Atheists file lawsuit after bus ad rejected

[rug]

LITTLE ROCK — An national atheist organization filed a federal lawsuit today against the Central Arkansas Transit Authority over its rejection of an atheist ad the group wanted to place on the sides of city buses.

The Washington-based United Coalition of Reason, or UnitedCoR, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Little Rock. According to the lawsuit, the coalition sought to place $5,260 worth of advertising on the sides of 18 buses before and during Riverfest, which was held over the Memorial Day weekend.

UnitedCoR’s ad would have read: “Are you good without God? Millions are” against a background of blue sky and clouds. It also would have included the Internet address of the newly formed Central Arkansas Coalition of Reason, a coalition of 10 area atheist and agnostic groups.

Negotiations between the coalition’s local advertising agency, On the Move Advertising of Little Rock, and the transit authority began in February but broke down in March when both companies decided not to pursue a deal, the lawsuit alleges. On the Move also is named as a defendant

http://arkansasnews.com/2011/06/01/atheists-file-lawsuit-after-bus-ad-rejected/

[struggle4progress]

1. Not placing the signs seems silly to me, but then so do the signs. As a general rule, I think

people who want to buy spots ought to be able to do so, though there may sometimes be reasons to limit what is posted

I've helped pay for unpopular issue billboards in the past, and some have been vandalized by political opponents

[dimbear]

2. The great English poet William Blake put it succinctly:

"If the sun
Were to doubt
It would immediately
Go out."

The risk is too great. Remember what happened after the sun-shield went up in Springfield. Then multiply worldwide.

[hootinholler]

3. They've accepted religious ads...

The lawsuit alleges the transit authority and On the Move violated UnitedCoR’s First Amendment right of free speech. It notes that the transit authority has accepted ads from religious advertisers, political candidates and public issue groups and has no official written policy governing the categories of advertisements permitted on its buses.

Seems they should have accepted the ads.

-Hoot