Posted on 11/6/2008, 10:12:37 PM by Tailgunner Joe
THIBODAUX — The American Civil Liberties Union has taken issue with the city’s promotion of “Christian Music and Dance” at its upcoming Thibodeauxville festival, claiming it violates the constitutional separation of church and state.
The Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event, contends the ACLU has mistakenly assumed the festival is backed by local government and no part of the First Amendment was violated as charged.
Only government can violate constitutional provisions, which in general do not apply to the private sector.
In response to a complaint filed by Thibodaux retiree Charles Mosley, the ACLU’s Louisiana branch has asked the city to give written notice that it will cease participation in any event highlighting the Christian faith.
The issue, the ACLU says, is that the First Amendment prohibits government funding and promotion of one religion over another.
Thibodeauxville is an annual showcase of live music and food that will be held Saturday in downtown Thibodaux.
Mayor Charles Caillouet and Kathy Benoit, president of the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce, say the city has no role in the event other than use of its streets.
Benoit went on to say that she is more concerned about whether weekend football games will detract would-be festival-goers than she is the ACLU’s complaint.
“It’s part of our festival, and it’s part of our culture. I’m very upset that the information provided to the ACLU was absolutely incorrect,” Benoit said. “My opinion is there is no validity to this complaint in any way.”
Marjorie Esman, executive director of the Louisiana ACLU, said City Council minutes from Nov. 20, 2007, show a cooperative-endeavor agreement of $10,000 with the Thibodaux Chamber to promote tourism and economic development.
Esman contends that the agreement is evidence of the city’s role in Thibodeauxville.
The $10,000 agreement is one of two the city holds with the Chamber of Commerce.
The other is intended to promote the city’s official retirement-
community moniker.
But Benoit and Caillouet say all those dollars are used elsewhere and the festival is strictly supported by local corporate sponsors and booth rentals.
“I think we have a total of maybe $7,500 this year and through the sale of booth-rental fees,” Benoit said, referring to corporate sponsorship. “That’s where we make our money. A lot of people think we have thousands and thousands of dollars. We really don’t.”
Benoit added that the city logo is on the festival’s promotional materials, but only as a show of appreciation for use of its streets.
The ACLU said it will not contest the use of Christianity for the upcoming Thibodeauxville because plans for the celebration “are set and would be difficult to change,” but it seeks to end all future religious promotions.
Mosley said the ACLU asked him if he wished to file an injunction, which he did not.
“We decided a letter is fine — telling the mayor to cease and desist and don’t let it happen again,” Mosley said.
Caillouet said he passed the letter onto city attorney Germaine Jackson and will take no action until she researches the issue.
Mosley, who considers himself a religious person but not a follower of any single ideology, said there is “no question” he would file an injunction if a given religion is promoted in any future city events.
“The separation of church and state is what separates us from Iraq,” Mosley said. “That’s why there is sectarian violence in Iraq, because Shiites thought they were denied by Sunnis because government weighted itself with the Sunnis.”
“This is what keeps us level, and it has to be maintained through due diligence and vigilance.”
Secularism is a religion. Spare me.
Gee, where was the ACLU when the Muslims got the Univ of Michigan to install foot baths u sing public money?
Oh wait, Islam is not the “incorrect” religion.
The ACLU has been attacking the foundations of this country since its inception. Who is the ACLU, and who were its founders?
The ACLU lawyer should be introduced to Rule 11.
The new litmus test should be - Substitute the word “Muslim” for “Christian” in any given context. If no objection would be made when the word Muslim is used, then STFU.
Several levels of logical fallacy here. As usual.
This is beyond idiotic.
Apparently the ACLU has run out of things to do and must whine about this to further justify it’s existence.
“Who is the ACLU, and who were its founders?”
Communists. Look it up.
Priceless. Will the ACLU prevail under an Obama Nation?
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was founded in 1920 by a group of people who were concerned that the Bill of Rights was nothing but a “parchment barrier” to governmental misdeeds.
Among the founders of the ACLU, or as it was originally called, the Civil Liberties Bureau, were Crystal Eastman and Roger Baldwin. Eastman (1881-1928) studied law at New York University after getting her undergraduate degree at Vassar.
Roger Baldwin (1884-1991) attended Harvard obtaining his bachelor’s degree in 1904 and his master’s in 1905.
The Mayor should have burned the letter on the town hall steps.
I think it’s time to revival that traditional American practice of tarring and feathering and riding those ACLU’er on a rail out of town.
Chairman O and the New Bolsheviks may use eerily similar “logic” in an attempt to foist the so-called Fairness Doctrine upon us.
These are Stalinists.
How many times does it take for this to sink in with the left?
THERE IS NO “SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE” IN THE CONSTITUTION!!!!
That idea came from a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote several years after the Constitution was written. If anything, the Constitution PREVENTS the “separation of church and state”! How does “no religion on public property” not go against “Congress shall not abridge freedom of religion”? And how many times do we have to tell them that these restrictions are meant for CONGRESS? The 10th amendment says that any power not specifically given to Congress by the Constitution goes to the states or the people, so that means that the Constitution actually says that states do have the power to deal with religion. Is it too much to ask that lawyers able to change our laws read the Constitution at least once?
I may do some driving tomorrow. If I end up at the festival, I’ll post pictures.
That’s right. However they have not kept up. Marxism is very much part of the dead past. The fallacies that doomed Marxism are still refuting that ideology, but quicker every day. Already Marxist terminology is being co-opted by the new generation and the Marxists are in total confusion.
http://spectator.org/archives/2008/11/06/saul-alinsky-takes-the-white-h
That's what I call pessimism.
I have a good buddy who is a Capitol policeman, and was there for some of the festivities in DC after Chairman-elect Obama was officially official. He said he saw literally dozens and dozens, likely hundreds of Che Guevara shirts.
Leftists start by indoctrinating our youth, taking control of our education institutions, brainwashing, scrubbing and re-writing history, shaping world views.
We've got our work cut out for us.
They are hopeful aren’t they. However, the next few years are going to be rough and they will either come back to earth real quick or become irrelevant. The Brownshirts won’t be tolerated since they will be a liability.
Yet I bet the ACLU supports that one play where Jesus is made into a homosexual who sodomizes his disciples. A play that attacks the Christian faith is ok. It’ not ok if it portrays the Christian faith in a positive light.
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