The only thing more these folks could have endured is night riders and lynchings.

I’ll bet, if the jury had been polled, it was split and not unanimous. They just could not agree unanimously to convict and wanted to go home, so just called it aquittal so the could do so.

OK: Who still believes atheists should not arm themselves for self defense? Even if it was while retreating to another state or country for political and religous asylum?

If, after reading this story, you still think the religous fundies are gonna play fair and by the rules you are naive at best. I’ll bet when the judge went into his chambers he was consulting with other fundie judges to find a way to void the jury verdict.

Armed, organized and unflinching is the only way to preserve your rights.

Two out of three is a losing hand.

In the meantime, we all need to train ourselves in self-defense. I practice 6 days a week, 1 1/2 sessions.

Fine and good for those that can, but not everyone can, for many reasons.

A firearm makes a 90 pound woman the equal of a 250 pound male. No amount of physical defense training can do that. Once an assailant is close enough to lay hands on the victim, it is over.

a firearm also makes a lone minority, (racial, religous, whatever), the equal of a lynch mob, at least long enough to get away. But only if you know how to use it, and are willing to. Which does mean some training, but you need far less than that needed for hand-to-hand defense.

In this country the fanatics are either religous rightwingnuts seeking legislate their myth-religion into everyones lives, or solc!al!st totalitarians seeking to legislate their political religion into everyones lives.

Both are dangerous, but the right thinks the left is disarmed. And they are right more often than not since the left has largely brainwashed itself into thinking that guns are bad and posses somesort of inherrant evil aura or spirit, outside of government hands that hold badges. (dunno why a govt paycheck imparts gun responsibility that a private paycheck doesn’t).

Guns in the hands of private citizens are humanities technological equivelent of a procupines quils, until we come up with something better.

Guns in the hands of governemnt are tools of oppression when unchecked by the populace. Especially a government based on a religious belief, whether that is a supernatural or political religion. Look around the world for that evidence.

To face up to armed religous right fanatics, you must be armed as well. 99% of the time, just possesing arms is enough. It is that last 1% when they are really needed.

What we need is organization and publicity, like RA said. We atheists need to be seen as human beings, regular joes and janes who aren’t threats to anyone. Making ourselves into the new standing militia won’t get that picture across.

the christian right cannot be trusted to uphold the constitution if they ever get complete power. they are nutjobs guided by the supreme fairy nutjob.

as far as what to do. all i can say is this. in my life i have had to take 3 major stands on what was right (non-religious incidents). in each case myself and my family suffered the most when compared to the guilty parties even though i ultimately prevailed. i’d call all three pyrrhic victories.

right now i enjoy unprecedented respect and esteem in my professional career and i know of only one non-believer out of numerous colleagues. If i were to openly flaunt my lack of belief, i would likely lose most everything i have accomplished. if i, or anyone of us, lose our means it diminishes our value to the cause.

it would seem to be more beneficial to work toward helping elect candidates that are not of the christain right persuasion. ABAR (anybody but a republican)should be our battle cry in the next election and let’s unseat these “dark age” religious barbarians.