT.

Not Very Appealing

The Christians in Cranston are singing the blues
With their bigotry bared on the six-o’clock news
They’ve all learned a lesson, what it feels like to lose
And it’s setting their senses to reeling
Now between God and Country, the mob has to choose
Will the school board soon be appealing?

They’re pounding their pulpits, They’re swarming the schools
Where the judge said the banner was breaking the rules
Where a girl in the right made them all look like fools
So they’re sobbing and whining and squealing
They’ll drain their accounts and they’ll hock all their jewels
For the money they’ll need for appealing

They’ve chosen to champion the prayer on the wall
They’ll shout and they’ll threaten, they’ll bully and brawl
Ignoring the freedoms protecting us all
Their priorities sure are revealing
It’s a Christian theocracy they’d like to install
Cos they find the idea appealing

The secular victory sticks in their craw
So they pore through the ruling to hunt for a flaw
Cos they’re sure that the next step will be Sharia law
So they’re praying to God, yes they’re kneeling
With God on their side, they will never withdraw
And they’re making their plans for appealing

So bring all your anger, your rancor, your spite,
Cos the school board is meeting, they’re meeting tonight
To weigh all the options proposed for our plight
And to see what the voters are feeling
And it won’t mean a damn thing that Jessica’s right
Cos the mob here is set on appealing

(With apologies to Bob Dylan)

Atheism 6.2

First, atheism 2.0:

Alain de Botton speaks of gleaning useful culture from the trappings of religion. In my opinion, he takes a bit of time to get going, and I’m not convinced that he’s speaking to atheism so much as secularism or humanism, but that’s not a big deal. It did, though, remind me of some biology. After the jump: [Read more…]

Rending Wall

Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That sends the privileged Christians smashing it
To plant their giant crosses in the hills,
And march troops to bow their heads and pray.
The work of teachers is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one coherent thought,
But they would have Charles Darwin into hiding
To please the Christian right. The gaps I see,
Everyone’s seen them made and heard them made,
But still pretend surprise to find them there.
I let my neighbor know beyond the hill
And on a day we meet in court of law
To test the wall between us once again.
The first amendment guides us as we go.
From each, a plea to see it through our eyes.
Some tacks are lies, and some so clearly false
They have to use a feint to keep them hidden:
“Our country must not turn its back on God!”
We wear our voices rough with speaking them.
It seems another sort of verbal game,
One on a side. It seems like little more:
Here, an aging school prayer on a wall:
Free exercise, against establishment.
The school must not take sides, promoting God,
Excluding those of other faiths, I tell him.
He only says, “This is a Christian nation.”
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
“Why a Christian nation? Isn’t that
Where church and state are one? But here, they’re not.
Before I breach a wall, I’d ask to know
What I was letting in, or letting out,
And to whom I was like to give offense.
Something there is that’s tearing at that wall,
That wants it down.” I could say “Privilege” to him,
But it’s not privilege solely, and I’d rather
He saw it for himself. I see him there,
Holding his Bible grasped firmly by the spine
In both hands, like an ancient man of God.
He thinks in darkness as it seems to me,
Avoiding things of science and the modern world
He will not go behind his father’s saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, “This is a Christian nation.”

(With Apologies To Robert Frost) A bit more, after the jump: [Read more…]

Santorum Is The Real Victim Here

It is so very sad, what the gays have done
To a wonderful person like Rick
They label him hateful, but he loves every one
Though the things that they do make him sick

Santorum believes that gay marriage is wrong
And the gays call that view an attack!
But “separate but equal” keeps straight marriage strong—
It’s ok to seat gays in the back

The horrible things that these activist gays
Do to Rick, are too awful to mention
When really, he loves them—he just hates their ways—
Homophobia’s not his intention!

Gays shouldn’t get married. That’s Rick’s point of view.
It’s not that he wants to restrict ‘em
But it’s there in his bible, which is your bible too…
Santorum is really the victim!

Weapons-grade projection, after the jump: [Read more…]