The Jena Six, Michael Vick and the Plans for a New Lincoln Penny

The Urban Legends Reference Site, www.snopes.com, is a great web site. In addition to a catalogue of information on classic Urban Legends their “What’s New” page addresses things traveling the internet related to today’s headlines.

I swing by regularly and on this visit I was particularly struck by articles related to these three topics.

The Jena Six article was in response to an e-mail claiming that the American Red Cross provided bottles of water to the marchers protesting the severe charges brought against the six black defendants. The writer of the e-mail was clearly indignant that the Red Cross was expending supplies intended for disaster relief, and expressed the opinion that the protestors should have planned better, and brought their own supplies.

Snopes, verified that the Red Cross did in fact provide water and first aid, but then went on to explain that they did so at the request of the State of Louisiana, which had declared a state of emergency in the parish where Jena is located, and that the Red Cross has asked for reimbursement from Louisiana.

Let’s talk about the Jena Six, the Red Cross support in Jena and the Red Cross in general. I’m convinced that Jim Crow is alive and well in the American South and it’s going to take constant vigilance to prevent his revival. That being said, I think that folks could have chosen a better hook to hang their caps on than this one. Granted the original charges of attempted murder were ridiculous but we are talking aggravated assault, six against one, and a victim that appears to have been chosen by random and to have had nothing to do with the noose hanging incident several months previously.

As far as the Red Cross support at the march, I can understand the Red Cross wanting to help, but I question the wisdom of its decision to become involved with what amounted to a political demonstration. But, then again, I’ve come to question the wisdom of the Red Cross in a number of cases based upon multiple reports that during the Katrina crisis, help was refused because it wasn’t coming from religious organizations that the Red Cross had “agreements” with.

The e-mail writer says that based upon the Jena incident he will no longer contribute to the Red Cross. I no longer contribute either. I prefer to donate to more secular organizations.

The Michael Vick article centered around an “Open Letter to the Atlanta NAACP” which criticized its director, Dr. R.L. White, for supporting Michael Vick.

As reported by Snopes, White expressed an opinion to Newsweek that Vick was being more closely scrutinized because he was a celebrity and because he was black. In statements to the press, White urged the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons and Vick’s commercial sponsors not to drop him.

I partially agree with White. I don’t think Vick is catching more hell than the average dog torturing moron because he’s black, but I do think he is because he’s a high profile NFL athlete. Let’s face it, with fame and visibility comes some responsibility as well. Superstar athletes are viewed as role models and, like it or not, they need to consider that.

Could you ever imagine players like Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb or Brett Favre doing something as dumb as what Michael Vick did? But, if they did, do you seriously think that they wouldn’t catch just as much hell?

The NFL understand this, the Atlanta Falcons understand this and Dr. White of the NAACP needs to understand this as well. The commercial sponsors look at it a little differently. What they understand is that if they don’t dump Vick, lots and lots of their customers, both black and white, will probably dump them.

This brings us to the Lincoln Penny. In 2009 the U.S. Mint plans a series of pennies with scenes from Lincoln’s life on the reverse of the coin instead of the current Lincoln Memorial. Preliminary views of some of the scenes under consideration have gotten the under 90 IQ, trailer park living, religious fruitcakes in an uproar because none of them show the motto “In God We Trust.” That’s because the motto is on the FRONT of the Lincoln Penny which isn’t changing (DUH).

But what caught my particular attention is the text published by Snopes that was traveling around the internet complaining about the missing motto which said (all caps apparently part of the e-mail):

“THIS IS WHAT OUR NEW PENNIES WILL LOOK LIKE. THANKS TO THE ACLU AND OTHER SIMILAR GROUPS THE WORDS 'IN GOD WE TRUST' HAVE BEEN REMOVED. WHEN ARE WE AS AMERICANS, GOING TO SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND STOP BOWING DOWN TO THOSE THAT TAKE OUR BELIEFS AND RIGHTS AWAY FROM US? IF WE DON'T ACT SOON THEY WILL HAVE THE WORD "GOD" COMPLETELY ELIMINATED FROM OUR LANGUGE. THEY'VE ALREADY STOPPED SCHOOL PRAYER, PRAYER AT SPORTING EVENTS AND NOW FROM OUR CURRENCY. WHAT'S NEXT? WILL THEY OUTLAW PRAYER IN CHURCH? WILL THEY OUTLAW THE SELL OF BIBLES? TIME TO SPEAK UP BEFORE THE BELIEFS OF A FEW BECOME THE LAW.”

Let’s tip-toe through the ignorance shall we?

“THE WORDS "IN GOD WE TRUST" HAVE BEEN REMOVED” – As previously stated, this isn’t true. They’re simply on the other side of the coin.

“…STOP BOWING DOWN TO THOSE THAT TAKE OUR BELIEFS AND RIGHTS AWAY FROM US…” – Well, clearly, since you’re writing this e-mail, no one has managed to take away your “BELIEFS.” Actually, I’m not sure someone can forcibly take away your beliefs. Someone might convince you to change your beliefs, but it’s unlikely a court order or gun to your head could take them away. The fact is you can no more chose what you believe than you can choose whether you’re right handed or left handed.

As for the idea of rights, since when is it a right to have your opinion codified into laws, or coins or buildings? I might accept the argument that the overwhelming majority of Americans support the motto “In God we Trust,” and therefore it belongs on the coins, but it’s not your right to force what you believe upon the rest of us.

“…THEY WILL HAVE THE WORD "GOD" COMPLETELY ELIMINATED FROM OUR LANGUGE” – What an interesting concept, shades of 1984. Do you suppose the bozo that wrote the e-mail even knows what 1984 is? I suspect one couldn’t do this for the same reasons one couldn’t forcibly remove another’s beliefs. Human beings are just too downright ornery to allow stuff like that to happen.

“THEY'VE ALREADY STOPPED SCHOOL PRAYER…” – Actually, that’s not true. What they’ve stopped is prayer sanctioned or organized by the school because the school, as an agent of the government, must, according to the U.S. Constitution, be neutral when it comes to one religion with respect to another religion, one sect with respect to another sect and religion with respect to no religion. Students are free to pray whenever they want. There was always lots of prayer in my high school, especially just before physics tests.

The “they” in this case, by the way, just happens to be the Supreme Court of the United States and not the ACLU or some other nefarious organization.

“(THEY'VE ALREADY STOPPED) PRAYER AT SPORTING EVENTS.” – Again, not true. At public school sporting events what has been stopped is, again, prayer sanctioned or organized by the school for the same reasons as noted above. I’m not aware of any law or rule that prevents prayer at say, NFL Games or private College Games. As a matter of fact, most players pray before the game or at least make the sign of the cross. Hey, haven’t you heard of a “Hail Mary Pass?”

Again the “they” was the U.S. Supreme court and the plaintiffs the Catholic and Mormon parents of students attending school sporting events and not some clandestine atheist alliance.

“WILL THEY OUTLAW PRAYER IN CHURCH? WILL THEY OUTLAW THE SELL OF BIBLES?” – I think that should have been “SALE” rather than “SELL” and I have to say I doubt we’re heading down this fallacious slippery slope. I assume the author is using this as an appeal to exaggeration as either would be a direct violation of the 1st Amendment. Although, given the level of intelligence demonstrated by people that continually send money to television evangelists, some people, including the author, might actually believe these are possibilities.

It never ceases to amaze me that preventing religion from inundating those of us who believe its dogma and rituals are absurd is viewed by the religious as a curtailment of THEIR RIGHTS! I guess they figure they have the right to practice their religion anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances and the rest of us have to, if not participate, then at least stand by patiently, and respectfully, until they’re done.

You will excuse me, but not on my time and not with my tax dollars.