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Massachusetts Civil Rights News
Watchdog Group Calls for NBC Apology
Katie Couric Repeats “No Atheists In Foxholes” Canard: Watchdog Group Calls for NBC Apology An Atheist civil rights group is calling for an apology from the NBC television network over remarks made by “Today Show” host Katie Couric in a segment aired on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 that included the statement: “There are no Atheists in foxholes.”
The remarks came in an introduction to Lester Holt’s piece on “God, America & War,” which profiled the role of religious faith in times of military conflict. Couric said: “Perhaps you have heard the expression, ‘There are no Atheists in foxholes,’ and the men who have occupied the oval office have also turned to a higher power.” The program included mention of a book (American Gospel : God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation by Jon Meacham) detailing the role of religion in American history. There was NO mention, however, of the secular tradition in the United States, nor was there any critical examination of the claim that “There are no Atheists in Foxholes.”
On Veterans’ Day, 2005, Atheists, Freethinkers, Humanists and other nonbelievers from across the country were in Washington, DC for the first “Atheists in Foxholes” rally (see: http://www.atheistfoxholes.org).
“We are asking for Katie Couric and NBC to issue a statement recognizing that there ARE and have been ‘Atheists in Foxholes’ serving this nation and upholding our secular Constitution,” said Ellen Johnson, President of American Atheists. “It would be unfair and discriminatory to claim, for instance, ‘There are no blacks’ or ‘There are no gays’ in foxholes. We want to educate the public and our media, about this serious misconception.”
Dave Silverman, Communications Director for American Atheists, said that NBC needs to recognize that there are over 30 million people in the United States who profess “no religion” (American Religion Identification Survey).
“It’s wrong to single out a whole segment of Americans by using an inaccurate and disparaging cliché,” said Silverman. “Many citizens have served our country with honor, and this includes Atheists,” said Mr. Silverman.
American Atheists is a nationwide movement which defends the civil rights of nonbelievers, works for the separation of church and state, and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.
Definition:
Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 (Pub. L. 102-166) (CRA) amends several sections of Title VII. These amendments appear in boldface type. In addition, section 102 of the CRA (which is printed elsewhere in this publication) amends the Revised Statutes by adding a new section following section 1977 (42 U.S.C. 1981), to provide for the recovery of compensatory and punitive damages in cases of intentional violations of Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Cross references to Title VII as enacted appear in italics following each section heading.
Racial Discrimination
Definition:
Racial discrimination is present when people are treated differently than others who are similarly situated because they are members of a specific race. It can occur when individuals are treated differently because of unalterable characteristics, such as physical feature, indigenous to their race.
Overt Discrimination
Definition:
Overt discrimination is a specific, observable action taken against a person or class of persons because of protected status, e.g., national origin. This treatment also is referred to as "intentional discrimination. " Example: Failing to interview job applicants based solely on their race (race discrimination).
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