By Naama Levy,
Photo and Profile Editor
Atheist ads on DART buses in Des Moines, Iowa, reading “Don’t believe in God? You’re not alone” inflamed a dispute. The advertisements were created by Iowa Atheists & Freethinkers. "We wanted to do it in order to let people know -- who are atheists, free-thinkers, secular humanists -- that they are not alone, that there are places for them to go and meet people and to be involved," said Randy Henderson, president of the Iowa Atheists & Freethinkers.
Due to phone calls of people who were offended by the ads, the ads were taken down by DART after only four days. However, DART later put the signs back up, admitting that they have run Christian advertisements in the past and promising to refund all the money for the ads.
This case is an example of people overreacting and opposing to something before even thinking about it. Had DART and the people who complained about the ads realized that it is completely legal for someone to create and hang up pro atheist ads, they might have simply let them be. This country’s foundation states that while there is nothing wrong with disagreeing with someone’s views, one’s freedom of expression can never be taken away.
The purpose of the first amendment was to protect the weaker communities, those whose voices would not be heard otherwise. Its purpose was and still is to prevent the larger groups from forcing their views on others and silencing oppositions. The first amendment grants us the right to believe in whatever we want or not to believe in anything, and also the freedom to express those views. Those religious people who complained about the atheist ads felt that since they are the majority, they have the power to advertise their beliefs and silence others’, which is precisely the kind of problem that necessitated the first amendment.
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