The First Amendment May Apply to You

first amendment, dawkins, richard, oklahoma, legislation, free speech, atheism, atheist, investigation
But it certainly doesn't apply to me.

I'm an atheist, you see. And as PZ Myers* pointed out, that makes Richard Dawkins, and me, criminals worthy of investigation by the Oklahoma legislature.


Sure enough, I just received confirmation today in a letter from the Open Records Office at the University of Oklahoma. The letter confirms that on the day of Dawkins' speech, Oklahoma State Representative Rebecca Hamilton requested substantial information relating to the speech from Vice President for Governmental Relations Danny Hilliard. Representative Hamilton's exhaustive request included demands for all e-mails and correspondence relating to the speech; a list of all money paid to Dawkins and the entities, public or private, responsible for this funding; and the total cost to the university, including, among other things, security fees, advertising, and even "faculty time spent promoting this event."

Rick Farmer, the director of committee staff for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, also wrote the University on March 12, requesting confirmation that Dawkins had indeed waived all compensation for the speech.

I wonder what the total cost of investigating a completely legal exercise of free speech will be?

You know what? Fuck it. If every homophobe in the country feels free to bother Vermont legislators on their vote, let's all hound the Oklahoma legislature about this aggregious waste of funds and antiAmerican suppression of free speech.

Oklahoma House of Representatives

Oklahoma Senate

Please, even if you hate Dawkins, even if you hate atheists, please let Oklahoma know that the First Amendment is for everyone, or someday, you may find that it isn't for anyone.

*I have such a crush on this man's brain.

Free Speech Is Only for Christians

persecution, atheism, atheist, atheophobia, richard, dawkins, darwin, evolution, oklahoma, university, thomsen, god, jesus, religion, christian, free speech
Apparently, that whole thing in the First Amendment about freedom of speech only applies if you're talking about Jesus.

Oklahoma Representative Todd Thomsen proposed a measure to force the University of Oklahoma to disinvite Richard Dawkins from speaking at the University at an event celebrating the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

Despite the sound and fury, Dawkins went ahead as scheduled on March 6, packing in an audience of several thousands. Case closed, right? Not so fast.

I have received indication from numerous sources that the Oklahoma legislature is pressing ahead with an investigation of the event, probably to divine if any state funds were used. Dawkins, for his part, adamantly denies accepting a single cent for the speech. He specifically waived his normal honorarium, because this would be a mainly student audience. Even if he had taken money, however, the University department that invited Dawkins would have been perfectly within its rights to pay him. If this investigation is indeed taking place, what the state legislature needs to understand is that in court cases dating back to the days of the House Committee on Un-American Activities, even investigating clearly protected speech on the basis of its viewpoint violates the First Amendment.

Think about it: If every time a student or faculty member invited, say, Rick Warren to speak on campus, they knew they would be subjected to a thorough and time-consuming investigation by state officials, you can all but guarantee that schools across the country would think twice before inviting Rick Warren. This would be a great way for state legislatures to chill speech they dislike without ever having to find the speaker guilty of a single thing.

Talk about your un-American activities.

So, free speech is fine if you're preaching Jesus or condemning gays, but dare to say that there may very well be no god, and you need to shut the fuck up.

I again invite Christians to explain to me how persecuted they are here in the US.