We have a right-leaning court, a right-leaning executive branch, a right-leaning legislature, high oil prices, a never-ending war we can’t afford, and a sharply red/blue divided nation.Here’s a thread for the State of The Union.

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!* We urge all nonbeliever groups to circulate this Action Alert, and “mobilize your base” of members and supporters to contact the Senate! 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!(AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.)

Some of you may remember that Marilyn Vos Savant wrote a while back that she didn’t think America would never let an Atheist be president since Atheists’ morals come from themselves, and not some external force.Some of us got a bit miffed at the statement. Some of us wrote to the author, and here’s her response:

Dave Silverman, National Spokesperson, American Atheists, writes:Marilyn: You wrote, ?Americans prefer to elect Presidents whose value systems grow from their religious beliefs. (That’s why an atheist?whose values are chosen, not established?has never been elected)? [read article].It?s time we started getting along, Marilyn, and that means we stop demonizing or degrading people with whom we disagree. Your comment was a step in the wrong direction, and I ask you to retract the statement.Marilyn responds:Dave: I?ve reread my comment half a dozen times, both in context (where it made more sense?I wasn?t writing about atheism, you know) and out of context, and I can?t find anything derogatory in it! I heard from other atheists, too. (See below.) Readers may find it instructive to see the ways in which people who are extremely sensitive can find problems where none exist. All of the following atheists wrote about the comment that atheists choose their own values:Richard Hewetson of San Francisco, Calif., writes:Marilyn: As an atheist, I was totally offended by your comment that atheists have no values.Dan Kelleher of Kalispell, Mon., writes:Marilyn: In what way are ?established? values superior to ?chosen? ones?Tim Pace (city unknown) writes:Marilyn: You think your values are somehow superior to mine because yours are divinely inspired and I chose mine. Well, I have news for you. … You are a sheep. Or a lemming. I?ll continue to leave the mythology to seventh-grade teachers.Marilyn responds:Readers: I think you four need a course in reading comprehension! (And Tim, why do you think my values are divinely inspired? I didn’t write anything about myself.)In fact, when my comment is read in context, it?s a simple statement of fact. When read thoughtfully, it?s a compliment. But certainly not to you guys!

Forgive me, Marylin, but if you make a comment about a group of people, and a whole bunch of people from that group say it was offensive, doesn’t that make the statement offensive by definition? I’m glad you didn’t mean any offense, but do you think it may have been better to write “sorry, didn’t mean it that way” instead of accusing a whole bunch of people of overreacting?I’d be the first to admit to overreacting sometimes, but separating out groups of people with blanket moral statements based solely on religious belief is wrong — and incorrect.I guess that America will never allow an advice columnist to be President either.

So now we have one fundamentalist religious group who hates another, both in power of a country, living side-by-side. The middle-east war has just escalated, and it’s going to get worse.

I didn’t see it, but the religious right hated it, so it must have been good.So they cancelled it.

Superbowl time! Well, almost. So I’d like to bring up that most famous of football pasttimes: Open and obvious prayer when a player scores.I always found it crass when players waited until they were sure the cameras were on before they dropped to their knees and motioned to the sky above. Sure, they have the right to express themselves, and if they choose to share glory moments with a god that’s their choice, but why?Do they really think the all-powerfull ruler of the universe has a divine plan that includes them catching that football, or are they just doing it for image and politics?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060120/ap_on_re_eu/did_jesus_existDid Jesus really ever exist? Let’s find out! Will it change anything? Maybe not…BUT it may point out to fence-sitters just how fraudulent the Catholic Church (as well as all those protestant “cults”) is/are. Won’t that be fun?

Never let them say “and nobody even objected”…Here’s a letter from our CT director, Dennis Himes> Last month I went to the town hall in Vernon, the town I live in, and> noticed a large nativity scene on a lawn across the street. It wasn’t> clear whether or not the land it was on was city property, but it appeared> to be, so I wrote the mayor reminding her that if it was it would be a> violation of the U.S. and Conn. constitutions.> Today I received the following letter:> > ====== Start of letter> > Dear Mr. Himes:> > Thank you for your letter of December 14, 2005. Certainly, the Town of> Vernon is very sensitive to the issues raised by concerned citizens. By way> of explanation and not excuse, the Town of Vernon has allowed for the> placement of the Christian nativity scene in Central Park in front of Town> Hall for many years. It is our intention not to continue with that> tradition. As a result, the display will be dismantled shortly.> > If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.> > Sincerely,> >> Sometimes all you have to do is ask.>

Dave’s opinion:So let me get this straight…The alito nomination is coming to a head, with top Senate Dems coming out in opposition.At the same time, Bush’s rating is very low.At the same time, Multi-billionairre Osama makes a threat, via audio-tape. I guess he can’t afford a camcorder.How often do political issues have to coincide with vague terrorist threats before we really wonder just how real these threats are?

Well, actually it’s THIS atheist’s view!Today the SCOTUS helped out the assisted suicide advocates.

WASHINGTON (Jan. 17) – The Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked the Bush administration’s attempt to punish doctors who help terminally ill patients die, protecting Oregon’s one-of-a-kind assisted-suicide law.

While I personally support the right for anyone to die with dignity, I don’t want that right for myself. As I see it, I’d rather be a living vegetable than dead, since death is nonexistance and it scares the pee out of me. I’d rather be a veggie (as long as my family is financially stable) with a 1% chance of consciousness than a dead guy with none.I think most people (even Atheists) disagree with me on this point. Too bad. I ain’t leaving. Leave that plug alone!