Category One Memorial Designation Commission?
Where can I find the Category One Memorial Designation Commission? As far as I can tell, it does not exist, despite legislation passed last year mandating the creation of such an authority. After the Freedom from Religion Foundation challenged the constitutionality of a large Christian cross on public land in Woonsocket, the General Assembly hastily [...]
Progress Report: Religious Symbols on Public Property in RI, Curt Schilling’s Fib, Local Journalism
There is a major and potentially very ugly battle brewing in the Ocean State that has nothing to do with tax rates, struggling cities or bankrupt ballplayers: I’m talking about religious symbols on public property, and it’s getting out of control. The most recent example (which you learned about first from RI Future), a cross [...]
Chafee Should Veto Woonsocket Cross Bills
At 2:30 AM on the morning of June 13th, an hour before adjourning for the year, the General Assembly approved two outlandish companion bills, H-8143A and S 3035 as amended. In direct contrast to the principles that animated the founding of our state, these bills establish a government commission with the blatantly inappropriate and unconstitutional [...]
Cross Our Hearts: Rhode Island and Organized Religion
What does it mean to be a Christian? What does it mean to be an American? What does it mean to be a Rhode Islander? Over the next few weeks I’m going to pen a series of reflections on the many hybrid religious and political battles our little state has faced over this passing year. [...]
Who’s the Knucklehead in Woonsocket Cross Flap?
While reasonable people can disagree about whether a religious symbol belongs on a war memorial on public property, most would agree that politicians should not call their constituents knuckleheads. Woonsocket Mayor Leo Fontaine seems to be the outlier here though. Earlier this week he levied that insult at Freedom From Religion Foundation, an atheist group [...]
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