The non-believer rally call for Damon Fowler

[The Doctor]

If you haven't heard. He email his School Dristict and threated them that if they continue to push for prayer at graduation. He will contact the ACLU. The School has now not going to use prayer, but the teachers, students, town, and his own parents has turned against him. Damon is now afraid to go to school and his parents has cut off ALL COMMUNICATION to him. He has no way to contact the outside world.

The original newspaper:
http://www.bastropenterprise.com/feature...graduation

PZ Myers is now asking for a call of action:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/...n_saga.php

Damon and his brother made an reddit post to give us updates information:
http://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/comments...prayer_at/

Quote:My graduation from high school is this Friday. I live in the Bible Belt of the United States. The school was going to perform a prayer at graduation, but due to me sending the superintendent an email stating it was against Louisiana state law and that I would be forced to contact the ACLU if they ignored me, they ceased it. The school backed down, but that's when the shitstorm rolled in. Everyone is trying to get it back in the ceremony now. I'm not worried about it, but everyone hates me... kind of worried about attending graduation now. It's attracted more hostility than I thought.
My reasoning behind it is that it's emotionally stressing on anyone who isn't Christian. No one else wanted to stand up for their constitutional right of having freedom of and FROM religion. I was also hoping to encourage other atheists to come out and be heard. I'm one of maybe three atheists in this town that I currently know of. One of the others is afraid to come out of the (atheist) closet.
Though I've caused my classmates to hate me, I feel like I've done the right thing. Regardless of their thoughts on it, basically saying I am ruining their fun and their lives, I feel like I've helped someone out there. I didn't do this for me or just atheists, but anyone who doesn't believe in their god that prayer to Yahweh may affect.
Moral of the story: though the opposition may be great, majority doesn't necessarily mean right. Thank you for reading. Wish me luck at graduation.
EDIT: Well, it hit the fan a couple hours ago. They've already assembled a group of supporters at a local church and called in the newspaper. I've had to deactivate my Facebook account and I can't reason with any of them. They refuse to listen. The whole town hates me, aside from a few closet atheists that are silently supporting, which I don't blame them looking at what I've incited here. Thanks for the support though.
If anyone would like to offer support, the superintendent is who I emailed and the school's website is mpsb.us
Thanks for the support. It's really helping. This has just gotten sickening.
Edit: I've had requests for my Facebook info... I don't mind giving that out at all. Damon Fowler - Bastrop, LA. I could use all of the support I can get. Not sure if this link will work: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001146281052

[ashley.hunt60]

Man, this is really messed up. Poor kid, I'm up for helping him any way possible. I know a few years ago something similar happened at my high school. Someone raised the point that they probably shouldn't be praying at the ceremony and everyone throw a royal fit. The prayer was thrown out, but all speeches given had a minimum of ten references to God. No one complained.

[latvianxave8]

... I sent a friend request.

[ashley.hunt60]

(19-05-2011 05:39 PM)latvianxave8 Wrote:  ... I sent a friend request.

I did too, but I think what will really do the most good is spreading this, hopefully get it onto mainstream media. But just as many eyes that read this and see the horror as possible.

[GassyKitten]

I'm not a member of any other atheist forum, but this would be great to post in as many as we can find, so as to get an avalanche of support going for Damon.


I excerpted this from the Reddit site, as it's well down the page, for quick reference.
I hope he doesn't leave without going through his graduation ceremony. If he does that, the school will win because while the prayer didn't happen, he didn't get to participate in what he earned. The right to be proud he graduated so as to go on to a bright future. Also, it would lend the impression that these alleged Christians who are so offended at being held to the law, turn into vile evil people when one child insists on his right to be free of their rituals.
Jesus would be ashamed they cling to his name!While living up to the reputation of the Devil.


For all you interested atheists with a hard-on for strongly-worded letters, here is some relevant contact information:

Bastrop High School Principal:

Stacey Pullen

Bastrop High School

402 Highland Avenue

Bastrop, LA 71220-2241

Email: [spullen@mpsb.us](spullen@mpsb.us)

Phone: (318) 281-0194

Morehouse Parish Schools Superintendent (Her boss):

Tom Thrower

4099 Naff Street

Bastrop, LA 71220

Email: web interface here, or possibly directly at [tthrower@mpsb.us](tthrower@mpsb.us)

Phone: (318) 281-5784

Morehouse Parish School Board Members:

• Karen Diel (webmail)

17122 Cain Rd

Bastrop, LA 71220-0700

• Louis Melton (webmail)

9223 Tupelo Dr

Bastrop, LA 71220-4874

• Ronald Vollmar (webmail)

PO Box 57

Mer Rouge, LA 71261-0057

• Jeff Churchwell (webmail)

11105 Crossett Rd

Bastrop, LA 71220-6814

• Mike Stephens (webmail)

1014 Tulip Ave

Bastrop, LA 71220-2115

• Ricky Smith (webmail)

9137 Beechwood Dr

Bastrop, LA 71220-4801

• Robert Fenceroy (webmail)

129 Shady Oaks St

Bastrop, LA 71220-3519

Mark Rainwater, editor of The Bastrop Daily Enterprise and author of this article:

Mark Rainwater

Bastrop Daily Enterprise

119 W Hickory Ave

Bastrop, LA 71220-4549

Email: [markrainwater@bastropenterprise.com](markrainwater@bastropenterprise.com)

Phone: (318) 281-2691

[The Doctor]

This was from tonight graduation practice:

[ashley.hunt60]

How sweet. They respect non-Christians, just as long as they bow down as the inferior (non)religion.

[TheAtheist]

All you need is two of you.
One sits near the power to the microphone and turn it off when they start to pray.
Oops sorry thought i was turning up the volume.
Another person in the room and shout the truth over the now silent nut case.

[The Doctor]

BTW they did the Lord's Prayer at the graduation:

[ashley.hunt60]

I can only hope that Fowler presses this. I heard they had legal papers being drafted, and lawyer from several organizations willing to help. I hope the school enjoys the victory, because they just made one hell of a trade-off by going through with the prayer.

"Can't go one without giving glory to my lord today". I have no problem with individual prayer. Bow your head and silently pray if you have such an overwhelming need. Just don't pick up a microphone and tell everyone it is prayer time. If I went to my graduation, and picked up the microphone, and asked everyone to bow their head in respect to the mightiest of all Gods, Zeus, they would flip. And they can't even pretend tat they can't pray themselves. At my school(I'm graduating too, go class of 2011~), a religious service held outside of the school in all forms for the graduates has been mentioned several time. Next Sunday(notwithstanding the rapture), they are all going to get into a church and Jebus themselves out. Private religious ceremonies to celebrate graduation is freedom of religion. Dragging everyone else into the no-longer private ceremony is not.