Christian Flag in Rankin County Courthouse: Time for Action

After passing along the report that a Christian flag was sighted in the Rankin County Justice Court in Brandon, MS, I hoped that atheists in the area would decide to do something about it. I tried to articulate why it is not appropriate to have a Christian flag in a government courthouse. A couple of Mississippi atheists have contacted organizations that work to preserve the separation of church and state (i.e., the Mississippi ACLU and Freedom From Religion Foundation) but were told that additional information was needed. Best I can tell, little else has been done. I guess it is time for me to get the ball rolling.

I plan to send the following letter to the Rankin County Justice Court. I am posting it here for your feedback and in case others are looking for a model they can use. I have tried to keep it brief, to the point, and respectful.

[full name and return address]

[date]

Kristie Pyles, Court Clerk
Rankin County Justice Court
P.O. Box 71
Brandon, MS 39043

Dear Ms. Pyles:

I am writing to request that you remove the Christian flag currently displayed in the Rankin County Justice Court.

Displaying the Christian flag in a government building appears to violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which prohibits government promotion of religion. From previous U.S. Supreme Court rulings, it is clear that governmental endorsement of religion is unconstitutional (see Allegheny County v. American Civil Liberties Union and McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky). Closer to home, a federal judge ruled last month that displaying a portrait of Jesus in the foyer of a Louisiana courthouse was unconstitutional.

I hope you will agree to resolve this matter without the need to involve the ACLU and Freedom From Religion Foundation, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

[signature]

[full name]
A concerned Mississippi resident

Maybe the presence of a Christian flag in a public courthouse does not bother atheists in Rankin County. It does bother me. I realize that there are limits to what I can do as someone who does not reside in Rankin County. Still, that is not going to stop me from doing what I can.

Tags: Christian flag atheists atheist Mississippi Mississippi atheists church and state Rankin County atheist activism ACLU Freedom From Religion Foundation Constitution