On March 15, 2011, Beltway Atheists Inc. applied for a trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It was approved for publication on June 27, 2011 and published for opposition in the Trademark Official Gazette (OG) on August 30, 2011 (http://tarr.uspto.gov/tarr?regser=serial&entry=85267284).  We did so to protect our brand so we can accomplish our stated mission.

On September 28, 2011, 2 days before the opposition deadline, a trademark opposition was filed by “Capital Beltway Atheists”, an unincorporated association, by its officers Shelley Mountjoy and Christopher Arntzen,” claiming exclusive rights to the name Beltway Atheists (http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pno=91201790&pty=OPP&eno=1). It is the opinion of the Board of Directors of Beltway Atheists Inc. that this opposition is completely without merit and we intend to fight this opposition and defend our trademark vigorously. Our trademark was created in 2005, in continuous operation since then, Incorporated in 2008, and received official non-profit status in 2010. If we do not defend our name, it will minimize our effectiveness in the local community, and Beltway Atheists could no longer exist.

As a result of this dispute, Beltway Atheists Inc. has retained the services of a lawyer to defend our trademark.

We’d like to apologize to our donors for any delays caused by this legal issue to the goals and activities of Beltway Atheists and our social arm NOVA Atheists, and thank you for your continued support and contributions.

Sincerely,

Rick Wingrove, CEO of Beltway Atheists Inc.

You can read Rick’s Credo page online: http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/people/2011/12/credo-rick-wingrove/2047971

Or you can read the PDF version of the page, pictured above: http://beltwayatheists.org/pdf/RickWingrove_Credo.pdf

The historic Loudoun County Court House in Leesburg Virginia is the site of an ongoing clash
over religious displays on the lawn. A Nativity scene has been placed on the lawn at Christmas
for decades. No other signage or displays were permitted. This amounted to privileged access, a
special right provided to the local christian community by county government.

Two years ago, the Grounds Committee, tasked with preserving the lawn and the century old
Sycamores, recommended that no more displays be placed on the lawn. There was an immediate
backlash from the religious community, bemoaning the war on Christmas and the unconscionable
attack on Christianity.

The Board of Supervisors, predictably caved, ignored the recommendations of the grounds
committee, and permitted the religious displays to remain.

But, then they did a curious thing: they consulted the ACLU. The Board was advised that access
for one required access for all. The Board decided to give free speech a chance on the lawn and
began permitting up to 10 displays on the lawn. The local religious community was enthusiastic
about free speech, possibly feeling that free speech was a more solid footing for the continued
hosting of the christian displays.

In 2010, members of the Atheist community in Loudoun County acquired permits for 7 of the 10
available spots on the lawn. The religious community’s enthusiasm for free speech was
immediately revealed as the thin ruse that it was.

The religious community, as it turns out only believe in their own free speech. They railed to
the Board and in the media to expel the secular displays from the lawn, calling them an attack
on Christianity and an attempt to destroy Christmas.

Some of the displays were tongue in cheek, such as the Jedi and the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
others were more abrasive, and openly questioned some core tenets of the Christian mythology,
like the Santa/Easter Bunny/Jesus comparison. Others were more obtuse, honoring the
Constitution and Separation of Church and State.

Over the last year, members of NOVA Atheists and Beltway Atheists have put a banner on the lawn
every month, celebrating persons or events pertaining to Science or Separation. Again, all have
been condemned as attacks on Christianity. All of the banners can be viewed at beltwayatheists.org.

While it is entirely legal to criticize religion in this country, and there is much to be
critical about, the monthly signs have never been directly critical of Christianity and only
mildly and tangentially critical of religion.

The main function of the signs have been to demonstrate that the Board and the religious
community were being disingenuous by facilitating the religious displays under the banner of
free speech. Their knee-jerk, sky falling, full martyrdom response more than makes the point.

This has all come to a head following the appearance of a display on the lawn which outraged
the local christian community. The display was a skeleton Santa on a cross. As one local new
camera rolled, a local Leesburg woman, short on understanding and high on sanctimonious rage,
went on to the Court house grounds and vandalized the display. She did this in broad daylight,
in front of a camera, and, to make it much worse, in front of a Loudoun County Sheriff’s
Deputy.

The Deputy’s response to the vandalism of a legal display on government property was to ask the
reporter to get off of government property because news cameras are not permitted on the
grounds. The Deputy then walked past the vandal, declining to “get involved in that” and went
back in the building.

Every regional news outlet picked up the story and were regaled with hyperbolic wailing about this
unconscionable attack on Christianity.

This would be terrible… if it were true. As it turns out, the artist who placed the display
is a Christian. AND, as it clearly states on his permit application, this was a commentary on
the death of the true spirit of Christmas, sacrificed on the altar of Big Box commercialism –
something that both atheists and Christians agree on.

Is there a lesson in all this? Yeah, several.

First, the ballistics, the hyperbole, the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the christian
community is frequently divorced from relevant facts.

Second, the secular displays are not a war on Christmas – most of us celebrate the holiday in a
fairly conventional way and have never suggested that anyone change that.

Third, The best place for the religious displays is on religious property. It is fully
protected and no one cares about that. No ones rights to practice their religion are diminished
by putting up any kind of religious display they want on their own property.

Fourth, The religious groups do not have an absolute right to occupy government property. It is
by permit only. Permits can be denied.

Fifth, our only aim is to honor and protect the Constitution by making sure that the Separation
of Church and State is rigorously observed.

We want all display banned from the court house lawn so that the Separation deniers cannot use
government property for the support, endorsement, and advancement of their own selfish and
partisan religious purposes. Government should never be in the business of propping up
religion.

– By Rick Wingrove

EDITED: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/skeleton-santa-and-other-secular-displays-dont-equal-a-war-on-christmas/2011/12/07/gIQABR9CuO_story.html

Our Seasonal Attack on Christianity

On Saturday, Dec. 16, we put up our own display on the Loudoun County Court House lawn. The NOVA display, like all of our previous displays, failed to trash christianity or to attack christmas. The local christian community is, predictably, outraged at the anti-christian, anti christmas hate speech in our display. The obvious lesson here? Haters are just gonna hate. And facts are irrelevant.

Our display followed a week of controversy following the vandalism of the Skeleton Santa display.

Jeff Heflin, son of a NOVA Atheists member, but who refers to himself as a christian, put up a skeleton in a Santa suit on a cross. It was clearly stated in his Permit Application to the county that the art piece was critical of the takeover of christmas by big box commercialism. This would seem to be something that christians and atheists agree on. But naturally, the display evoked the usual knee-jerk, sky-is-falling, full martyrdom response we get from the christian community for any perceived insult, such as our continued attempts to exercise our free speech rights.

The legally permitted display was vandalized in broad daylight, on government property, in front of a Channel 9 camera and in front of a Loudoun County Sherriff’s Deputy, by a local christian woman who imagines that the test of Free Speech is whatever offends her. The Deputy walked around the vandal and forced the news camera off the Court House property, then walked back past the vandal, refusing to “get involved in all that,” and disappeared back into the County offices. Despite the fact that the footage of the vandalism, showing the woman boasting of her righteous indignation, and of the Deputy ignoring the crime, was shown twice on Channel 9, there has been no arrest.

That the christian community was absolutely wrong about the display did not alter their narrative, that it was an atheist attack on christianity. And their lament included the usual nonsensical contradiction. They would, in one breath, claim to be an overwhelming majority, apparently thinking that the rights of minorities depend upon the  permission of the majority, and, in the next breath, claim to be oppressed by atheists, even as they stand holding a sign asserting that only 2% of Americans are atheists.

But the christian community never fails to deliver. The following email, sent to each board member of Beltway Atheists,  would seem to represent the sentiment of some of the more adamant, vocal, and impulse control-challenged members of the christian community:

sigh, you people suck for what you are doing in Leesburg, assfucking clowns if you ask me…since you are open minded and tolerant, send your whore wives over and let me skull fuck them while you watch…you cocksuckers are nothing more than pussy ass contrarians that are full of shit and can kiss my motherfucking ass…I love free speech too you limped dick pussy ass motherfuckers…love and joy, Stace.

Hey, Stace! Learn that in church?

Jeff Heflin Jr.'s display on the courthouse lawn, "Santa Cross"

Let’s get a few things straight, for the record, about this year’s first displays. The first two displays were put up by a mother and son team. While Jenelle is a member of NOVA Atheists meetup group, a social group sponsored by Beltway Atheists Inc., her son put this display up as an individual. Neither were in any way acting as representatives of Beltway Atheists Inc., and their artwork should not be seen as anything other than THEIR PROPERTY, not the property of Beltway Atheists Inc., or a message displayed on behalf of Beltway Atheists Inc.

Some finer points to address.

• The “Santa Cross” display erected by Jeff Heflin Jr. was not in any way intended as an “atheistic” message. It was intended to highlight how commercialism has hijacked a holiday about family. Beltway Atheists Inc. strongly supports his 1st Amendment right to free speech, and stands with Mr. Heflin.
• The vandal who deconstructed Mr. Heflin’s display should be brought to justice. Beltway Atheists Inc. recognizes that the 14th Amendment, which explains the concept of “equal protection” under law, has been violated. Mr. Heflin’s right to free speech has been abridged by a fellow citizen despite law enforcement presence. This is an outrage. Other displays were given protection from vandals while this display was not.
• The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Department should apologize to Channel 9 News for infringing upon the freedom of the press. They were on public property and were asked to leave in the midst of a story they were covering. This is a clear violation of their constitutionally protected rights.

SOURCES:
http://www.leesburgtoday.com/news/article_999c28e8-1f70-11e1-970c-001871e3ce6c.html
http://www.leesburg2day.com/news/article_ad0cc2e2-1fb2-11e1-b055-0019bb2963f4.html
http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/178244/158/Skeleton-Santa-Nailed-To-Cross-Sparks-Christmas-Outrage
http://www.wusa9.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1311150127001
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/weird/Skeleton-Santa-Controversy-at-Loudoun-County-Courthouse-135070748.html

@REDDIT.com:
http://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/comments/n2ql9/skeleton_santa_sparks_christmas_anger_u_mad_bro/

Carl Sagan, who introduced many of us to the Cosmos, is honored in our November banner. In his book The Demon-Haunted World, Dr. Sagan reminds us that Reality is always preferable to comforting superstitions – a sentiment embraced by all rational people. Dr. Sagan’s birthday is November 9th.

I noted quite a few great petitions on WhiteHouse.gov’s new “We the People” petition system. Check these out before they expire!

• Remove “In God We Trust” from currency.
• Remove tax exemption from churches and allow them to apply like a non-profit organization
• Edit the Pledge of Allegiance to remove the phrase “Under God”.

And you gotta check out this ONE!

• Promote / Enforce the teaching of Evolution over Creationism

I hope many of you take the time to get online and sign some petitions. Use your right as Americans to petition your government!

The Constitution provides no role for religion in governance.

Our September banner on the lawn of the Loudoun County Courthouse in Leesburg, VA commemorates the adoption of our Constitution by the Contitntal Congress on September 17, 1787.

Our Constitution spells out, in great detail, the form and function of the United States of America. The roles, the powers, and the limitations of government are well defined. Our Constitution is entirely secular and provides absolutely no role for religion in governance. Further, there are two prohibitions in the Constitution which apply ONLY to religion: Article Six PROHIBITS religious tests for public office; and the First Amendment PROHIBITS any special privileges, rights, or recognition for any religion under the law.

This means that all persons can expect fair and equal treatment under the law regardless of their opinions on religion. All persons can believe and practice any religion they choose, or none at all, and no one can impose their beliefs on any other person by coercion, or by force of law. What could possibly be fairer than that?

The best idea anyone ever had.

On August 20, 1858, Charles Darwin first published a synoptic version of On the Origin of Species in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society of London. Darwin’s Law is the foundation of all biology. With Evolution, biology is coherent and discoverable - without Evolution, biology makes no sense at all and we would be left with only Bronze-age mysticism. After 150 years, Darwin’s law is universally acknowledged by Scientists and remains uncontradicted by a single shred of evidence. In fact, it is reconfirmed daily with the discovery of every new addition to the fossil record.

Darwin’s synthesis of Evolution by natural selection is not merely earthshatteringly brilliant, it has been called the best idea anyone ever had. Given that, Darwin’s first publication of On the Origin of Species is certainly noteworthy and is the subject of our banner for August.

We will be erecting the banner in our usual spot on the Loudoun County Courthouse lawn – at the corner of King and Market Streets in old town Leesburg, VA.  The public is invited to attend .