DarkBronzePlant

Well, my f'ed up state House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee just passed through HB-1128, a bill requiring "In God We Trust" to be posted in all state buildings and schools. Yippee. Theocracy here we come.

I wouldn't even be quite so pissed off if I hadn't read the dribble masquerading as an argument for it:



What the hell does posting that crap have to do with supporting the troops? Can you say playing upon people's emotions with a Red Herring?

From the Boulder Atheist folks I know who went to testify, there were about twice as many people testifying against the bill as there were testifying for it. So much for listening to your consituents, I guess...

the sad story

beejay

From the same story.

Now is it true that this has only passed a House committee and you still have the full House and Senate to go?

(Indiana has a similar bill for schools. It passed the Senate, as it frequently does. The House usually ignores it, but who knows this time.)

Psycho Economist

Wow... if I lived in Colorado, I'd be half-tempted to join the infantry so I could write my state legislator about his curious way of showing support for me.

Alonzo Fyfe

At the next hearing, may I offer the following soundbites, that might have a good chance of getting on the air and in the papers. They are also suitable for letters to the editor and similar presentations.


Soundbyte 1

"A national policy of dividing one's population into groups of "we" and "they" is not usually the type of thing we claim to be sending our soldiers into the field to fight FOR. In fact, it has traditionally been one of the defining characteristics of those governments we have found ourselves fighting AGAINST!"


Soundbyte 2

"You honor nobody by promoting a policy of dividing a nation's population into groups of "we" and "they". You honor nobody because such a policy is wrong, and nobody can be honored by having a wrong done in their name."


And, if I may, this link to my "hypothetical testimony" on In God We Trust presents some other ideas.

Hypothetical Testimony: In God We Trust

DarkBronzePlant

That's correct. Fromwhat I am told, though, the best place to kill bills such as this are in committee. Unless, as you suggest, the bill is never brought up in full House or Senate; I don't know the odds of that happening.

DarkBronzePlant

Well, it's passed the House now ...

Feather

But they're not establishing any particular religion, mind you.

Stephen Maturin

That stinks, DBP. Any word at all on the chances of beating this thing in the state senate?

BTW, anyone who wants to read the bill and track its progress through the legislature can do so by going here and typing "1128" in the seach box. This one includes some roaringly over-the-top legislative "findings," including but not limited to this little beauty:

The substantive provisions of the bill even create a civil cause of action that allows taxpayers to enforce the public display requirement.

If there's any bright side at all here, it may be that the bill passed the house by a fairly narrow 36 - 28 margin. Seems there are a number of Colorado legislators who, unlike their counterparts in Congress, aren't willing to suck a mile of fundamentalist schlong to avoid looking "un-American."

gravitybow

That turns the whole concept of "standing" on its head. Even if I don't have children, If I don't see the God plaque in a classroom, I can bring a lawsuit and make some money on it. This should be called the "busybody" clause.

Dr Rick

The one bright spot in this whole thing is that the poll on DBP's link shows that the majority of respondents oppose the measure, but I've changed my profile to more fully reflect my location, anyhow.

Rick