Atheist Group Intimidated by Small Town Sign: 'God's Country'
Nothing better to do than harass a small town that's not bothering anyone.
6.28.2016
108
A small town sign that encourages safe driving is threatening atheists because it mentions God.
Since the 1930s, a road sign has stood near a highway in Hondo, Texas that reads:
Welcome, this is God's country. Please don't drive through it like hell.
And not a soul has been bothered by it until now. The Freedom From Religion Foundation wants the Hondo landmark removed and wrote a letter to the mayor alleging a First Amendment violation:
The message assumes a common god, yet imagine the public outrage had the city posted a sign that said, “This is Vishnu’s Country." It is equally inflammatory and inappropriate to post a sign dedicating a city to the god of the bible.
The FFRF's letter stated that the signs sit on public property and "convey government preference for religion over nonreligion" and sends "the message that nonbelievers are not welcome in the city."
Hondo Mayor Jim Danner responded succinctly: "There’s no way in hell we’re going to take those signs down. They’d probably run me out of town if I took those signs down.”
According to Legal Insurrection, there was once public outcry over the signs back in 2009, when they were removed for a construction project. Residents were overjoyed when they were reinstalled. A local gardening club even donated updated landscaping to improve the sign's location.
One resident is telling people who don't like the signs to drive somewhere else:
“If you don’t like it, don’t read it or drive around. There are other ways around the city."
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