January 1, 2007Americans United for Separation of Church and State has long worked with the ACLU and others to eliminate religious freedom, step by step. Recent developments in South Carolina seem to indicate that the group takes "step by step" quite literally.
Laces4Love gives shoes to needy students. The program began in 2001 after founding members noticed schoolchildren wearing shoes that didn't fit or were inappropriate for cold weather, and now distributes more than 12,000 pairs of shoes free of charge throughout two counties in South Carolina. But according to Americans United, this activity needs to stop.
Americans United has threatened school districts with legal action for allowing the ministry to donate shoes to its students because Laces4Love is a religious organization. It is outrageous (the understatement of the week) that those who champion the so-called "separation of church and state" would be so adamant in their stance that they are willing to ignore the material needs of underprivileged schoolchildren. This quote expresses it best:
"It is unconscionable to deny needy schoolchildren new shoes simply because the group sponsoring the program is a religious one," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman. "Instead of honoring acts of human kindness through this program, Americans United has once again used its bully tactics to try to prohibit a very worthwhile effort."
A copy of the ADF letter sent to clarify the law and offer legal assistance to the Edgefield County and Aiken County school districts can be read at
www.telladf.org/UserDocs/EdgefieldAikenLetter.pdf.
Rest assured that we have offered legal defense, free of charge, for both school districts should they face a court challenge. Laces4Love is providing a wonderful service to the community, and it would be our privilege to defend its rights from the bullying actions of Americans United.