Tom Sgouros: Short Takes
Monday, January 16, 2012
A prayer for Cranston
I couldn't help but applaud federal judge Ronald Lagueux's decision that the prayer posted in the Cranston West auditorium was, in fact, a prayer. It's hard to see how anyone could think it otherwise. Lagueux looked carefully at the wording, but he needn't have bothered; it says "School Prayer" right at the top, right before the beginning: "Our Heavenly Father..." It's harder still to see how anyone could think this was not a violation of the establishment clause in the bill of rights. As i am so often reminded by gun control opponents, the constitution is the law of our land.
And yes, there is some value to tradition and history, but Judge Lagueux said it best: "The retention of the prayer mural is no doubt a nod to Cranston West's tradition and history, yet that nod reflects the nostalgia felt by some members of the community who remember fondly when the community was sufficiently homogeneous that the religion of its majority could be practiced in public schools with impunity."
I'd add that the tradition and history of our own state is one that respects freedom of conscience. Roger Williams was a key player in the development of the legal principle we now know as the separation of church and state. (His words from 1670: "Forc't worshpp stincks in Gods nostrils.") Being one of the vital steps western civilization took to put a stop to religious persecution and violence, our state's role in that development is something we should be proud of.
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One of the downsides of this affair is the Christians in Cranston who apparently didn't read the part of the prayer that reads, "Help us to be good sports and smile when we lose as well as when we win." Some of these folks have been harassing and threatening Jessica Ahlquist, the plaintiff in the case. You can find some of the delightful comments she's been receiving via Facebook and Twitter recorded here, but they're likely to ruin your day, so you might just want to take my word for it. The really astonishing thing is that there doesn't seem to be a prominent political figure in Cranston aside from Andrea Iannazzi, the school committee chair, willing to say, "cool it" to these folks.
Representative Peter Palumbo called Ahlquist an "evil little thing" on John DePetro's radio show, and if Allan Fung has uttered a word on her behalf it hasn't been quoted anywhere I've looked, though he has gone out of his way to criticize Judge Lagueux. In his decision, Lagueux noted that Fung had reaffirmed his support for keeping the banner right where it is at a speech he gave at Cranston West during a "Diversity Week" last spring, right after giving a speech about discrimination he'd faced in politics.
Like last month's kerfuffle about Christmas decorations in the state house, the reaction to all this is pretty much the standard. The details vary from one incident to another, but the bottom line is simple. There is substantial political advantage available to those who can successfully claim they are oppressed. It certainly hasn't always been this way, but it is this way now, and this is why we get the spectacle of prominent Christians complaining about the oppression of Christians. Newt Gingrich said in a New Hampshire debate earlier this month, "there's a lot more anti-Christian bigotry today than there is concerning the other side." Rick Perry chimed in that President Obama is waging a "war on religion." Rick Santorum consistently portrays himself as a warrior fighting to turn back the scourge of gay marriage and abortion.
To these people, "oppression" seems to be defined as being forbidden from forcing their religious beliefs on others. The Peter Palumbos of Rhode Island are no better if they can't see the point of deference to the Constitution. Sadly, so long as we continue to care about preventing the oppression of minorities, we will have majorities trying to charge oppression, however absurdly. We may as well get used to it.
Appreciation
For those who would like to find a concrete way to express appreciation for a young woman's determination to see the rule of law prevail, and maybe counter some of the unpleasantness she has and will endure at school and online, there is a scholarship fund for her college education established and collecting funds online. Click here to see. The fundraiser is being sponsored by an association of atheists, but you don't have to be an atheist to admire Jessica's resolve and grace and to want to find a way to counter the ill will being shown her.
Tom Sgouros is the editor of the Rhode Island Policy Reporter, at whatcheer.net and the author of "Ten Things You Don't Know About Rhode Island." Contact him at [email protected].
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