March FREEDOM WATCH Online

Freedom Watch Online

March 2010

Church Equals State? Not with Citizens Project!

You may have been wondering who is behind the billboards, TV ads, bus shelters and newspaper ads around town with these provocative messages.

Believe it or not, it's us. Citizens Project. Your local pro-American values and civil rights grassroots organization. We hope our ad campaign makes people think. We know it made some mad. But our ultimate goal is simply to start a conversation. A conversation about true American values - diversity, equality and religious freedom, including the separation of church and state. A conversation about our differences. And about how to live together while preserving equal rights for everyone in the community.

The ad campaign was designed to be provocative. We wanted people to consider what life in Colorado Springs might be like if Citizens Project didn't exist. (In fact, two of the ads were reversals of our best-known slogans: Create Community and Celebrate Diversity.) Without Citizens Project, would our public institutions - local government, public schools, libraries and community centers - uphold or undermine the equal rights and freedoms our country holds dear, and our fellow citizens have sacrificed so much to preserve and protect?

The ads were also meant to highlight the need for a collective community voice on these issues, and it clearly struck a nerve. We believe our community needs more open dialogue across the cultural and social divides. We may live in an age of openness, but we all experience the fragmentation and isolation that results from interacting only with our own kind. Years ago, Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family called Colorado Springs the "Gettysburg of the Culture Wars." In the years since, we've largely managed to avoid the kind of ugly, hateful debate that our community experienced around the anti-gay Amendment 2. But lately we've noticed a similar division and abusive tone begin to reappear in public dialogues, including letters to the editor, blog postings and online comments about city employees, hospital advocates, business leaders and others.

Why is our community is growing more divisive? Many of us only read the papers and blogs that reflect our own values; we only listen to radio programs that validate our biases; we only join groups that won't challenge our beliefs. We hunker down to our entrenched positions on the issues of the day to fight it out until the bitter end, demonizing and insulting the opposition in hopes of scoring points - regardless of how it degrades the very institutions and freedoms we want to protect - and making it harder to find real solutions.

This is America. And as Americans, we will always have our differences. But we believe it's un-American to devalue the opposition and hold those who disagree with us in contempt. Whether you believe the phrase Celebrate Diversity to be liberal pablum or an essential value for a successful community, the fact is there are wide political and cultural gulfs in our community. And if we want to defend and protect the very values our nation was founded on - liberty and equality for all - then we need to make a community commitment to respect our differences, while letting others hold onto their beliefs without limiting their rights and freedoms.

So please, tell us what you think. What you care about. What you want to talk about. Over the next several months, we'll host a series of neighborhood gatherings to continue the dialogue. And we'll continue to do the incredible work we've been doing since 1992 to provide a counter-voice to extremist influence by promoting pluralism, religious liberties and the separation of church and state.

We hope you'll join us. Let the conversation begin...

New City Banner Policy Proposed

With input from Citizens Project, the Colorado Springs Land Use Review Division has drafted a code amendment governing what kinds of banners can be posted in the public right-of-way, specifically on city owned light poles.

This follows the controversy over "Jesus is Champagne Alive" banners on poles outside a church downtown that were put up when no city guidelines existed. Because the banners are on public property and endorse a religious belief, many people were concerned that they violated the separation of church and state.

The new code, which will be presented for approval to the Planning Commission and then City Council, restricts banners on public light poles to those that serve the purpose of:

Aiding in the aesthetic improvement of neighborhoods and business districts by adding color and visual excitement.

Promotion of cultural, charitable and civic events or activities of general interest to the public.

Promoting the identity of a neighborhood or business district.

Citizens Project supports the proposed code amendment and will continue to monitor the process through approval by the City Council.

Religion and Public Schools: Citizens' Religious Freedom Institute

Citizens Project is proud to announce our inaugural Citizens' Religious Freedom Institute: Religion and Public Schools.

Saturday April 17, 2010 at UCCS

For teachers, students, parents, administrators, staff, school board members, and open to the public, this one day seminar will offer a track for educators to receive continuing education credit.

Participants will learn:

How the law defines religious freedom in the public school setting
Best practices for teaching about religion without endorsing it
How to be an advocate to ensure your school protects your rights

Topics to include: prayer in school, evolution and creationism/intelligent design, equal access, student religious expression, music at school functions, and more.

Get the flier here, register, and help spread the word!

Colorado Springs Wins National Diversity Award

The incredible work of the Colorado Springs Diversity Forum in creating the "Everybody Welcome; A Celebration of Culture and Diversity" has attracted national recognition. The National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials, a constituency group of the National League of Cities, named Colorado Springs one of four cities that have made exceptional efforts to enhance and promote cultural diversity.