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Freethought Hall to Be 'Born Again'

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Freethought Hall to Be 'Born Again' Complimentary Copy Join FFRF Now! Vo1. 30 No. 4 Published by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. May 2013 Freethought Hall to be ‘born again’ To kick off the Freedom From Re- The third story will include a studio for ready claimed by thoughtful ligion Foundation’s 35th anniversary radio and TV, and the entire second and generous donors. The au- as a national group (formed in April story will become a dedicated legal ditorium will be named 1978), FFRF has announced an ambi- wing. Continued on tious building expansion. The city of A two-story lobby with security fea- page 12 Madison, Wis., gave final approval to tures will lead to additional administra- the building plans April 8, and FFRF tive offices in the addition’s first floor. purchased the adjacent property for its A portrait of principal founder expansion April 16. Groundbreaking is President Emerita Anne Gaylor, set for early fall on a four-story addition 86, will hang in the lobby. A to be completed by late spring 2014. lobby wall will be etched A third-story library topped by a cu- with the names of the pola, to be completed by summer 2014, largest donors. Those will also be added to the existing build- giving $5,000 or ing. A spiral staircase will lead visitors more will be rec- from the library to the cupola, provid- ognized on lob- ing a unique view of the Capitol and by plaques. space for five or six people to meet or S o m e lunch in. “naming FFRF’s modest two-story building, rights” built in 1855 and purchased in 1990, a r e is named Freethought Hall in honor al- of Wisconsin’s proud secular tradition. Freethought Hall will get a face lift and be “born again” into an impressive multilevel office building. The project will more than quadruple office space (and, “hallejulah,” more than triple the restrooms). There will be plenty of space to add much-needed new staff- ers. The addition’s fourth story will be a true hall — a full-story auditorium with a stage, high ceiling, catering kitchen- ette and audio-visual accoutrements. Jesus ‘resurrected’ for Day of Prayer A “Head of Christ” painting was Inside This Issue removed in early April from Jackson High School in Jackson, Ohio, after FFRF and the ACLU of Ohio sued in federal court. It was the second move of the Jesus portrait since the lawsuit was filed in February. In March, the Jackson City School District moved the painting Meet legal interns from the middle school, where it had Page 2 reportedly hung since 1947, to the high school. ‘My An offended high school student memorable and a parent of a high school student fortunately stepped forward and were atheist mom’ added to the amended complaint. AF- Page 10 ter a closed hearing before U.S. Dis- trict Judge Algenon Marbley, a Clin- ton appointee, the district voluntarily removed the painting from the high school. The Ohio ACLU and FFRF Jesus had a place of honor May 2 at the city’s National Day of Prayer event, FFRF takes then voluntarily withdrew a motion for held at the Memorial Building, which houses the mayor’s office and other city National Day of a restraining order to force the district offices. A local member tells FFRF, “I’m concerned that the Sallman print is Prayer protest to remove the painting. now going to be trotted out as some sort of effigy every time there’s a public to D.C. “Our insurance company denied event in Jackson.” Page 9 Continued on page 17 Page 2 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin May 2013 Meet the Legal Interns Meet a military indoctrinate children are amusing and terrifying at the same time. veteran legal intern My legal interests are: Fairly narrow Name: Travis Bohn. — criminal prosecution and Establish- When and where I was born: San Di- ment Clause. ego, Calif.. 1983. My legal heroes are: Oliver Wendell Family: Yes. Holmes, the great dissenter. And each Education: B.A. in English, empha- of the staff attorneys at FFRF, who all sis in publishing, from the University work daily to make the world a more of Wisconsin-Green Bay. I expect to intelligent, educated and peaceful graduate from the UW Law School in place. 2014. These three words sum me up: My religious upbringing was: Skeptical, curious, persistent. Freethought. Things I like: Reality TV, cheap How I came to work as an FFRF legal sugar (calorie-dense, completely un- intern: While on active duty in the U.S. healthy snacks), awkward situations, Navy, I was subject to constant prosely- whiskey-fueled political debates, vindi- tizing from my superiors. Onboard a cation. ship in the middle of the ocean, there Things I smite: Reality TV (bipolar was no place to which I could escape. Travis Bohn (left) and Jarvis Idowu are interning with FFRF’s legal staff. relationship here), proud ignorance, There were prayers at most mandatory cowardice or acquiescence, truth told events, even during meals and fitness with bad intentions, vegetables, bland- tests. Some specialist programs even intelligent conversation, cooking and gage the topic. ness. mandated a chaplain’s intervention swimming. I came to law school with the dual My loftiest goal: To be a district at- before proceeding. Things I smite: We live in an era desire to pursue Establishment Clause torney by age 35 and to somehow play I was personally denied entrance with unprecedented access to informa- and prosecutorial work. When I discov- a role in making the 19% [“nones”] into such a program on the recom- tion. If you get all your news from one ered that FFRF was based in Madison, into the 51%. mendation of my command’s Chris- source, you’re doing it wrong. it was a no-brainer. If tian chaplain, who wasn’t convinced My loftiest goal: To sit on the bench. I hadn’t been hired, Photo: Dan Barker of my moral fitness based on the fact Fun fact: When I was about 10 years I would have volun- that I did not belong to a faith group. old, I wanted to be a Ninja Turtle when teered in whatever It was uncomfortable and unconstitu- I grew up. capacity they would tional. There are no faith groups or have had me. chaplains for nonreligious, humanist What I do here: service members, despite having more And a legal skeptic Address state/church self-identified members than Jews, shall guide you complaints, mostly by Muslims, Hindu and Buddhists. I want letter. At times I have to prevent others from going through Name: Jarvis K. Idowu. drafted memos on what I did, and FFRF allows me to help. Where and when I was born: Brook- specific legal issues What I do here: I assist the staff at- lyn, N.Y., Sept. 25, 1985. that require further torneys on legal matters. I research Family: Mother, Kathy; father, Bill; research or contact new developments in the law and draft brother, John; and sister, Anna. complainants to get letters of complaint. Education: Skidmore College, Sara- more information. What I like best about it: This is so toga Springs, N.Y., B.A. in philoso- What I like best different from law school. I’m helping phy; University of Wisconsin-Madison about it: Everything! to achieve real change for real people. School of Law, J.D. candidate 2015. Religious fanaticism It’s an extremely rewarding experience My religious upbringing was: Noth- is the call to arms, if to make a difference in the lives of our ing really. I went to a private Quaker you will, for my gen- members. They are not always in a school, and my dad was raised Jewish. eration. Had I been position to help themselves and often We celebrated Christmas and Hanuk- born in the ’60s, I face retribution. kah, but there was never any question would have been in Something funny that’s happened — our family was and remains nonthe- dereliction of my at work: I recently learned about Wis. ists, atheists, nonbelievers or what have moral duties as a hu- Stat. § 97.18, which makes it illegal for you. But I do think the family has be- man to idly observe restaurants to substitute margarine for come more impassioned about secular- the civil rights and butter unless requested by a customer. ism recently. anti-war movements. The penalty: up to three months in jail How I came to work as an FFRF The same is true now for a first offense; up to a year for each legal intern: Ever since my work on in the face of reli- subsequent offense. the Obama campaign in 2008, I’ve gious fanaticism and Happy 91st, Joe! My legal interests are: I want to help been passionate about secularism. its affronts to scientif- Joe Chern turned 91 on April 22. Joe was born in 1922, people. It’s really that simple. I devoured everything I could find ic and social progress. and his wife, Joyce, who is 90, was born on April 19, My legal heroes are: The always pro- by Hitchens, Dawkins, the “Skeptics’ Something funny 1923. Joe, who lives in the Madison area, has been a saic Justice Fergus O’Donnell, a Cana- Guide to the Universe,” etc., I attend- that’s happened at member of FFRF since 1979, only a year after FFRF dian jurist who writes with a sharpened ed meet-up groups on atheism, joined work: Most of the became a national organization. He volunteered with wit that appeals to my sense of humor.
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