On April 28 Rallies to fight the War on Women's Rights are planned across the country. The Secular Coalition for Alabama is supporting this effort.  

New Group Poised to Challenge “War on Women”

By Emily Bell

·         Virginia legislators recently tried to enact an invasive, mandatory “trans-vaginal ultrasound” measure for women seeking abortions.

·         In Mississippi, lawmakers took a cue from Virginia and are now pushing the same type of regressive, restrictive legislation.

·         Texas Governor, Rick Perry, has decided to deny funding to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers under the Texas Women’s Health Program.

·         GOP presidential candidates want to end Medicaid funding and turn it into state-by-state bloc grants.

·         Personhood legislation and amendments are being actively pushed through state legislatures in attempts to criminalize contraception and family planning.

·         State laws regarding voter registration designed to suppress voter turnout especially among poor women, seniors and minorities are already in place and spreading.

A new and growing movement called Unite Against the War on Women is poised to push back on measures like this, with protest marches and rallies across the country on Saturday, April 28. The newly-minted organization has garnered more than 20,000 members nationally in the wake of Virginia’s “trans-vaginal ultrasound” bill and other pending legislation.

The Alabama group of Unite Against the War on Women has formed with hundreds of members from Huntsville to the Gulf Coast. The April 28 rally will be held in Montgomery on the grounds of the State Capitol from 2-6 pm. With a wide range of speakers, both Republican and Democratic leaders and citizens will address the important issues that are a threat to women in our state.

The Montgomery rally is being sponsored by S

by Charles Miller - Executive Director, Secular Coalition for Alabama

I am disappointed but not surprised that the Jackson County school board has decided to continue hosting Bible Man assemblies in its elementary school. By endorsing this affront to religious liberty and the Constitution the board has set itself up to lose a costly legal battle.  This is simply poor public policy at a time when budgets are stretched and schools struggle to offer basic instruction.   

It seems that State Senator Shadrach McGill missed some of the basic instruction in American History and Government.  Otherwise, we are at a loss to explain how he could make this statement quoted in an al.com article published today:

 “We were established to be a godly nation, a Christian nation,” McGill said Wednesday. “We need God in government. We need God in the public school. The more we trend away from God, the more we suffer – morally and spiritually.”

McGill says his views about the Bible Man are shared by the majority of his constituents.

via Secular.org January 3, 2012

Representative Morris Jackson "Mo" Brooks, Jr., a Republican is a Tea Party favorite and apparent theocrat.  In a recent letter to a constituent embroiled in an effort to conduct government orchestrated prayers at public school events, Mr. Brooks called “agnostics, atheists and their sympathizers…our foes” and made false accusations that we were trying to suppress all religious expression.  His letter appeared to be cunningly calculated to give encouragement to a group of people who wish to use the government to impose their peculiar religious views on all Americans.  What is worse is that members of that same group have systematically engaged in intimidation and threats against individuals who spoke out against this unconstitutional practice.  

Mr. Brooks seems to have a very weak grasp of the constitution he swore an oath to defend and little idea of the religiously diverse make-up of the constituency of Alabama 5. He does not understand the fundamental American principle of free exercise of religion requires government to remain neutral. We are working to correct that.

Christie Swords, Activism Director of the Secular Coalition for Alabama sent our complaint to Mr. Brooks.  The full text of that letter appears in the continuation of this entry.  

I was twice privileged to meet and spend far to little time with Christopher Hitchens. His death, while expected, came too soon and has been a great blow.

Tonight, a group of atheist activists will gather in Alabama to hoist a few, or perhaps many, glasses of Johnny Walker Black in his honor. It is fitting that we drink his favorite which he referred to as “the best blended whiskey in the history of the world”.

I among others who will attend that virtual wake tonight were asked to prepare favorite quotes to toast and eulogize him. My personal favorite is a personal inscription in my son’s copy of God is Not Great. Hitchens showed his softer side, referring to himself and me as “loving fathers. ” I am teary eyed just thinking of it. But I will finish this with a quote from the acknowledgments in God is Not Great:

“The voice of reason is soft. But it is very persistent. In this, and in the lives and minds of combatants, known and unknown, we repose our chief hope. ”

May we all honor Christopher Hitchens tonight and in the days to come.