– January 29, 2006

HOURS UNTIL SENATE VOTES ON ALITO NOMINATION!

All concerned with civil rights, First Amendment separation of Church & State must speak out NOW and let Senators know – Extremist Judge Samuel Alito must NOT be appointed to a seat on the Supreme Court of the United States!

Hours remain until the U.S. Senate is expected to hold a full vote to confirm Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court.

• On Monday, January 30 the Senate is likely to vote an end to any filibuster that would stall or prevent a floor vote on the appointment of Judge Alito. Supporters of Alito need just 60 votes to force cloture, and according to Associated Press have 62. That will force a vote by the full Senate on Tuesday, January 31.
• The latest count indicates that 53 Republicans and three Democrats will vote to confirm Alito, well over the required majority.
• The White House is moving for a full “up-or-down” vote on Alito in time for President Bush’s address to the nation on Tuesday night. In his weekly radio address last Saturday, Bush called for immediate Senate confirmation on Alito, describing him as a nominee “who understands that the role of a judge is to strictly interpret the law.”

This is our final opportunity to prevent George W. Bush from “packing” the Supreme Court and installing a majority that is likely to reverse decades of important decisions affecting all Americans!

AMERICAN ATHEISTS is asking all “Godless Americans” – Atheists, Freethinkers, Humanists and other nonbelievers to mobilize now and help flood the Senate with phone calls, faxes and e-mails demanding a NO vote on the Alito nomination!

Alito would assume the post occupied by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor who often (but not always) provided the crucial “fifth vote” cited by SJC member Sen. Michael Durbin of Illinois. Rather than replace O’Connor with an enlightened, progressive judicial moderate who would offset the strident views of justices like Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, Bush catered to his powerful religious-right constituency and instead selected Alito.

The vote by the full U.S. Senate will be the last opportunity we have to stop this appointment! Based on the current party rankings, all Democrats must “hold the line” and vote against Alito – and moderate Republicans must be persuaded by their constituents back home to “break ranks” with party leadership, and vote “No” on this nomination!

Atheists, Freethinkers, Secular Humanists and other non believers must join the effort to stop Alito now by helping to flood the Senate with letters, e-mails, phone calls and faxes! Tell your Senators that you oppose the Bush-religious right takeover our Supreme Court!

What you can do!

• Contact Senators NOW! Urge them to vote "NO!" on Alito! Your letters, calls and e-mails should be concise, polite but to-the-point (see our tips page.) Be sure to ask for a response from your U.S. Senator on how he/she will vote on the Alito nomination!
• Share your communications with U.S. Senators. Send us a copy and we will post them at our web site
• Spread this Action Alert! If you are in an Atheist/freethought group, consider posting this message to your newsletter, web site and e-mail lists. Urge others to circulate this Alert, too!
• After writing your U.S. Senators, consider sending a letter-to-the-editor of the your local/regional paper and other publications voicing your disapproval of the Alito nomination! This will help inform the public and mobilize opposition to this extremist nominee. Be sure to point out that Samuel Alito is “bad news” for the constitutional separation of church and state!
• Be informed! Here are some stories about the Alito nomination. We also encourage you to visit other web sites to gain information, including Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and People for the American Way.

Related Reading

• “All Over but the Vote? Alito sails through hearings, some Demos mull filibuster – what about the new SCOTUS?” 1-18-06
• “New Documents Raise Further Concerns Over Alito & Establishment Clause,” 1-1-06
• “Tipping Point? Alito nomination battle to begin in January, determine possible direction of the Supreme Court – Free Exercise collides with Separation” 11-22-05

Take Action Now…

This may be our last chance to stop this dangerous nomination. If confirmed, Alito will move the court further in the direction of “accommodating” discriminatory religious practices, allowing blatant proselytizing in the public square by government and religious groups, and even possibly further funding for “faith-based” social projects. Stop Alito now – before it’s too late!

Letters…

Dear Senator Lugar

My name is Charles Hays. I am writing because I want to exerecise my right as an American citizen. I will admit that I do not support our current executive administratio, President Bush. What makes me uneasy is the fact that one man has enough power to alter the government in such a way, ensuring that his own beliefs will live long after his presidency. It's no surprise that Bush is trying to create what he calls a conservative supreme court. My opinion of conservative differs from his own. My belief is that the supreme court was created to protect the rights of every American citizen. By having a "conservative" court I believe that the laws which many people have fought to admitted are currently being affected. Issues such as women's rights and privacy are common sense issues that should never be taken away. Many years ago many men fought and died to achieve freedom from an oppresive state that believed it was their right to force their own beliefs on the people of their country. I think that if our countries founding fathers were to look at the America of today, they would be deeply disapointed. Americans have traded in their rights for a false sense of security. The very people that fought for their freedom are now forcing our views on others. While I believe that something had to be done with Irag and the Middle East, I also believe that like the founding of the United States, the people themselves have to want it, and if that means giving their lives in the name of that freedom, the people won't really appreciate it unless they have to fight for it, not for it to be given to them. But, back to the original point, I wish that you would do your best to prevent the current administration from making a major mistake. The freedoms of all people need to be protected. Please do your part to stop the approval of Samuel Alito and ensure that the supreme court of the United States is a unbiased, equal group of intelligent people who understand that culture changes, but freedoms should not. Thanks for hearing me out.

Charles Hays
College Student
Noblesville, Indiana

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