Mayor Calls Atheists ‘Terrorists’
October 18, 2011 in Atheism, Belief, christianity, Law, Reason, Religion, Religious Persons, Social Justice, Terrorism
Whiteville Water Tower. Source: http://ffrf.org/
In the State of Tennessee there is a little town called Whiteville. And in Whiteville there is a public tower, upon which rests the universal symbol for christianity: the Latin Cross. Until recently Whiteville was a quaint little town, but some resident in the town has had the audacity to come forward with the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) and told Mayor James Bellar that if the cross was not removed from the water tower that a legal suit would follow. But here is the thing: until now, Bellar has simply been ignoring the town resident and the FFRF.
The first letter was sent to Bellar on December 8, 2010 (a copy of the letter is available here). Two other letters followed this, but Bellar had better things to do. But now that the FFRF is threatening a legal suit over the cross, Bellar has had to concede and take it down…but he is doing so very grudgingly. And he has a number of things to say about this ordeal.
The website for WREG News in Memphis, TN quotes Bellar a number of times discussing this issue. In Bellar’s eyes, Whiteville is a religious town and that he is sorry that “we have one individual here who is offended by this”. WREG also quotes:
“As a matter of fact, I don’t even think it’s a Whiteville resident,” he said. “We don’t have people of that belief here and if we do they’re not going to raise that kind of ruckus for the rest of the town.”
But wait, there’s more. A Radio.FoxNews.com blog article written by Todd Starnes, Bellar is quoted as saying:
“They are terrorists as far as I’m concerned,” said Mayor James Bellar about the Freedom From Religion Foundation. “They are alleging that some Whiteville resident feels very, very intimidated by this cross.”
Now, I know what my learned readers are thinking: ‘This asshat obviously doesn’t know what terrorism means.’ Bellar was kind enough, however, to provide us with an explanation of what he means by the term ‘terrorism’. According to Bellar (WREG):
“A terrorist is more than a guy that flies the planes into the building,” he said. “It’s anyone who can disrupt your way of living, destroy your lifestyle, cause you anxiety. It’s more than killing people. If they can disrupt your routine in life, that’s what they want to do. They are terrorists as far as I’m concerned.”
In Bellar’s eyes, even disrupting someone’s routine in life can be considered an act of terrorism: now even the most mundane of activities, including asking that the law be enforced, can be considered an act of terrorism.
Chew on that for a fucking minute. That is some scary shit! Good thing his ideas about what does and does not constitute terrorism have nothing to do with legal definition and practice.
WREG also quotes who appears to be a town resident:
“”I’d tell this one person who’s got a problem with it to go ahead and pack and move, and if anybody else has a problem with the cross they need to pack and move also,” said Larry Cook.
* * * * *
But this is not a case of someone asking for something outrageous from their municipal government: this involves a town resident asking his municipal government to enforce the law; specifically the Establishment Clause, which is summed up pretty well on Wikipedia.
Image via Wikipedia
The Establishment Clause is the first of several pronouncements in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, stating, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion”. Together with the Free Exercise Clause (“… or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”), these two clauses make up what are called the “religion clauses” of the First Amendment.
The establishment clause has generally been interpreted to prohibit 1) the establishment of a national religion by Congress, or 2) the preference by the U.S. government of one religion over another. The first approach is called the “separation” or “no aid” interpretation, while the second approach is called the “non-preferential” or “accommodation” interpretation. The accommodation interpretation prohibits Congress from preferring one religion over another, but does not prohibit the government’s entry into religious domain to make accommodations in order to achieve the purposes of the Free Exercise Clause.
It was for these reasons that FFRF attorney Alvin Harris wrote to Mayor Bellar and informed him that unless the cross was removed from public land that the FFRF would sue the Town of Whiteville. He clearly informs the mayor of the illegality of having a religious symbol, like the Latin Cross, on public land. Harris also provided Bellar with a number of references to case law which testify to the tendency of the courts to rule against municipalities such as Whiteville.
Bellar’s intention had been to challenge this in court, but the town does not have the financial means to do so. As a result, the cross is being taken down and placed on private property along a local highway. And according to WREG, with the cross on private land no one can remove it. He also believes that the cross will also be seen by many more people now.
* * * * *
While this may have been a win both for the law and for freedom from religion, it is just another brazen example of some christians expecting the law to conform to their own ideas of right and wrong. The United States seems to be experiencing clashes across the board with respect to the law and religion, and most of these clashes are being led by christians. It also shows just how much contempt is present in some of these christians, like Bellar, who considers this challenge to his religion to be an act of terrorism.
And still people ask if religion is a force for good in the world…sigh.
Related articles
- Idiot of the Week: James Bellar (atheistrev.com)
- Atheists Demand Tenn.City Remove Cross (foxnews.com)
- Atheists Demand City Remove Cross in Tennessee (foxnews.com)
- Why Atheists Give Secularists A Bad Name (And Reputation) (neosecularist.com)
- Are Atheists Terrorists? (barefootpreachr.org)
- Controversy over water tower cross in Whiteville, Tennessee (100gf.wordpress.com)
- You CAN be good with God! (openparachute.wordpress.com)
- The Freedom from Religion Foundation convention (whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com)
- Texas school refuses to call off evangelizers (secularnewsdaily.com)
- FFRF billboards revere Hartford’s famed “irreverents” – Twain and Hepburn (secularnewsdaily.com)
Jill said on October 26, 2011
Oh, and the mayor has been on Topix stating that the town had enough money (a one million dollar liability policy) that would have more than paid for the lawsuit, etc even if the town had lost in court. Yet, he claims to everyone that he doesn’t want to risk losing taxpayer money because they don’t have it.
Then, from what I heard, he blamed the city of Bolivar which is the county seat, for this whole mess since it turns out that the FFRF attorney from Nashville just happened to be with the same big law firm as the attorney who had been hired by Bolivar in a law suit over natural gas supplies (don’t know the details of that). This is the stuff of which some articles and book are written. It can be funny but it is just plain sad as there are many Christian people who are trying to remain neutral because they respect the rule of law even if it doesn’t always jive with their beliefs. I can tell you that I have a cousin there and she has been openly threatened for being an educated woman. She documents everything and told me last night that it will be just a matter of time when it all gets released.
Jill said on October 26, 2011
Until this happened, Mr. Bellar was not known as a church going kinda guy. He can just use it to make political gains as in the last election he had angered so many long standing supporters that this was just what he needed to convince some very gullible people that he “was on their side.” He should resign with his long list of unethical behavior, conflicts of interest with his insurance company always benefiting from commissions gained with policies for the town. But mostly, there are so many instances of, trivial and otherwise, of him using intimidation and an assumption that everyone else but he and his white elite are stupid. Some call the board of aldermen just a bunch of trained monkeys although there was at least one who allegedly was so mad about the mayor not informing anyone for 11 months about this threat of a lawsuit that he refused to put up a cross in his yard and he is a minister! Some are definitely getting people slowing down and mostly glaring at them obviously out of anger about not having a cross in the yard but I have seen it and it averages out to maybe 2 in 7 who have a cross, that isn’t a majority if one uses math that the rest of the world uses. Funny; however, are the two or three known drug people who have put up crosses in their yards but it is who you’re related to as to whether you get prosecuted for that and meth is a big way of making a living in Whiteville. Even in good times, the area has been more of the “hood” since, some lifelong residents say, Mr.Bellar took office about 20 years ago.
Also, the cross will go back up. After consulting with Somerville where the cross on a water tower in that town, they have found a way to sell the water tower to some wireless internet service (which we may or may not get here). In Somerville, it was sold to some christian advertising company and then the inside of the water tower is leased to the city to hold/store water for the town. That is what will happen here. Then, they will be able to claim it is on private property while the water supply remains in the same location. Oh, and the mayor’s wife makes well over 60K for exactly 2.5 days per week to run the water system. She was chosen over people who were actually qualified and actually worked there (and still do the work) who are qualified. Oh, then there is the Humane Society Thrift store run by his friends who get tax money approved by the board, from time to time for shutting down their store if there is a street fair or whatever the lame excuse is at the time. Never mind that none of the money goes for care of animals, most founding members left and work with the county to actually take care of animals, and the couple who run it have insulted just about everyone in town. They are not really associated with the Humane Society, a very loose organization anyway (and not like the ASPCA which is professional). No animals have ever been helped in any way by these people but they sure take extravagant trips with the mayor and his wife a few times a year and considering they don’t work, well…
There are tons more things and I hear more, although few, people are starting to carry micro camcorders and keep their phones handy for documenting things. I think the mayor and some others just have not had to deal with the outside world that much. I think he still believes that he is above the law, well that he IS the law. Just give him enough rope…
Jill said on October 24, 2011
The mayor DOES NOT treat people whom he deems different as equal and typically has his select goons harass them in all sorts of ways (this includes some pious police but not all of them). He is the stereotypical corrupt southern politician who has profited from his insurance company supplying policies for the town and has been paid handsomely by a private prison corporation to allow their prisons to be built there. I have heard that he constantly makes life difficult for those who question him on anything. He has tons of double standards. My family who lives there is always worried if they question anything they will be run out of town.
bbridson said on October 26, 2011
Jill, I am intrigued and disgusted. Who ever heard of a self-righteous, corrupt christian in a position of power?
Troubleshooter said on October 18, 2011
Someone would be well advised to let Mayor Bellar know that it is his job to treat with ALL the citizens of Whiteville, whether he agrees with their beliefs (or lack thereof!) or not. If he can’t deal with that or with the possibility that one or more of the residents of his town don’t believe in god, then He Should RESIGN.
bbridson said on October 18, 2011
I agree. The law is the fucking law, regardless of how he personally feels about it. Suck it up or get the hell out!