Metroplex Atheists "If you're interested in us, we're interested in you!" The Weatherford Solstice Sign Most communities know that putting religious symbols, like nativity scenes, on city-owned land is verboten. Some communities, though, do their best to weasel out of the requirement that they not favor a particular religion. A prime example is Weatherford, TX. When Dick Hogan brought suit against them for keeping their nativity scene on the courthouse lawn, they circumvented the problem by making the lawn an open forum --as long as you fill out the proper paperwork, you are invited to put up your own sign. How could we resist! The Solstice 1998 sign Pretty offensive huh? The text on the sign itself says "WINTER SOLSTICE 99. THE REAL REASON FOR THE SEASON". The text is really small, as the permit limited the size of text on displays. The smaller sign states who's sponsoring the display. Tolerant folks that those Christians are, the "sponsored by" sign was stolen, the display was pelted with eggs, and "JESUS <heart> YOU" was spray-painted on our happy sun --all within two days. We left the defaced sign up as an example of Christian love. The Solstice 1999 sign In 1999, we just modified our old sign a bit. We learned not to spend too much time on it. No eggs or paint this time. Later on that night, a good Christian ran down the sign with his car. Here's an AP article on the sign. . . Atheist posts his reason for the season By SUSAN PARROTT Associated Press Writer WEATHERFORD, Texas (AP) - Don't bother wishing Dick Hogan a Merry Christmas. The self-professed atheist says it's a holiday for the greedy. He's so opposed to it, he's hung a sign reading "Happy Winter Solstice, The REAL reason for the season" near a manger scene outside the Parker County Courthouse. Hogan, 53, gained a permit for the sign as part of a settlement over a lawsuit he filed against the county challenging display of a Nativity scene on public property. Hogan of Weatherford is a member and former state director of American Atheists Inc., a group founded by Madalyn Murray O'Hair of Austin. He said the sign "is a great opportunity to educate those of religious delusion that this time of the season in no way pertains to the birth of a deity and is in fact a pagan ritual taken by (Christians) under the guise of giving while motivated by greed." County Judge Ben Long said the sign is sure to anger residents in this town of 18,000. "It will a draw a crowd, some controversy and maybe some confrontation," he said. "It may be difficult to keep it up." But few people gathered around the historic courthouse on Saturday afternoon, when Hogan placed the 4-by-8 foot sign featuring a cartoon-like sun character wearing sunglasses. Hogan shook hands with a man spreading hay around the nearby Nativity scene and explained the sign's message to a passing motorist, who responded with profanity. "There's more Christians than atheists," she said. "You have to take that s--- down." When Hogan filed his lawsuit two years ago, Nativity scene supporters brought pickets to the courthouse, where they showed their support with signs "Honk If You Love Jesus," prompting deafening blares around the downtown square. While most residents still don't agree with Hogan's message, no one is likely to cause a disturbance, said Morris White, owner of a nearby appliance store. "Everybody in America still has a few rights left," he said. "I'm going to be positive about the Nativity scene and say that it is a traditional Christmas that I as a Christian will celebrate." Hogan said the winter solstice was a pagan holiday celebrated thousands of years before Christianity. The solstice marks the time of the year when the sun travels in its lowest arc across the horizon and results in the shortest day of the year, usually Dec. 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. He hopes his sign also creates awareness of constitutional rights to freedom of expression. "I did mean to raise some eyebrows," he said. "I'd like to get somebody out of the closet and say 'I don't agree with your belief system but I believe with your politics." Jim Bradford, president of the Young Business Leaders of Parker Co., said he had only a few words for Hogan. "I will pray for him," Bradford said. The Nativity scene was a gift from local residents to the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce in 1988 and is maintained and erected by the Young Business Leaders of Parker County. "It's a positive display and the real reason for the season," Bradford said. Both the business group and Hogan were required to apply for a $20 permit to allow the displays. The permitting process, arranged through county regulation as a way to settle Hogan's lawsuit, may be modified next year, said Mark Riley, judge-elect for the county and president of the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce. He fears the regulation may be too vague and would allow organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan to post messages. "It is pretty open ended," he said. "We are going to review the permit system." The Nativity scene will be displayed through Dec. 27. Hogan is allowed to keep his sign up until Jan. 10. "I don't expect it to stay up for the duration," Hogan said. "But our point will be made." AP-WS-12-19-98 1811EST Texas News As yet, no godless amoral heathen has taken it upon himself to harm the Christian display a few feet away. Strange, isn't it? The Solstice 2000 signs We put up two signs for December 2000. The same day that Randy's sign was put up, December 17, it was vandalized. Later that week the Weatherford police called Dick Hogan and told him they had caught a couple of 14 year-old girls with paintbrush in hand changing the "no" symbol into a peace symbol and painting the words, "KNOW PEACE," on the sign. They asked Dick if he wished to press charges against the teens and Dick said he would settle for just having them clean up the sign. Randy visited the site that Thursday the 21st and found the sign lying flat on the lawn with the supports kicked out and the graffiti still on it. The girls did not clean up the sign. Randy loaded up the sign and took it home to clean up himself. Saturday morning, the 23rd, Randy took the cleaned-up sign back to Weatherford and, together with Dick Hogan, erected the sign for the second time. At this time, they found that the "Santa Fish" sign had been knocked down, so they put it back up and installed new sponsor signs for both, as both sponsor signs were stolen shortly after being put up. After putting up the sign, Randy had lunch at a cafe across the street just to keep watch on the sign for a bit. Surely enough, just as he finished lunch, a young man parked his pickup truck and walked toward the sign. Randy crossed the street and the following conversation ensued: Randy: What do you think of it? Man: I don't agree with it. Randy: Well, that's okay. It is a legal sign you know. It was vandalized last night; was that you who damaged it? Man: No, this is the first time I've seen it. I'll kick it down before the day's over though. Randy: Don't you believe in obeying the law? Man: Nah, I'm an anarchist. Randy: Have you ever spent time in jail? Man: No. Randy: I'd bet once you did you'd then obey the law. Man: Are you an atheist? Randy: Can't you tell by reading my shirt? [he was wearing a "friendly neighborhood atheist" sweatshirt.] Man: [points at sponsor-sign] Is that your name? Randy: Yes. It's required to have a sign saying who has the permit. Randy and the vandal-to-be talked a while about religion and atheism and such before he decided to leave. Randy quickly jotted down a description of the man, his truck, and his license plate before he drove off. Randy returned Christmas morning to find the sign down with the supports destroyed and silver paint sprayed on it. For the third time in eight days, Randy re-erected the sign. The sign would be up for Christmas morning! Randy returned on Friday the 29th to find the "Santa Fish" sign still standing, but his sign gone completely! It was replaced with a small crudely painted sign stating "ATH-E This". At this point, Randy called John and Shelly, who headed to Weatherford that day to file a police report. They provided the officer with the approximate time of the theft, a description of the item, including the size and weight (that would almost certainly necessitate at least two thieves), and Randy's description and plate numbers of the would-be vandal he met several days earlier. After filing the report, John and Shelly headed to the courthouse to see if anyone there had any knowledge of the theft. By a stroke of luck, the chairman of the commissioner's court was in his office, as his secretary had not yet shown up. When asked if he was aware of the theft and if he'd filed any kind of report regarding the sign that had been illegally left on the courthouse lawn without a permit. He looked up, grinned, and asked "which sign do you mean? They've all been vandalized this year." He continued to pretend that he didn't even know what the sign looked like, as if he never once noticed the framed 4x8 foot sheet of plywood about 40 feet outside his office window. The chairman said that they did not file a report, as that their policy is to call the contact name on the permit if anything happens to the sign. An odd statement, given that John and Randy were the contacts on the permit, and neither had ever been called, despite both signs being vandalized multiple times. The only person who was called by anyone was Dick Hogan, and his name didn't appear on any permits. Finally, on the 15th of January 2001, the permit ran out. While picking up the remaining sign, which had remarkably been un-stolen for a month), we found it covered with a sheet of cardboard and some masking tape. Apparently the vandals thought that covering up the message with something other than paint didn't count. The Solstice 2001 signs While we made and got permits for two signs in 2001, the nativity scene folks made a surprise move --they didn't put up a sign! They moved their sign to private property, which is just fine with us. The court then scheduled a public hearing to kill off the court order and close the courthouse open forum. Even though we had a permit to put the signs up, we told the court that we would not be putting up signs if the intended direction of the court was to close the open forum. The hearing is scheduled for 1/14/01, and we'll be there. Anyway, folks, it looks like. . . WE WON! Return to the Metroplex Atheists main page