Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Shame on you Trent Franks

I wanted to write a thank you to the nine house representatives who voted NO to House Resolution 847 to "Recognize the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith" but they have blockers so that only their constituents can send emails. Then nine who I'd like to thank are:

Gary Ackerman (D-NY)
Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
Diana DeGette (D-CO)
Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Bobby Scott (D-VA)
Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
Pete Stark (D-CA)

Please write your representative and let them know how you feel about this vote.

As The Exterminator points out:

the House has now formalized, in whatever small way, four very scary ideas.
They're not stated explicitly, but implied, although the meanings are clear nonetheless. In the following list, the numbers correspond to the highlighted portions of the document that support each idea. (The highlighting and numbering are mine.)
Idea 1:
America is a Christian nation: 1, 2, 3, 5
Idea 2:
America was founded as a Christian nation: 3, 5
Idea 3:
Christians in America are being assailed by secularists and need support: 4, 6
Idea 4:
The United States has a mission to defend worldwide Christianity against its enemies: 2, 6, 7


So borrowing from his bullet points I've written the following to Trent Franks (R-AZ) who voted Yes:

Shame on you for voting for House Resolution 847 to “Recognize the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.” I am not a Christian. I do not believe in the supernatural. And while I enjoy any holiday that gives me a paid day off from work accompanied by rich food and festive lighting, I don’t enjoy the constant threat against reason from superstition. The separation between Church and State is growing ever thinner and I’m saddened that you were not one of the nine representatives willing to stand up to enforce that line. America is not a Christian nation, it was not founded as a Christian nation, Christians are not being assailed by secularists -- if anything it’s the non-Christians that are being assailed -- and the United States should not be on a mission to defend worldwide Christianity against its enemies.

Only nine were willing to stand up and say “No” to theocracy. You weren’t one of them. Shame on you.

5 comments:

The Exterminator said...

I like your email very much. My rep is a religious-right nutjob who would probably love getting this note from a non-Christian; it would prove to him that he was making inroads against the secularists.

Have you thought about sending your note to your local newspaper?

Anonymous said...

Exterminator's idea about sending your email to the newspaper is a good one. It's a good letter that needs to be read by as many people as possible.

Also, you may be able to get your email to Pat Leahy, senator from Vermont. Since he's head of the judiciary committee, my emails get through to him and I'm on his email list now. I get updates from him all time, even though I live in Virginia.

Anonymous said...

Exterminator's idea about sending your email to the newspaper is a good one. It's a good letter that needs to be read by as many people as possible.

Also, you may be able to get your email to Pat Leahy, senator from Vermont. Since he's head of the judiciary committee, my emails get through to him and I'm on his email list now. I get updates from him all time, even though I live in Virginia.

PhillyChief said...

Ah, yours is more sweet and nice. :)

I thought you were just trying to write the ones who voted against it. Now I see you've changed your mind. Good.

John Evo said...

Hey, no surprise about Pete Stark being on that list. Too bad he's the only open atheist in Congress - EVER.