Dear Journalist...

Battle Cry is undoubtedly one of the scariest developments in the ongoing nightmare/train wreck of George Bush Junior's corporatist neonazicon theocracy. Read the Daily Kos article and click on the links, and you will be horrified. A Nuremberg rally whipping up hatred against non-fundamentalists, Navy SEALS firing automatic weapons as part of the act, Junior sending a letter of support - pardon my freedom but what the fuck is happening to this country???

Equally horrifying is the fact that the "liberal media" is studiously ignoring this very dangerous and disturbing movement - apart from the Philadelphia Daily News giving Ron Luce, the organizer, free publicity to write a dishonest and misleading article suckering impressionable teens into this carnival of hatred and blood lust!

Most sickening of all is that Luce's column was published as part of a regular series: "Each Saturday the Daily News offers men and women of faith the opportunity to share their words of life and comfort with our readers." Words of death and destruction is more like it.

I saw this little invitation at the foot of the article:

If you are a minister, a priest, a rabbi, or the head of another religious organization and would like to submit a faith-based column, contact Lorenzo Biggs at 215-854-5816, or by e-mail at biggsl@phillynews.com.

I decided to take Lorenzo up on his invitation, and sent him the following letter:

Dear Mr. Biggs,

Recently I learned about the fundamentalist,militarist, dominionist movement called "Battle Cry" and was horrified by what I read about it. (See e.g. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/5/15/04817/0699)

I was even more horrified when I searched Google News to see how the mainstream media is covering this dangerous and disturbing movement, and the only result I found was a very dishonest and misleading piece designed to sucker unknowing people into joining the movement, written by its organizer and published by your paper!

Here's why I am writing to you. I am an atheist. As such I am a member of one of the most hated and vilified groups in the US, the last group still officially discriminated against in many state constitutions, a group against which many politicians feel free to incite violence with no fear of political consequences. If "Battle Cry" achieves its goals, I would have good reason to fear for my life.

I would like to take you up on your offer. I want to share my words of life and comfort with your readers. I want a chance to dispel some of the appalling ignorance that exists concerning atheists. We are not satanists, baby-killers, etc. but normal, honest, ethical people. We are horrified that this country is rapidly regressing to a very ugly form of theocracy, and violating everything the Constitution stands for.

I am not a spokesman for any group. I am an individual who believes morality does not depend on superstition or dogma, but on empathy and reason. I am part of a proud tradition of free thinking that stretches back to the foundation of this country, and for millennia before that. I am not alone - at least 10% of the US population describe themselves as atheists or agnostics.

If you believe in free speech and separation of church and state, I see no reason why the column I propose to write would not be acceptable and of interest to many of your readers. Please contact me by return email or at (602) XXX-XXX. I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely, etc.

Whatya reckon, will Lorenzo get back to me? I won't hold my breath!