Selecting an attorney for legal cases is a very important decision. Please enter your information below to receive a Free Consultation from an attorney in your area:
New Mexico Civil Rights News
Watchdog Group Calls for NBC Apology
Katie Couric Repeats “No Atheists In Foxholes” Canard: Watchdog Group Calls for NBC Apology An Atheist civil rights group is calling for an apology from the NBC television network over remarks made by “Today Show” host Katie Couric in a segment aired on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 that included the statement: “There are no Atheists in foxholes.”
The remarks came in an introduction to Lester Holt’s piece on “God, America & War,” which profiled the role of religious faith in times of military conflict. Couric said: “Perhaps you have heard the expression, ‘There are no Atheists in foxholes,’ and the men who have occupied the oval office have also turned to a higher power.” The program included mention of a book (American Gospel : God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation by Jon Meacham) detailing the role of religion in American history. There was NO mention, however, of the secular tradition in the United States, nor was there any critical examination of the claim that “There are no Atheists in Foxholes.”
On Veterans’ Day, 2005, Atheists, Freethinkers, Humanists and other nonbelievers from across the country were in Washington, DC for the first “Atheists in Foxholes” rally (see: http://www.atheistfoxholes.org).
“We are asking for Katie Couric and NBC to issue a statement recognizing that there ARE and have been ‘Atheists in Foxholes’ serving this nation and upholding our secular Constitution,” said Ellen Johnson, President of American Atheists. “It would be unfair and discriminatory to claim, for instance, ‘There are no blacks’ or ‘There are no gays’ in foxholes. We want to educate the public and our media, about this serious misconception.”
Dave Silverman, Communications Director for American Atheists, said that NBC needs to recognize that there are over 30 million people in the United States who profess “no religion” (American Religion Identification Survey).
“It’s wrong to single out a whole segment of Americans by using an inaccurate and disparaging cliché,” said Silverman. “Many citizens have served our country with honor, and this includes Atheists,” said Mr. Silverman.
American Atheists is a nationwide movement which defends the civil rights of nonbelievers, works for the separation of church and state, and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.
Definition:
Positive steps taken by an employer to ensure equal employment opportunities for minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. In federal employment, extra effort must be made to include qualified women, minorities, and persons with disabilities at grade levels and in job categories where they are underrepresented.
Class Complaint/Class Action
Definition:
A complaint articulated or filed by a group of people who feel that personnel or management policies or practices discriminate against them as a group. Members of the group believe that a characteristic they share -- race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability is the basis for the discrimination.
National Origin Discrimination
Definition:
National origin discrimination has been broadly defined as including, but not limited to, the denial of equal employment opportunity because of an individual's or his/her ancestor's country of origin or because an individual has the physical, cultural, or linguistic characteristics of a particular national origin group.
If you live in the following cities and need an Civil-Right attorney you should contact
our Civil-Right Attorney as soon as possible:
Alamogordo
Albuquerque
Anthony
Artesia
Aztec
Belen
Carlsbad
Clovis
Deming
Edgewood
Espanola
Farmington
Gallup
Hobbs
Las Cruces
Las Vegas
Los Alamos
Los Lunas
Portales
Rio Rancho
Roswell
Santa Fe
Shiprock
Silver City
Taos
Legal Disclaimers All attorney listings are a paid attorney advertisement, and do not in any way constitute a referral or endorsement by an approved or authorized lawyer referral service. The information provided on New Mexico Civil Rights Lawyers.com is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys
general information related to legal issues commonly encountered. Your access
to and use of this website is subject to additional Terms
and Conditions.
Local Professional? Generate new business today
Call 866-227-9356 or contact a sales rep
Did You Know?