Dear Friend,
In normal times, when a senator calls you out by name on the U.S. Senate floor, you might feel a mix of excitement and pride.
I don’t need to tell you that these are not normal times.
When Senator John Barrasso, Republican of Wyoming, mentioned American Atheists in a speech last week, we immediately knew to brace ourselves.
In an attempt to paint millions of peaceful demonstrators about to take part in the No Kings protests as radicals, Senator Barrasso took a broad brush:
“We just heard from the Minority Leader on the Floor, inviting people to attend these rallies, to participate in the – what I and other [sic] have referred to as the ‘I Hate America Rally.’ He is a cheerleader for these far-left activist groups and their causes. All these rallies are going to be led by the far-left activists, and all will be calling on the Democrats to keep the government closed. And the Democrats in this body are beholden to every single one of these far-left activist groups. Groups like ‘Hashtag Resist Trump” and ‘American Atheists.’”
As The Friendly Atheist, Hemant Mehta, points out, this was a lazy lie that proved only one thing: Barrasso and his staff scanned the list of hundreds of supporters of the events (and yes, American Atheists was a proud partner in this effort) and picked one that would make a good dog whistle for the Christian Nationalist crowd. After all, in their ideology, what could be more anti-American than not believing in god?
Let me be clear: no matter what the senator from the great state of Wyoming may say, our organization and our members are peacefully defending the Constitution and the rights of all Americans, while all over the country, lawmakers are kow-towing to White Christian Nationalists and their destructive agenda.
Their lies and hatred only strengthen our resolve to fight for this democracy. If you can, join us by making a monthly donation (or by increasing your current one), and stand for the civil rights of all of us, nonreligious and religious alike.
In solidarity.
Nick Fish
President
American Atheists is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan, nonprofit educational organization that relies on the support of members like you. Contributions are tax-deductible. Our Federal Tax ID Number is 74-2466507 and our Combined Federal Campaign number is 52217.
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