DOCSLIB.ORG

Two Fewer Christian Flags Fly in Secular Nation

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Two Fewer Christian Flags Fly in Secular Nation Vol. 32 No. 6 Published by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. August 2015 FFRF, secular groups file Florida discrimination suit The Brevard County, Fla., Board of other lesser matters? But if religious Commissioners’ policy of excluding citizens are permitted to open county nontheists from offering premeeting board meetings with invocations, then invocations is unconstitutional, sever- secular invocations must also be per- al civil liberties groups say in a feder- mitted.” al lawsuit filed July 7 in U.S. District “Brevard County’s invocation policy Court in Orlando. blatantly discriminates against people The suit filed by the Freedom From who do not believe in God,” said Alex Religion Foundation, Americans Unit- Luchenitser, associate legal director of ed for Separation of Church and State, Americans United and lead counsel. the American Civil Liberties Union “Such rank discrimination is plainly and the American Civil Liberties unconstitutional.” Union of Florida on behalf of multi- The lawsuit notes that in Town of ple plaintiffs asserts that the county’s Greece v. Galloway, the U.S. Supreme persistent rejection of atheists, human- Court made clear that local govern- ists and other nontheists who want to ments cannot discriminate based on deliver solemnizing messages at board religion when choosing who will de- meetings violates the U.S. and Florida liver statements to open government constitutions. meetings. This is the first legal chal- Plaintiffs include the Central Flor- lenge following the Greece decision’s ida Freethought Community (a chap- provision for secular invocations. ter of FFRF) and its chair David Wil- Florida Today reported that the liamson, the Space Coast Freethought commission voted unanimously to af- Association and its president Chase firm its policy on the same day the suit Plaintiffs Ronald Gordon (left), David Williamson, Chase Hansel, Keith Becher Hansel, the Humanist Community of was filed by limiting invocations to rep- and Jeffery Koeberl at the Brevard County Government Center in Viera, Fla. the Space Coast and its president Keith resentatives of the “faith-based com- Becher, and Brevard County resident munity.” Commissioner Curt Smith’s Ronald Gordon. resolution, approved without discus- filed, Daniel Mach, director of the for public voices, then it must make it “The framers of our entirely secular sion, specifies that nonbelievers can ACLU Program on Freedom of Reli- open to all voices. They don’t get to and godless Constitution did not find only speak during the public comment gion and Belief, said, “The government pick and choose.” it necessary to pray during the four portion of meetings. should never play favorites with belief. Williamson v. Brevard County is being months the Constitutional Convention Williamson said after the meeting The county’s discriminatory policy is litigated by Mach, Luchenitser and met,” said FFRF Co-President Annie that the resolution was “extremely dis- unfair and unconstitutional.” Americans United Legal Fellow Joshua Laurie Gaylor. “Why then should it be appointing. We just want equal protec- ACLU of Florida Legal Director Hoffer, Rebecca Markert and Andrew necessary for county commissioners to tion under the law.” Nancy Abudu said, “If a government Seidel of FFRF and Abudu and Daniel pray over liquor licenses, variances and In a statement when the suit was decides to have a forum that is open Tilley of the ACLU of Florida. FFRF complaint letters have led to Americans United for Separation of removal of two Christian flags. The city Church and State settled a lawsuit for Legal wins: Two fewer of Glencoe, Ala., took down a Christian $500,000 in January against King, N.C., flag from in front of its police station which had refused to remove a flag of next to City Hall, where it flew along- the same design. Christian flags fly in side the U.S. and state of Alabama Continued on page 2 flags. Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel first secular nation wrote to the city in February about Inside This Issue the unconstitutional endorsement of religion. “The Christian flag was de- signed by Protestants in the early 20th You can be century and continues to be displayed good without in Protestant churches throughout the god country. It features a Latin cross — the page 7 most significant symbol of Christiani- ty. Moreover, each of the flag’s colors represents a different aspect of Chris- tianity: Blue refers to ritual baptism in water, white to biblical conceptions of Atoms and Eve purity and red to the crucifixion of Je- incompatible sus Christ.” page 8–10 WBRC-TV reported July 3 that the city council decided to remove the flag in mid-June after meeting in executive session. Mayor Charles Gilchrist said the city attorney told the council it could be costly to keep the flag up and Remembering end up on the wrong end of a lawsuit. Anne Gaylor “I have to look out for the best inter- page 11–14 ests of the city,” said Gilchrist, adding he was unhappy the flag had to come down. This Birmingham blog confuses asking for compliance with the law with bullying. Page 2 Freethought Today Madison, Wisconsin August 2015 of them) to find a more “agreeable” ligion to turning against it. Meet a staffer Christian denomination. We even in- Things I like: The Green Bay Pack- terviewed every pastor after the cere- ers, free and accessible birth control, mony with the same set of questions. hugs, Hall and Oates and a good craft I just could not get into any beliefs brew. about the supernatural or eternal sal- Things I smite: Scott Walker and vation, though I met many wonderful, mayonnaise. well-meaning people. In my golden years: A house and It was when I entered the helping boat up in Door County will be right profession that I witnessed the harm up my alley. caused by the judgmental policing FFRF sends its best wishes to Chelsea in behaviors of religious institutions. I her new career, and we will miss her. switched from being turned off by re- Welcome to 15 new Lifetime FFRF Members! The Freedom From Religion Foun- North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Or- dation gratefully announces 15 new egon, Texas and Virginia. Lifetime Members. They are: Individual Lifetime Memberships George Covington, Lawrence David- are $1,000 designated as a new mem- son, William Dean French, Gerald Mc- bership or membership renewal, mean Fatridge, Don Mershon, Steve Scholl, nary another renewal notice and go Yvonne Scholl, Mary Schulatz, Stephen into rainy-day reserves. Memberships Seewer, James Strayer, Maggie Syming- and donations are deductible for in- ton, Diane Taylor, William Thomas, Ze- come-tax purposes, as FFRF is a 501(c) nas Van Slyck and Robert Weissman. (3) nonprofit. Jim Strayer’s membership was a sur- Thank you Robert, Zenas, William, prise gift from Hal Strayer, also a Life- Diane, Maggie, Hal, Stephen, Mary, time Member. Yvonne, Steve, Don, Gerald, William, States represented are California, Lawrence and George! Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Jake Swenson photo Chelsea Culver on the new balcony at Freethought Hall. Two fewer Christian flags Name: Chelsea Culver. death with dignity and end-of-life deci- Continued from front page Where and when I was born: Green sion making. Bradley County Judge Keith Neely Bay, Wis., Jan. 15, 1991. What gets old about it: So many pa- ordered removal of an “Appeal to Education: B.S. from the Universi- per cuts! Heaven” banner from a courthouse ty of Wisconsin-Stout; master of social I spend a lot of time thinking about: flagpole in Warren, Ark. Staff Attorney work, University of Wisconsin-Madison. How beautiful the weather looks from Patrick Elliott wrote Neely on June 16 How I came to work at FFRF: The my window, and what else can I slather that the flag was “government endorse- mission and values of FFRF appealed peanut butter on? ment of Christianity, a blatant violation to me. In my role as a social worker, I I spend little if any time thinking of the Establishment Clause.” am not always able to speak up about about: This is tough to answer, but It had been flying directly below religiously motivated rejection and probably anything related to computer the Arkansas state flag for about 11 The Appeal to Heaven and Arkansas stigmatization that indubitably impacts or video games. I prefer the outdoors! months. Neely told the Saline River state flags at the courthouse last year families and communities. FFRF un- My religious upbringing was: Free- Chronicle in a July 6 story that a local in Warren, Ark. apologetically voices concerns about thought. pastor had requested the flag fly at the the harmful aspects of religion and My doubts about religion started: courthouse. The Chronicle reported Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin fights against religious interference in When my parents decided to send my Neely was told by legal advisers there railed against FFRF in a column at bre- our laws and government. I am incred- sister and me to Catholic school for could be “substantial financial liabil- itbart.com: “The judge found himself ibly sad to be leaving FFRF as I move “educational” reasons. We had never ity to the county” should a lawsuit be in a tough spot, and without the bud- into a permanent, hospice social work been part of a religious community filed. The flag’s design goes back to get to fight out-of-town lawyers, he was position. and didn’t quite fit in, though I played Revolutionary War times, but it’s now advised by the county attorney to re- What I do here: A little of every- along. My skepticism only grew after associated with the Appeal to Heaven move the historic flag. Well, the Free- thing! Mailings, sales, organizing stor- 12 years of theology classes.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Imposing Non-Legal Duties: Family, Religion, Patriotism and the Roots of Contemporary Conservatism
    IMPOSING NON-LEGAL DUTIES: FAMILY, RELIGION, PATRIOTISM AND THE ROOTS OF CONTEMPORARY CONSERVATISM Mark McGarvie, J.D., Ph.D. The College of William and Mary School of Law P.O. Box 8795 Williamsburg United States [email protected] 757-221-1737 Abstract This paper recognizes the legal separation of public and private spheres as characteristic of Americans’ ideas of democracy secured in their constitution. It asserts that political and social presssures emanating from right-wing or conservative movements are diminishing the distinction between public and private spheres in popular opinion. These movements recognize and encourage the existence of non-legal duties arising from family, patriotism, and religion. In asserting a broad-based social recognition of these duties, modern-day conservatives limit the scope of the private sphere and threaten the political autonomy upon which democratic self- government depends. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A huge conceptual gap exists between telling someone what he must do because the law mandates it and telling him what he should do because cultural values expect it. Yet, this distinction is less significant in the lives of most people than it is in academic or legal discourse. I argue here, with only a whisper of hyperbole, that the cultural diminution of this distinction threatens the basis of democracy by undermining individual autonomy and the protection of it in rights as the focus of law. Western law requires duties to be established by legislation or entered into by contract — nobody is compelled to accept another’s worldview or moral sense as determinative of his behavior. Moreover, the cultural imposition of non-legal duties frequently substitutes emotion for rational thought as grounds for imposing obligations.
    [Show full text]
  • T H E N at I O N a L C at H O L I C W E E K Ly Sept. 23, 2013 $3.50
    THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY SEPT. 23, 2013 $3.50 September 23, 2013 America 1 OF MANY THINGS P J U ew chapters in America’s long when he died suddenly in the summer history are a source of greater of 1967. 106 West 56th Street New York, NY 10019-3803 Fpride for us than our decades- Contemporary critiques of the Ph: 212-581-4640; Fax: 212-399-3596 long association with John Courtney Murray project suggest that his answer Subscriptions: 1-800-627-9533 Murray, S.J.; and nothing in the present was not necessarily wrong, but that www.americamagazine.org issue should be interpreted to the the compatibility question itself is twitter.com/americamag contrary. Father Murray was a friend, unanswerable, at least on the level at E C Matt Malone, S.J. associate editor and contributor to this which Murray pursued it. An answer at review for more than 20 years. In almost that macro level requires so many levels EXECUTIVE EDITORS Robert C. Collins, S.J., Maurice Timothy Reidy two dozen articles he explored the of abstraction that the result is often relationship between Catholicism and an unwieldy historical, philosophical or MANAGING EDITOR Kerry Weber American democracy, seeking to show theological superstructure that cannot LITERARY EDITOR Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. not “whether Catholicism is compatible support itself. SENIOR EDITOR & CHIEF CORRESPONDENT Kevin Clarke with American democracy,” a question It is almost certain, moreover, that Murray considered “invalid as that the answer to the compatibility EDITOR AT LARGE James Martin, S.J. well as impertinent,” but to show “that question, even in its most general form, POETRY EDITOR Joseph Hoover, S.J.
    [Show full text]
  • IRS on Behalf of Nonbelief Relief Preferential Treatment Treatment of Churches Vis-À-Vis Other Tax-Exempt Nonprofits
    Graduate / ‘older’ Why do we The bible student essay portray atheists as taught me that contest winners broken believers? God is a jerk PAGE 12-17 PAGE 5 PAGE 6 Vol. 35 No. 9 Published by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. November 2018 FFRF sues IRS on behalf of Nonbelief Relief Preferential treatment treatment of churches vis-à-vis other tax-exempt nonprofits. Nonbelief given to churches over Relief’s tax exemption was revoked annual financial report on Aug. 20 for failure to file the Form 990 return for three consecutive years. FFRF is taking the Internal Revenue Nonbelief Relief “has and will suffer Associated Press Service to court over yet another reli- harm, detriment and disadvantage as President Trump shows off the “religious freedom” executive order he signed on gion-related tax privilege. a result of the revocation of its tax- May 4, 2017, in the Rose Garden, surrounded by members of the faith community The national state/church watch- exempt status, including tax liabilities and Vice President Pence. dog filed a federal lawsuit Oct. 10 in and loss of charitable donations D.C. district court to challenge the which are no longer tax-deductible by preferential exemption of churches donors.” New Treasury report vindicates and related organiza- Nonbelief Relief is tions from reporting asking the court to re- FFRF’s stance on politicking ban annual information instate its tax-exempt returns required of status, and to enjoin FFRF welcomes a new report high- openly flout the law and are not held all other tax-exempt the IRS from continu- lighting deficiencies in the IRS’ en- accountable.” groups.
    [Show full text]
  • Qurrat Ann Kadwani: Still Calling Her Q!
    1 More Next Blog» Create Blog Sign In InfiniteBody art and creative consciousness by Eva Yaa Asantewaa Tuesday, May 6, 2014 Your Host Qurrat Ann Kadwani: Still calling her Q! Eva Yaa Asantewaa Follow View my complete profile My Pages Home About Eva Yaa Asantewaa Getting to know Eva (interview) Qurrat Ann Kadwani Eva's Tarot site (photo Bolti Studios) Interview on Tarot Talk Contact Eva Name Email * Message * Send Contribute to InfiniteBody Subscribe to IB's feed Click to subscribe to InfiniteBody RSS Get InfiniteBody by Email Talented and personable Qurrat Ann Kadwani (whose solo show, They Call Me Q!, I wrote about Email address... Submit here) is back and, I hope, every bit as "wicked smart and genuinely funny" as I observed back in September. Now she's bringing the show to the Off Broadway St. Luke's Theatre , May 19-June 4, Mondays at 7pm and Wednesdays at 8pm. THEY CALL ME Q is the story of an Indian girl growing up in the Boogie Down Bronx who gracefully seeks balance between the cultural pressures brought forth by her traditional InfiniteBody Archive parents and wanting acceptance into her new culture. Along the journey, Qurrat Ann Kadwani transforms into 13 characters that have shaped her life including her parents, ► 2015 (222) Caucasian teachers, Puerto Rican classmates, and African-American friends. Laden with ▼ 2014 (648) heart and abundant humor, THEY CALL ME Q speaks to the universal search for identity ► December (55) experienced by immigrants of all nationalities. ► November (55) Program, schedule and ticket information ► October (56) ► September (42) St.
    [Show full text]
  • WD Wis. Docket
    11/4/2017 ECF Western District of Wisconsin CLOSED U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin (Madison) CIVIL DOCKET FOR CASE #: 3:11-cv-00626-bbc Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. et al v. Geithner, Timothy Date Filed: 09/12/2011 et al Date Terminated: 01/06/2015 Assigned to: District Judge Barbara B. Crabb Jury Demand: None Referred to: Magistrate Judge Stephen L. Crocker Nature of Suit: 440 Civil Rights: Other Case in other court: Seventh Circuit, 14-01152 Jurisdiction: Federal Question Cause: 28:1331 Federal Question: Other Civil Rights Plaintiff Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. represented by Richard L. Bolton Boardman & Clark LLP 1 South Pinckney Street, 4th Floor P.O. Box 927 Madison, WI 53701-0927 608-283-1789 Fax: 608-283-1709 Email: [email protected] ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED Plaintiff Annie Laurie Gaylor represented by Richard L. Bolton (See above for address) ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED Plaintiff Anne Nicol Gaylor represented by Richard L. Bolton TERMINATED: 06/18/2013 (See above for address) ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED Plaintiff Dan Barker represented by Richard L. Bolton (See above for address) ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED V. Defendant Timothy Geithner represented by Erin Healy Gallagher Secretary of the United States Department U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division of the Treasury P.O. Box 7238 TERMINATED: 11/07/2011 Ben Franklin Station Washington, DC 20044 202-353-2452 Fax: 202-514-6770 Email: [email protected] LEAD ATTORNEY https://ecf.wiwd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/DktRpt.pl?491957568452776-L_1_0-1 1/10 11/4/2017 ECF Western District of Wisconsin ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED Richard Adam Schwartz United States Department of Justice, Tax Division P.O.
    [Show full text]
  • CNTV 457 Fall 2021 Syllabus.Docx
    CNTV 457 The Entertainment Entrepreneur: Getting your First Project Made Units: 2 Term: Fall 2021 Day—Time: Tuesdays, 7-10pm Location: SCA 110 Professors Sam Canter CEO/Partner, Psycho Films E-mail: [email protected] Office: (303)956-0609 Christian Sutton Partner/Director, Psycho Films E-mail: [email protected] Course Description This course will cover the practical aspects of why it is essential to be entrepreneurial within the changing landscape of the entertainment industry. Whether you strive to be a content creator, producer, writer, director, executive, or form your own business/creative venture, this course will help you identify how and why you should be creating your own projects. The content of this course will cover the benefits and pitfalls of developing your own content, companies, and/or partnerships. We will also explore the practical and real obstacles and opportunities you face as you leave USC SCA and begin to work in the entertainment industry. Where should I work? How do I make my projects? How do I start my own company or brand? In addition, key aspects of the producing process from both a creative and business executive side will be covered in the Film, TV, VR, and digital media spaces. The class will be broken down into 3 sections, “The Creative Process,” “Development and Production,” and “Marketing and Selling your Project.” Each class will feature panels or select speakers of industry professionals. Including top talent, producers, directors, studio executives, heads of production companies, lawyers, agents, managers, etc. In addition to seasoned veterans of the entertainment industry, this course will also include a series of guest speakers, all who began forging their own path in the industry during or immediately after college.
    [Show full text]
  • Enterprise WORDPRESS+FOR+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++RISE
    WORDPRESS+FOR+THE+ENTERPRISE++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORDPRESS+FOR+THE+ENTERPRIS+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORDPRESS+FOR+THE+ENTERPRI++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORDPRESS+FOR+THE+ENTERPR+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORDPRESS+FOR+THE+ENTERP++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORDPRESS+FOR+THE+ENTE++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORDPRESS+FOR+THE+ENT+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORDPRESS+FOR+THE+E+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORDPRESS+FOR+THE++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++E WORDPRESS+FOR+TH++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++SE WORDPRESS+FOR+T++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ISEEnterprise WORDPRESS+FOR+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++RISE WORDPRESS+FO+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++PRISE WORDPRESS+F+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++RPRISEWordPress WORDPRESS++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ERPRISE WORDPRES++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++TERPRISE WORDPRE+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++NTERPRISE10 CASE STUDIES WORDPR+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ENTERPRISEOF WORDPRESS AT SCALE WORDP++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++E+ENTERPRISE WORD+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++HE+ENTERPRISE WOR+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++THE+ENTERPRISE WO++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++R+THE+ENTERPRISE
    [Show full text]
  • Live Nation Revenue Wiped out by COVID; CEO Michael Rapino Sees Live Events in Full Swing Next Summer by Jill Goldsmith August 5, 2020 5:05Pm
    6/8/2020 Live Nation Revenue Wiped Out By COVID – Deadline TIP US HOME / BUSINESS / BREAKING NEWS Live Nation Revenue Wiped Out By COVID; CEO Michael Rapino Sees Live Events In Full Swing Next Summer By Jill Goldsmith August 5, 2020 5:05pm Courtesy Paramount Pictures https://deadline.com/2020/08/live-nation-revenue-wiped-out-by-covid-ceo-michael-rapino-sees-live-events-in-full-swing-next-summer-1203005595/ 1/10 6/8/2020 Live Nation Revenue Wiped Out By COVID – Deadline Let’s get this over with. Live Nation, which makes a living on live events, saw revenue plunge 98% last TIP US quarter to $74 million and swung to a loss of $588 million from a profit of $176 million the year before. It was the first full COVID-19 quarter and the company was expected to bleed red ink. CEO Michael Rapino can only look ahead. And he did as the company reported financial results for the three months ended in June. He said he expects live events to “return at scale in the summer of 2021,” with ticket sales ramping up in the quarters leading up to summer shows. He noted that 86% of fans opted to keep tickets for rescheduled shows and that two-thirds of fans are keeping tickets for canceled festivals so they can go to next year’s show. The company cited strong early ticket sales for festivals in the U.K. next summer, for example, with Download and Isle of Wight pacing well ahead of last year. ADVERTISEMENT RELATED STORY AMC Entertainment Q2 Revenues Plunge, Swings To The Red In "Most Challenging Quarter In 100-Year History" - CEO Adam Aron Between tickets held by fans for rescheduled shows and festival sales, the company, which owns Ticketmaster, said it’s already sold 19 million tickets to more than four thousand concerts and festivals scheduled for 2021, “creating a strong baseload of demand that is pacing well ahead of this point last year.” Can Live Nation last that long? Rapino says yes.
    [Show full text]
  • (2 Credits) TECHNOLOGY's IMPACT on ENTERTAINMENT and MEDIA
    BEMT DRAFT SYLLABUS COURSE IS UNDER REVISION TO GO DEEPER ON FEWER SUBJECT AREAS MKTG–UB.0023.04 (2 credits) TECHNOLOGY’S IMPACT ON ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA Spring 2018 |Wednesdays 6:30p -7:45pm Classroom: UC24 Professor: Scott Schiller Office Hours : By Appointment Phone: 917-513-7469 Email: [email protected] TF: Charlie Walters Email [email protected] COURSE BACKGROUND From the eyes of most consumers, media is very simple today: You want your content, your searches, your clicks, your social media comments. Whatever. Whenever. Wherever. Everyone’s a media publisher; everyone’s a media company. Technology has changed consumer behavior and expectations forever and is forcing dramatic evolutions of all forms of media and entertainment. How did this happen? Why did this happen? What will happen next? This course is designed to provide you with a r eal-world perspective for understanding the entertainment and media industry through the eyes of the technology -driven disruption that it is currently experiencing. By the end of this class, we hope that you will be conversant in the major issues, challenges, and opportunities that currently consume the management teams and investors/boards of media entities – both large and small. Through group work, class discussions and the investigation of real -life examples, you will further develop the skills/currency needed to succeed in any fast -moving business today. Having been fortunate to work at some of the most esteemed companies in media, I have experienced the dramatic changes that have consumed the media ecosystem. Today, with more content than ever, the proliferation of social media to distribute it, on- demand content like Netflix and Amazon, technology such as gaming computers and consoles, smartphones, and hardware like Roku and Amazon Fire, media players are all fighting for market share and revenues like never before.
    [Show full text]
  • The Passion of the Christ Six Years On
    The Passion of the Christ Six Years On: What Happened? By Don Perlgut (Appeared in Metro Magazine , issue 164, April 2010) http://www.metromagazine.com.au/magazine/pdfs/M164-Contents.pdf Introduction Opening on 25 February 2004, Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ confounded numerous critics and observers by becoming one of the most successful films of all time, particularly in the USA. The film also arrived with enormous controversy about its antisemitic portrayals and excessive violence, and resulted in an extraordinary media storm. Almost six years on, what has happened? Why was the film not as successful in Australia as in the USA? Were fears that the film would encourage a rise in antisemitism justified? Does Hollywood provide more films for the Christian audience who embraced The Passion ? Where has the audience gone? Antisemitism in The Passion of the Christ Suggestions of antisemitism in the film were already well-documented as early as May 2003, with the widely reported Report of the Ad Hoc Scholars Group Reviewing the Script of ‘The Passion’. This group of four Catholic and three Jewish scholars was convened by specialists at the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Anti-Defamation League. 1 They provided a confidential analysis of a shooting script, which was only made public after the film’s release in 2004. In their report, the group unanimously concluded that the script had significant historical errors, the version of the script they read would promote antisemitic sentiments and the script violated many magisterial Catholic documents including several Vatican instructions.
    [Show full text]
  • Je Ne Suis Pas Charlie. Metadiscourses of Impoliteness Following “France’S 9/11” in Selected Print Media
    Topics in Linguistics - Issue 16 – December 2015 DOI: 10.2478/topling-2015-0010 Je ne suis pas Charlie. Metadiscourses of impoliteness following “France’s 9/11” in selected print media Milan Ferenčík University of Prešov, Slovakia Abstract Almost immediately after the Charlie Hebdo shootings of 7 January 2015, some print media made room for alternative opinions of what had happened. The articles and the discussions they inspired are replete with evaluations which lend themselves to analysis using methods and procedures of Politeness Theory. The paper examines an example of a metadiscourse of (im)politeness which questions the “moral orders” underlying the cartoonists’ as well as other participants’ social practices vis-à-vis their ideological foundations, esp. freedom of speech as one of the principal liberties of our society. To that end, the approach to politeness as “social practice” is employed which, while insisting on multiple understandings of politeness, places participants’ evaluations at the centre of politeness research. Keywords Charlie Hebdo shooting, impoliteness, metacomment, politeness as discursive struggle, politeness as social practice Introduction aggression which was extensively covered in The quote from my example of a European mainstream mass media and metadiscourse, i.e. a discourse about ultimately invited audiences to take discourse(s), succinctly formulates the positions. The “Charlie Hebdo discourses” position in which many people seemed to almost immediately polarized the European become “trapped” following the deadly populace along two opposing memes: Je suis attacks on Charlie Hebdo’s staff on 7 January Charlie and Je ne suis pas Charlie. While the 2015 and who, while decrying the murders, former sprang out as an immediate and did not approve of Charlie Hebdo’s satirical spontaneous negative evaluation of the journalistic practices which preceded them.
    [Show full text]
  • Expand the Story. Change the World. Reframe: Advancing Gender Parity in Hollywood
    ™ Expand the story. Change the world. ReFrame: Advancing Gender Parity in Hollywood We believe inclusive representation in media can transform the world by allowing us to better understand and connect with one another. Our mission is to catalyze a culture shift, with a peer-to-peer approach, engaging decision makers from the top to ensure lasting gender parity at every level in Hollywood. REFRAME EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 Who We Are ReFrame™ is an influential and dedicated group of active entertainment industry leaders —more than 50 male and female Ambassadors—that includes studio heads, agency partners, senior network executives, directors, writers, actors, and guild leaders committed to increasing the number of women of all backgrounds working in film, TV, and media. Together, we have developed a research-based action plan to further gender parity in the media industry. Our unique, industry-wide collaboration invites company leadership peers to adopt measurable actions to shift a complex system in which women have been consistently underrepresented. ReFrame™ Partners—film, TV, and media companies—will commit to participating in programs that will result in more diverse storytelling for expanded audiences around the globe. Founded and led by Women In Film and Sundance Institute, ReFrame™ is a non-profit organization intended to be additive to other diversity initiatives and allies making change. Foundational to the program is the core belief that gender parity is intersectional with equity for all underrepresented groups, and ReFrame™ welcomes
    [Show full text]