First Liberty



FLI Files Lawsuit Against U.S. Postal Service for Viewpoint
Discrimination Against Personalized Religious Stamps at Christmas

Custom Stamps with "Religious" Content Deemed
"unsuitable for all ages and audiences."

Picture of Rejected Christmas Stamp

Dear John,

As you send out Christmas cards to your friends and family this
holiday season, does the customized nativity stamp pictured above look
like something you might consider using to add that one special, final
touch?

Wonderful idea...unfortunately, the U.S. Postal service forbids it!

That's why First Liberty Institute, along with its network
attorneys from the international law firm of Winston & Strawn,
just filed a federal lawsuit against the United States Postal Service
(USPS), alleging that a 2017 USPS regulation barring "any
depiction" of religious content on personalized stamps is
unconstitutional. That is clear religious discrimination.

According to First Liberty network attorney and Winston & Strawn
partner, Chad Walker, "Personalized postage stamps do not
violate the First Amendment just because they reference religion.
Government regulations prohibiting religious speech by Americans
offend the First Amendment."

Yes, "offensive" is putting it mildly. As we've seen
throughout this holiday season, including our recent "Christmas
Lights" case involving a neighborhood display that helps support
children with cancer...the all out war against your freedom to live
out your faith is reaching new "lows" this year.

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GIVE NOW and maximize your impact thanks to our Year-End $300,000
Challenge Grant.
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Will you go ALL IN to reclaim our First Freedom?
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Susan Fletcher, a graphic designer from Plano, TX, created the stamp
out of a heartfelt desire to express her faith in everything she
does-just like so many of our other clients.

But not only does the USPS regulation prevent Susan from creating a
stamp involving the most personal thing to her (her faith), it lumps
her religion into a category the regulation describes as
"unsuitable for all ages and audiences."

Let that sink in for a moment.

"USPS offers its own version of a religious stamp, but
ironically, it will not allow religious Americans to personalize
stamps containing an expression of their own religious beliefs for
their own use," said Jeremy Dys, Special Counsel for Litigation
and Communications at First Liberty. "This regulation by the
USPS not only chills speech, it silences it."

Like you, and the rest of our First Liberty family of supporters,
Susan simply wants to freely live out her faith-not just at
Christmas, but all throughout the year.

Truly, this recent "Stamps" case is a sad reminder of
where we are and what's at stake for the future of religious
freedom in our country.

It's also a timely reminder that because of supporters like you,
we're able to continue leading the fight to reclaim religious
liberty in our country unlike we've ever seen in our lifetimes.

Let's make it count this Christmas!

Yes, I will make a gift today.
[link removed]

Gratefully, 

Kelly

Kelly J. Shackelford, Esq.
President, CEO & Chief Counsel
First Liberty Institute

 



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