First Amendment heroes secure funding!!

Hamilton County for Separation of Church and State or the JLA?

I could not be more proud. Today I read the following message on Facebook:

"We have raised over $5,000 thanks to all the SOCAS supporters out there!! A special thanks to Gordon Maples, Steve Ahlquist and Hemant Mehta for getting our story and link out through their blogs enabling us to meet our fundraising goals!!"

A few days ago, I was asked to get the word out on my blog so as to help Hamilton County for Separation of Church and State to raise the $5000 they needed to continue their First Amendment fight to get rid of the opening prayer at Hamilton County legislative sessions. To that end Tommy Coleman and Brandon Jones have sued Hamilton County, and as everybody knows, lawsuits cost money.

Two days later not only did they make their $5000 goal, but these guys gave me a shout out and some thanks. They are a class act, and I am proud to call these guys friends, even if so far we are only friends on Facebook.

Let me get emo here: This is how we win. By working together, and supporting causes like this. While the national groups work on membership drives and high profile church/state issues and the bloggers for the most part deal with philosophical and social issues with little bearing on the day-to-day lives of non-believers, local groups and local activists are in the trenches putting their all into winning the kinds of battless that make differences in people's lives.

Take a look at that picture at the top of the page. Hamilton County for Separation of Church and State. It's like a real life Justice League. They are standing up for this country and for the Constitution and for the rights of believers and non-believers alike. Truth, Justice and the American Way. Tommy Coleman and Brandon Jones are superheroes. Not everyone can come out as an atheist, and fewer still can safely come out against the rampant abuses of religious privilege in our country. Coleman and Jones are like Peter Parker: they realize that with great power come great responsibility, and they're willing to fight.

I am proud to have had anything to do with this, but all the credit, kudos and appreciation should go to the people on the front lines.

Inspiring, isn't it?