According to this release from Americans United for Separation of Church and State, there is a bill before the House Judiciary Committee that would discourage individuals from challenging church-state infringements by government officials.
The bill would eliminate the recovery of legal fees for plaintiffs who file successful lawsuits. The reason given is to make it more difficult for people to sue for the removal of religious symbols from public property but as usual that is just a smoke screen.
According to the AU release, "it is much more sweeping than that and would deny reimbursement in conflicts ranging from government-sponsored religion in public schools to taxpayer funding for religious schools and other ministries."
The AU's executive director, the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, says, "Our constitutional freedoms don’t count for much if individuals don’t have the financial means to bring their legitimate claims before the bar of justice. "
Of course, the religious right doesn't want freedom for people to disagree with their view of government. They don't want an equal voice--they want to be the only voice. This would be another step in that direction.
If your congressman serves on this committee, I urge you to call their office and state your opposition for this bill.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment