Lauren Rose's Election Experience, and A Moron's Response(s) to Her.

Lauren Rose's Election Experience, and A Moron's Response(s) to Her.

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Lauren Rose is an atheist who was perturbed to have to go to a church to cast her vote in a federal U.S. Election. She wore a tshirt expressing her displeasure at this concept (voting for a public election in a christian church) as well as identifying herself as an atheist.

This, in her own words, is what happened that day:

As soon as I walked I was approached by this old woman who at first was nice in saying, "good morning," but quickly became an enemy once she read my shirt. She got all bug eyed and asked me to go turn it inside-out, and I said, "no, I don't think I will. Can I vote now, please?" She left me standing there and brought over two other people, another old woman and a middle-aged man. I was asked again to turn my shirt inside out or to put on a jacket, and to "be respectful in this place." Again, I said, "I don't think so. This may be a church, but for now it is an election polling site and has no religious affiliation whatsoever. This is not your god's house right now. He can have it back later. Now, please, let me vote so that I may try and keep places like these from being polling sites in the future."

After just a bit more argument I was finally led to the voting area for my precinct. There were 5 people in front of me. It was going to take awhile. I remained rather still and fairly quiet so I could hear what was happening behind me. The old woman who had met me at the door along with the other old woman who she had retrieves later were behind me, talking about my shirt, and then one of them said, "it's time to pray. let's pray for her," and they prayed quite loudly behind me. I just remained silent.  They prayed for nearly 10 minutes as I stood there, and as soon as my booth opened up I darted for it. I voted straight Democratic except in cases where there wasn't an option besides Republican. In those cases I didn't vote at all. Then I quickly pushed the button to submit and got the eff out of there.

Now, on her facebook page, where she posted this, she received hundreds of comments, as this story had gained some attention (even being featured on Pharyngula). She received many supportive comments, from both christians and atheists alike, although she of course received many nonsupporting ones, most of which accused her of being disrespectful or looking for a fight.

Here is one such comment, from a redneck named Dennis D. Davis (such a cliche this guy is; his only book listed on his FB page: The Bible. He's a republican, rants about liberals, lives in Texas, has like 3 teeth, wears overalls, loves Jeebus, the whole nine yards):

Did you vote,or did you sit there rediculing the people that let come in to there building and vote..GET A LIFE..we need MORALS not librals

After he received a few responses from people, he responded back:

Im sorry but you did wear a T shirt that was obiviously was insulting to the people that furnished a place far you to vote.and then they even prayed far you..You exercise your right..But I can see you had this all planed out so you could cry on and tell people your rights were threaten.Look you took pic.all the way there and of the church.You knew what they would do. OH YA GOD BLESS YOU and I dont care if you like that are not..Dont take my right away,or the little old ladies

Clearly this moron doesn't grasp the very simple concepts that are the thread of this story. Not only does he not get it, this Fox News watching redneck is so accustomed to hearing about atheists' trying to take away christians' rights (and probably thinks there's a 'war' on Christmas) that he accused HER of impinging on THEIR rights! Way to get it TOTALLY fucking backwards!!!

What a retard.

Here's another gem:

I didnt know that there was a such of a thing as atheists.I thought everybody beleived in something.at least there self. (Yes, the guy thinks atheists believe in literally NOTHING.....more Fox News propaganda....or maybe from his pastor.....likely both).

In response to someone asking him if he would wear a cross to vote if he had to vote in a Satanist church:

Yes I would ware a cross and dare them to try to take it away from me,and I would go where ever I had to vote.Im sorry I will not post on your site again Mr. Hooper GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU

.....So he would DARE THEM TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM HIM, but SHE was being disrespectful by wearing HER shirt, and refusing to turn it inside out....and THEY weren't being disrespectful at all by asking her to turn her shirt inside out?

FUCKING MORON.

And I LOVE how he writes “far” rather than “for.” LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyways, I felt compelled to send this guy a message, in the hopes that perhaps I could, maybe, somehow, kinda get through and make him understand the issue.

Here's what I sent to him:

Hi Dennis, I just felt compelled to send you a message informing you that, contrary to what you think, atheism does not imply a 'belief in nothing, not even people.' Atheism simply denotes the lack of theistic belief, aka, the lack of a belief in any gods.

Atheism is not nihilism.

As far as that story goes about the atheistic girl at the polls, the issue was that the people running the polls have absolutely no justification for asking her to turn her t-shirt inside out. She has a first amendment right to wear/display any message she chooses.

As far as you making it out to be about respect goes, during the time that voting was taking place, that church was a public ground. A secular, public ground dedicated to voting, and not a church. In fact, the religious symbols should have been removed from view, and it is absolutely not the domain of the administrators to request anything of the voters in terms of attire or signage.

Her wearing a t-shirt expressing herself is no more disrespectful to the christians than is a christian wearing a cross. It's an expression of an ideology.

See it from her perspective: Imagine if the polls were held in a mosque. Would you think it's right to vote in a mosque? And then, on top of it, when you get there, the Islamic women there ask you to remove your cross, and then when you refuse to, they loudly 'pray for you.' THAT's disrespect!

Good day.

EDIT: Days later, no response. I don't expect to receieve one, but if I do, I'll update this.