Steve Ahlquist
Jolicoeur Square: Not So Unique in Woonsocket
In 1921 a war weary nation was pulling itself together after the horrors and losses of the Great War, later and unfortunately to be known as World War I. Cities and towns across the nation began the process of mourning and memorializing their dead, and Woonsocket, Rhode Island was no exception. That year the small [...]
Woonsocket Cross Built in 1952, Not 1921
There is a lot of confusion right now about the Woonsocket Cross at the center of a controversy caused by a letter sent by the Freedom from Religion Foundation to Mayor Leo T. Fontaine demanding the removal of said cross from public land. I don’t want to address the various legal arguments surrounding the validity [...]
The National Day of Fear and Desperation
Each year the President of the United States signs a proclamation encouraging all Americans to pray on the first Thursday in May, a national religious ritual first formalized by Congress in 1952. This year, that date falls on May 3rd, and both President Obama and Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee have declared their support for [...]
Girl at the Center of the Cranston “Prayer Banner” Case targeted by Cyber-Bullies
Upfront let me say that I am proud to be an uncle to the amazing Jessica Ahlquist, the student who two days ago won her case against the City of Cranston over an unconstitutional “prayer banner” on display at her school. It was not only a victory for Jessica, but a victory for everyone in [...]
Ron Paul no Friend to the Non-Religious
So last night Ron Paul gave a rousing speech in New Hampshire after he lost the primary there. He went on and on about FREEDOM of course, his supporters apparently unconcerned that Paul’s concept of freedom does not include a woman’s right to choose, many forms of birth control or laws that protect freedom, like [...]
Rhode Island, Humanism and the Death Penalty
Recently, Humanist and philosopher John Shook said it very simply, and I have to agree with him: Humanism cannot support the death penalty. His full article is linked and I would suggest that everybody with an interest in justice read it, but one part bears repeating here: Humanism stands for valuing the lives of all, [...]
My RIPTA conversation with Gordon Fox
Yesterday I wrote to Gordon Fox, asking him to help defend, not defund RIPTA. This is what I wrote: I am writing to you because now is not the time to cut funds to RIPTA, now is the time to increase them. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but a functioning public transportation system is a [...]
At the “Civil Rights Under Attack” Forum
The RI Mobilization Committee sponsored an interesting array of speakers Wednesday night at the Beneficent Church in downtown Providence centered around the theme of Civil Rights. First up was Iman Ikram Ul-Haq, from Masjid Al-islam mosque, North Smithfield, who talked about Islamophobia. The Iman made some interesting observations about the recent attacks in Norway and [...]
State Senator Nicholas Kettle has Learned What, Exactly?
Yesterdays’s Projo ran a piece on freshman Senator Nicholas Kettle. Kettle also happens to be the youngest Senator at age 20. You might remember Kettle, who rode into office as a Republican Tea Party candidate with no experience whatsoever. He very soon established his Tea Party bona fides by insulting the homeless community in RI [...]
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