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Peter Callaghan is a local columnist. He’s covered the
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Northwest for 19 years, supervising coverage and reporting on local and
state government, the environment and growth. Email John
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Gov. Chris Gregoire and Attorney General Rob McKenna issued a joint statement today, basically telling the public "we're just following the rules" by allowing an atheist display in the Legislative Building on the Capitol Campus.
There's a nativity scene, too, but that's not the one that is generating "200-plus calls an hour" to the governor's office, said Gregoire spokesman Pearse Edwards.
It's the one put up by the Freedom from Religion Foundation.
"We have had to set up other phone lines to handle the influx," Edwards said. "Most of the calls and faxes appear to be from non-Washingtonians who are asking the Governor to "take down the sign" (assume they mean the atheist sign) - and those are the nice responses. Some of the responses are not suitable for publishing in a family paper.
"On a positive and seasonal note, many of the callers and those sending faxes and e-mails are wishing us a Merry Christmas," he said in an e-mail.
The flurry follows a segment by Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly night, who called the display “political correctness gone mad” and urged viewers to call the governor's office.
Gov. Gregoire and Attorney General McKenna’s statement on holiday displays
OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire and Attorney General Rob McKenna today issued the following statement about holiday displays on view in Washington state’s Legislative Building:
“Last year, after a federal lawsuit was filed against the state of Washington by the Alliance Defense Fund, the state’s Department of General Administration set forth a policy allowing individuals or groups to sponsor a display regardless of that individual’s or group’s views.
“The Legislative Building belongs to all citizens of Washington state, and houses the state Legislature, as well as the offices of several state-elected executives, including the governor. The U.S. Supreme Court has been consistent and clear that, under the Constitution’s First Amendment, once government admits one religious display or viewpoint onto public property, it may not discriminate against the content of other displays, including the viewpoints of non-believers.”
Adam Wilson, my colleague at The Olympian, posted this blog item, which will give you a little background.
