ShareThisA Wisconsin group recently sued the city of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. for its alleged role in the removal of a billboard promoting atheism.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation filed the lawsuit in U.S. district court in Los Angeles against the city and the director of its redevelopment agency, Linda Daniels.
The group had paid for a billboard that said "Imagine No Religion" in large letters on a stained-glass background. Ontario, Calif.-based General Outdoor Advertising took down the billboard Nov. 20, less than a week after the company put it up.
Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the group that represents atheists and agnostics, said the city violated the First Amendment by contacting General Outdoor to relay complaints from city residents about the billboard.
That illustrated a violation of free-speech rights and an unconstitutional city endorsement of religion, the suit says. The city regulates General Outdoor, and the phone call amounted to pressure, she said.
City Attorney Jim Markman called the lawsuit "frivolous." The city only notified General Outdoor about the approximately 90 complaints that it received on the billboards as it notifies other companies and organizations when they receive complaints about their actions, he said.
E-mail David Olson at dolson(at)pe.com
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Must credit The Press-Enterprise of Riverside, Calif.
The problem with this
The problem with this atheistic billboards is that they are negative. By promoting atheism their bashing religion. Why don't we put a sign up saying "Imagine no Blacks" would that be offensive? Why is "Imagine no religion" not offensive?
How about one that says:
How about one that says:
"Imagine No Superstition"
is THAT offensive?
Black people exist; religion
Black people exist; religion is a myth. Grammar are an good.
Imagine No Blacks?
Because religion is a concept, not a concrete thing.
atheist billboard
Do religiholics worry about offending gays?
People in stained glass houses shouldn't throw
stones!
Uphold the separation of church and state
Removing something because it is "offensive" is a violation of free speech. Ceasing to police others for speaking their minds is an imperative goal of a progressive society.
Contrary to what others say, a racist sign deserves the same protection. By the way, race is also a concept, not a concrete thing (it is defined broadly and on different terms in different times and places - did you know Polish and Irish used to be 'races' on the US Census?).
At the same time, the sign did not say "Imagine no Christians", and is hardly an incitement to violence, hatred, or intolerance.
Its removal by the city constitutes an attack on everyone's inalienable right to freely express themselves.
Imagine
If someone put up a sign with "Prayer Changes Things" there is no way in (nonexistent) Hell that an Atheist group could get that sign removed!
So much for the concept of free speech and the separation of church and state in Rancho Kookamunga, California!
Don't for a moment believe
Don't for a moment believe that RC believes in free speech. Plus, the head of the redevelopment agency called the company that owned the billboard and asked for it's removal. She can be reached at.
> Linda.Daniels@cityofrc.us
The city manager can be reached at.
> Jack.Lam@cityofrc.us