The following is from an ACLU newsletter. Further proof that the ACLU
defends all Americans whos rights are being violated. Christian
conservatives will have a tough time rationalizing this one.
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ACLU Online wrote:
>
> ACLU of Rhode Island Defends Prisoner Barred from Preaching
>
> Wesley Spratt had been preaching during Christian services for seven
> years at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) until 2003, when a
> new warden unilaterally stopped him from doing so based on vague and
> generalized "security" concerns.
>
> Spratt is being represented by the ACLU of Rhode Island who filed an
> appeal last week in federal court on his behalf. The ACLU argued that
> the preaching ban violates a federal law known as RLUIPA, which was
> designed to protect the religious freedom of institutionalized persons.
>
> Spratt had been preaching at religious services on a weekly basis under
> the supervision of clergy at the ACI. In November, a U.S. Magistrate
> Judge Jacob Hagopian upheld the ban ruling that he would "defer" to the
> warden's judgment that there was no means to accommodate Spratt's
> preaching while maintaining institutional security.
>
> The prison officials failed to meet the standards of the federal
> religious freedom law by not protecting the exercise of religious
> beliefs by prisoners. The law bars states from imposing any substantial
> burden on an inmate's exercise of religion unless it furthers a
> compelling interest and is the least restrictive means available.
>
> The ACLU is seeking a court order to allow Spratt to resume preaching
at
> religious services.
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This reminds me of a case I heard a few years ago where a christian high
school student was sent to the Principal's office for coming to campus
wearing a t-****rt that said "real men love Jesus". He was ordered to
either change or cover up his ****rt or be sent home. He refused. He
got the ACLU to represent him and go before the school to defend his
right to religious expression. The school backed down. Of course there
are also many examples of the ACLU defending non-Christian religions
from discrimation in America, but those don't seem to count in the minds
of the Christian right.
