If you've never heard of Independence, Iowa, let us fill you in a little bit: It's an average sized rural city that is little over an hour west of the Mississippi River, about an hour north of Cedar Rapids and a little over a two hours northeast of the state capital of Des Moines. It's your run of the mill rural city in Iowa. Not too big, not too small but definitely not a booming metropolis.
It's your typical small Iowa town that like many is facing the growing increase of atheist and secular citizens. According to the 2010 U.S. Religion Census, the number of citizens to mark "None" as their religious affiliation increased 61% over the period from 2000 to 2010, while the number of citizens that identified as being religiously affiliated actually dropped 10% with those professing to be Catholic dropped the most of any religion (27%).
A few weeks ago, the Eastern Iowa Atheists and a handful of citizens of Independence, Iowa, sent emails to Mayor Bonita Davis requesting a mayoral proclamation for a "Day of Reason".
This harmless, non-binding proclamation is not only a way for mayors all over Iowa and the country to affirm their city's commitment to the Constitutional Separation of religion and government but also a way for the atheist and non-religious citizens of the cities to get their moment in the sunshine.
That won't be happening in the small town of Independence, Iowa however.
Despite respectful and thorough emails from constituents, despite emails from the Eastern Iowa Atheists emphasizing all of the positives that come from cities issuing this proclamation, despite even having residents take the time to come to a city council meeting a few weeks ago, Independence mayor Bonita Davis feels it's more important to please her religious constituents than it is to represent all 6,000 of them.
The opportunity of being the first city in Iowa with a population under 10,000 to issue such a proclamation means nothing to Mayor Bonita Davis apparently. The opportunity to join cities like Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Iowa City and Coralville in being one of the leaders in the movement towards normalizing atheism appears to not be on the list of priorities for Mayor Davis.
Don't take our word for it, check out the VIDEO of her stating that during closing comments of the city council meeting this past Monday April 24, 2017 at the 1:04:00 mark. If you don't have time to watch the video please keep reading.
“As far as the proclamation is concerned, I am not planning on signing any new proclamation that was requested. I have gotten phone calls, I’ve had people stop me when I’ve been out shopping and stuff. I even went to a movie with residents from assisted living and Lexington Place and ABCM and stuff and they got to talking about what was in the paper when they found out about it and they were all deciding to pray for me and one of them had given me a poem she had written to help with this. I’m getting more feedback of people who do not want the proclamation signed. I had no plans of doing it in the first place. To me it was a situation that was not going to turn out good. I’m mean it was too much activity to it and such. I know I’m not going to make points in some areas, others I will, so I’m not worried about that but I have no plans on signing that proclamation.”
Translation: I never had any plans to issue this, no matter what any atheist constituent had to say about it. I only listen to religious and Christian constituents and only aim to make them happy and feel comfortable from the big bad atheists out there.
Go back and re-read the part at the end: "I know I'm not going to make points in some areas, others I will, so I'm not worried about that..."
While she doesn't specifically say it, it sure sounds to me like she's insinuating that she really doesn't give two shits about atheists. She knows that she's excluding them and relegating them to 2nd class status in her community but she doesn't really care because she's going to "make points" (whatever the hell that means) with her religious/Christian friends/constituents. I'm sure that's not what your Gawd meant when he said "Love thy neighbor" but maybe you read a different version of the Bible than me.
(I wonder if all we have to do next time is put our request in the form of a prayer or poem and then maybe she'll consider it? Seems like a lot of extra work but if that's what it takes...I'M COMPLETELY KIDDING.)
This is complete bullshit and the mayor realizes it. Well, let's hope she realizes it. It's not her job to pick sides on issues of religion as mayor of a city. It's her job and the council's job to remain as neutral as possible on issues of religion. Not playing favorites to any one religious denomination, one religion or religion over non-religion. I realize it's small town Iowa but the Constitution still applies.
Disturbingly, this lack of understanding of what her role as mayor is and isn't has an interesting past. Thanks to member Anna, we were able to find something in Mayor Davis' past that points to what her ambitions as mayor would be.
"As I continue to introduce myself as a candidate for Mayor, I cannot avoid the topic of spirituality. My faith is an important part of who I am. It has helped to develop my values of “love thy neighbor as you do yourself” and to “put the needs of others before your own”. Those are not just words but how I choose to live my life. I choose to share my faith as a member of First United Methodist Church and get a feeling of comfort and happiness when I worship through music and sermons on Sunday mornings. Over the years of teaching Sunday school for grades second through high school, I have learned from preparing the lessons and listening to the students. It can’t help but touch your heart when you see a young person’s face light up as they understand how much God loves them and how they can share that love with others. They are OUR future. I have felt the power of prayer with the emotional struggles when Darrell died sixteen years ago and with the joy of the birth of my sons and each of my grandkids. I have shared that power and strength with friends and family as they have dealt with health issues and other daily struggles. It is my faith that makes me strong enough to want to step forward to lead this great community into the future, to build on the positive and correct or improve the negative. I have always heard that you should never discuss religion or politics but I disagree. It is through communication (of which listening is as important as talking) that we learn to work together for a common goal to make this “one nation under God” and Independence, Iowa the town people are proud to call home. When it comes to faith I believe we all have the right to choose to follow what works for each of us. I celebrate diversity but as for me, “In God I Trust”. My next chapter is on volunteering, so check back again."
Um yeah, I don't think you understand what your role as mayor is. It's NOT to push a religious agenda nor is it your job to "make this one nation under god". Not your god, not anyone else's god. If that's truly how you see things it's a good thing there are mayoral elections every so often.
And like we've tried telling you time and time again, the country, the state of Iowa and eventually your community of Independence is becoming LESS religious and MORE secular. Fighting against that is futile. You can either truly "celebrate diversity." as you said in your Facebook post a few years ago. by representing and appreciating atheists in your community or you'll forever be known as the mayor that fought against the rising tide of secularism by remaining hostile to atheists and non-religious citizens of your own town. (That's not a good thing.)
Whatever happens though Mayor Davis, please refrain from stating that you "celebrate diversity" for however long you remain an elected official of your city because you obviously don't. The proof is in your actions or in this case, your non-action. It affirms what many of us in the atheist community feared: that it was all just lip service to get elected. It was your way of sounding like you give a damn about those that are different from you but when faced with an opportunity to be a real leader and demonstrate how you celebrate diversity, you opted the cowardly approach by making us the bad guys, those that are just in your town to stir things up. You said so in your comments Monday night: "To me, it was a situation that was not going to turn out good."
Why? Because you'd actually be celebrating diversity? Because you'd be doing your job of remaining neutral on issues of religion? Because you wouldn't be coming across like you're favoring religion over non-religion. I guess the Constitutional Separation of religion and government is just a liberal conspiracy to you...
I digress.
This is hardly the end. It's a beginning. It's a call to action for other atheists in and around Independence that have been in the shadows for far too long. This is an opportunity for us to show you, the city council and the rest of the city of Independence why atheists are a valuable and important part of the fabric of the city.
Mayor Davis, prepare to hear a lot more from us atheists in the very near future.
by Justin Scott, founder and director of the Eastern Iowa Atheists
Um yeah, I don't think you understand what your role as mayor is. It's NOT to push a religious agenda nor is it your job to "make this one nation under god". Not your god, not anyone else's god. If that's truly how you see things it's a good thing there are mayoral elections every so often.
And like we've tried telling you time and time again, the country, the state of Iowa and eventually your community of Independence is becoming LESS religious and MORE secular. Fighting against that is futile. You can either truly "celebrate diversity." as you said in your Facebook post a few years ago. by representing and appreciating atheists in your community or you'll forever be known as the mayor that fought against the rising tide of secularism by remaining hostile to atheists and non-religious citizens of your own town. (That's not a good thing.)
Whatever happens though Mayor Davis, please refrain from stating that you "celebrate diversity" for however long you remain an elected official of your city because you obviously don't. The proof is in your actions or in this case, your non-action. It affirms what many of us in the atheist community feared: that it was all just lip service to get elected. It was your way of sounding like you give a damn about those that are different from you but when faced with an opportunity to be a real leader and demonstrate how you celebrate diversity, you opted the cowardly approach by making us the bad guys, those that are just in your town to stir things up. You said so in your comments Monday night: "To me, it was a situation that was not going to turn out good."
Why? Because you'd actually be celebrating diversity? Because you'd be doing your job of remaining neutral on issues of religion? Because you wouldn't be coming across like you're favoring religion over non-religion. I guess the Constitutional Separation of religion and government is just a liberal conspiracy to you...
I digress.
This is hardly the end. It's a beginning. It's a call to action for other atheists in and around Independence that have been in the shadows for far too long. This is an opportunity for us to show you, the city council and the rest of the city of Independence why atheists are a valuable and important part of the fabric of the city.
Mayor Davis, prepare to hear a lot more from us atheists in the very near future.
by Justin Scott, founder and director of the Eastern Iowa Atheists
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