News from the Week April 18 – April 22, 2022

Friend:

I spend a lot of time thinking about how to elevate AU and our issue’s profile. We know that the vast majority of Americans support the separation of religion and government, but too many people don’t understand how seriously threatened it is today. And with the media market being so saturated with everything from war to COVID to the rash of abortion bans in the states, it’s hard to break through.

It gets a little easier, though, when your organization is arguing a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

I spent the majority of the past week—and much of the last four months—speaking to television reporters, print journalists, radio shows, podcasts and more about the Supreme Court case AU will argue on Monday, Kennedy v. Bremerton School District. This week alone I’ve spoken to about two dozen journalists—from national outlets like The Associated Press and Nexstar’s 200 TV stations, to local TV and radio markets in places like San Francisco, Denver, Raleigh and Seattle, to legal podcasts Law360 and We The People, to political shows like The Hartmann Report and The Phil Ferguson Show.

You can find my interviews below:
— Read this article from the Associated Press: [link removed]
— Read this article from WRBL: [link removed]
— Listen to The Morning Show with Nikki Medoro: [link removed]
— Listen to The Ross Kaminsky Show: [link removed]
— Listen to We the People: [link removed]
— Watch The Hartmann Report: [link removed]

This case is critical—a loss would dangerously erode well-established law protecting students’ religious freedom. But many reporters I talk to are only just learning about the case, or they’ve only heard the deceitful narrative the coach’s attorneys are spinning about the coach just wanting to pray “quietly” and “by himself.”

“What’s at stake in the case?” is one of the most common questions I get. I explain that if the Court gets it wrong, teachers and coaches could pressure students to pray in public school classrooms all around the country. And I take the opportunity to remind people that church-state separation is what guarantees religious freedom, a foundational principle of our democracy. If the Supreme Court gets this case wrong, we could witness the greatest loss of religious freedom in generations.

This case should not be before the Court, because as the lower courts all ruled, the facts and the law are so emphatically on the side of the Bremerton School District. But unfortunately it is, and therefore it’s incumbent upon each of us to use it to illustrate how real the threat is to the separation of religion and government and true religious freedom. If you’ve ever had a hard time coming up with a short elevator speech about the importance of church-state separation and why your friends and family should join you in supporting Americans United, try describing this case.

I remain deeply grateful for your steadfast support, which enables AU to argue this seminal case at the Supreme Court—and in the court of public opinion.

With hope and gratitude,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO


DONATE » [link removed]


Fifteen Years Ago, Americans United Won An Important Victory For Real Religious Freedom:
AU represented Roberta Stewart, a Nevada woman whose husband, Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart, had been killed in action in Afghanistan, but who was denied by the VA the right to be memorialized in a way that was meaningful for his family.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Florida School Board Should Stay Out Of The Prayer-Promotion Business:
The Miami-Dade School Board recently voted unanimously in favor of a resolution acknowledging the National Day of Prayer. Promoting religion is not the role of public schools.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Officials’ Claims That Critical Race Theory Is Lurking In Math Texts Don’t Add Up:
To Christian nationalists, who cling to a vision of the U.S. as “God’s favorite nation,” any discussion of our country’s flaws—no matter how true or glaring they may be—is tantamount to teaching kids to hate America.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Once Again, David Barton Proves He’s The True Home Of The Whopper:
The latest myth about the founding of America from Christian nation advocate and pseudo-historian David Barton is that the U.S. Constitution had to be approved by churches before it was ratified.
READ MORE » [link removed]


Get Involved—Check Out AU’s Upcoming Events:
Find additional details and a full list of events at [link removed]

April 26, 7:30 p.m. ET (Virtual): “Post-Argument AU Member Briefing: Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (SCOTUS).” Presented by AU. RSVP here: [link removed]

May 12, 8 p.m. ET (Virtual): “The Right To Go To Hell,” featuring Jim McCollum from the landmark religious freedom case McCollum v. Board of Education. Presented by the AU Nashville Chapter. RSVP here: [link removed]


Like Us On Facebook: [link removed]

Follow Us On Twitter: [link removed]

Follow us On Instagram: [link removed]

Copyright © 2022
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
1310 L Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC xxxxxx
www.au.org

unsubscribe: [link removed]
Update your information: [link removed]
Privacy policy: www.au.org/about/privacy-policy
Donate: [link removed]