FLORIDA LEGISLATOR PULLS A MELVIN !!

On Saturday, February 9, 2002, Representative Jerry Melvin, District 4 Republican, Florida House of Representatives was quoted in the Florida Today
newspaper saying that people who disagree with the posting of "In God We Trust" in public schools were perhaps not "true Americans" and "ought to
move out of the...country."

The quote goes as follows:
----"It's sort of a 'gotcha,'" Spalding (atty. for FL chapter ACLU) said. "It is a way to put God into the public schools in a constitutional manner."

To that Rep. Jerry Melvin, the bill's co-sponsor, retorted: "I don't sneak God into anything." "I would suggest whether they're true Americans or whether they ought to move out of the...country," the Fort Walton Beach Republican said.----

Mr. Melvin stood by his remarks in an email to Luther Setzer, a member of the YahooGroups email list "AtheisminFlorida" telling Mr. Setzer:
"You have the right to say what you think! I also have the right to say what I think! In God We Trust is the motto adopted for this
great nation of ours. I stand by my position - If you do not support our country, its Motto, its Constitution, its Declaration of Independence, etc., I'm sure there are other countries that will be glad to accept your way of thinking."
(The exact page in the Florida Today paper is below on this page)

Rep. Jerry Melvin (R-FL 4th) 9^th Term Republican from Florida
I suggest anyone who would like to disagree with Mr. Melvin, contact him via his email address. Who cares if you don't vote for him. Let him know that Atheists ARE Americans. Perhaps Mr. Melvin doesn't understand the true meaning of being an American.	Contact Information:
	Web Site: www.leg.state.fl.us/Legislators/H4 E-mail: melvin.jerry@leg.state.fl.us Phone: (850) 488-1170 Fax: (850) 833-9322 1301 State Capitol Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 Main District Office: Phone: (850) 833-9319 38 Miracle Strip Parkway, Suite 1A Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548-6649
	Background Information
	Party: Republican Residence: Fort Walton Beach Marital Status: Married (Pat) Prev. Occupation: Realtor, Legal Associate, Consultant Prev. Political Exp.: FL House, 1968-78 Education: HS Diploma Military: FLNG Birthdate: 07/22/1929 Birthplace: Bonifay, FL Religion: Methodist
	Other Information: Term: 9 First Elected: 1994 Committees: • Education Appropriations • Insurance • Senate Redistricting • State Administration

Post dollars in schools
By Jan Siren Melbourne

State Rep. Jerry Melvin of Fort Walton Beach has a bill to mandate a big "In God We Trust" plaque in every public school classroom, cafeteria and auditorium in Florida.

Regarding opponents of his bill, he said, "I would suggest whether they're true Americans or whether they ought to move out of the . . . country."

His bill is a back-door way of getting religion back into the classroom, and his statement is like what the ayatollahs of Iran or the mullahs of Afghanistan would dictate to those who don't believe in Allah.

What about the $30,000 cost to each school district? Let's make it zero cost.

Have a parents' committee raise funds to hang a framed dollar bill by the door of each classroom. The kids will see the words "In God We Trust" every time they enter the classroom.

Then, at the end of the term, the number of framed bills still left hanging would be a rough measure of how those words have made the kids grow in honesty during the school year.

Americans not leaving
By Dianna Narciso Palm Bay

On Feb. 9, state Rep. Jerry Melvin of Fort Walton Beach was quoted as saying that people who disagree with the posting of "In God We Trust" in public schools might not be "true Americans" and "ought to move out of the . . . country."

I suggest that Melvin and many like him don't know what a true American is.

A true American loves his country and would fight for rights of free expression and conscience.

A true American respects, even embraces, his country's diversity of people, cultures and religions.

A true American would stand up for his fellows and their rights to believe in any God they wish, or to not believe at all.

A true American doesn't just wave the flag and sing the anthem, he or she votes.

And most important, a true American would never suggest other Americans should leave the country just because they disagree about religion, politics or other ideas.

Millions of atheists, agnostics, Humanists, pagans, Wiccans, Native American spiritualists and more are true Americans. And we're not going anywhere.