Posted on 09/03/2006 6:17:29 PM PDT by Ben Mugged
The God Bless America poster that used to hang in the Lompoc post office lobby is now in the back room out of public view.
That's the way Lompoc resident Matt Hughes likes it.
Hughes, a vocal atheist and advocate for the separation of church and state, was offended by the sign and complained to the postmaster, who ordered it taken down last month.
The red, white and blue poster has a large American flag above the words “God Bless America.”
Post office employees were as offended as Hughes, not by the poster but by the postmaster's decision.
“We're just upset and we're offended that we can't show support for our country,” said Cathy Hefferman, lobby director at the post office. “This is a time that you need to do that.”
Hefferman said Hughes had every right to ask that the sign be taken down. But she said postal employees had a right to be able to keep the poster where they work.
Hughes disagreed.
“They posted a religious expression, in this case, a prayer, and it's not the business of our government to be promoting religion,” Hughes said. “That's the business of our churches.”
The poster had been hanging on a wall above the customer service area since 2001. It was placed there, where clerks accept packages from customers, shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Hughes said a supervisor's initial response to his request was resistant.
“I first spoke to a supervisor who told me, ‘It's not coming down,'” Hughes said. “He refused and said ‘That's not coming down. You can complain to Washington if you want, but it's not coming down.'”
Several days later, Hughes discovered that it had been taken down.
(Excerpt) Read more at santamariatimes.com ...
“For some people, their god is named Jehovah or Allah. Some people worship Buddha. Some people worship the flying spaghetti monster. But the Christians and Jews have named their god, God with the capital G, and that's whose god was listed in the post office. If there is a god, I would wish he would bless everyone - not just America.”
This has got to stop......
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
Somebody bust his grille.
I say that everyone in that guys neighborhood and town should put up the biggest, tackies , most colorful posters screaming "GOD BLESS AMERICA"! exercising their freedom of speach and religion and as an added bonus bugging the shit out of that tard!
He's distracting them from their jobs.
Hey, if I find Matt Hughes' ugly mug offensive, can I have him thrown in the slammer?
Some people just need a swift kick in the @ss.
I am offended that it was taken down. But no one cares.
If he doesn't like the values of this country, he should leave it for some country where he won't have to get offended!
-----
Cuba would be just right for him, and the city officials that pander to these Godless liberal commies.
I'm beginning to think there is only one way to deal with these people. Reason is not the one way.
Truth is, this kinda crap just wants to make you... Go Postal
I'm an atheist and I can tell you, this stuff doesn't bother me in the slightest. This little putz is just looking to "make a point" other than the one on his head.
That's right, Hughes, it's ALL about what YOU want, not the majority of Americans. barf People need to stand up and demand that the "God Bless America" poster be rehung.
There is more outrage from the left about this poster....where was the outrage that Mexican flag was flying over a US Post office???...oh!, that's right...the US needs to be pc and celebrate diversity!
Will the Treasury follow suit and yank currency with "IN GOD WE TRUST" on it?
Perhaps if mention of God and the Ten Commandments had not been removed from public schools, the words "Thou Shalt not Kill" would have been a thought-provoking visual for some students who needed the message before conducting violence on their teachers and peers.
I'm offended by people who are offended all the damn time. Just because a very small minority of miserable self loathing A-holes whine and bit@h about everything, why should the rest of us pay the price?
Example: Christmas, Easter, The Holy Cross, The Bible, Jesus Christ, The American Flag.
If they are so offended, then move to Iran.
i said it in a previous post this morning, once asswhuppin went out out of style, this country started going to hell in a handbasket.......
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.