A Nebraska mayor attending a faith-based Memorial Day event that was sponsored by the city of La Vista had little patience with an atheist group member who approached to raise his concerns, telling him bluntly: Go ahead — take me to court.
His actual words: “Take me to [expletive] court because I don’t care,” Mayor Douglas Kindig said, Raw Story reported.
His response was to Omaha Atheists member Robert Fuller, who said he approached the mayor to set up a meeting to speak about his concerns that the “Faith and Freedom” Memorial Day event violated church-state lines. The event was held at La Vista Central Park, and was sponsored in part by the churches in the city, Raw Story reported.
But Mr. Kindig wasn’t interested in any meeting.
“Minorities are not going to run my city,” he reportedly told Mr. Fuller.
The president of Omaha Atheists, meanwhile, expressed shock at the mayor’s response.
“Mr. Kindig’s comments are insulting and dismissive of the rights of citizens to bring concerns to their elected officials,” said Meagan Wilson, president of the group, in Raw Story. “He clearly has strong opinions about this topic, but we are saddened and concerned that he would rather demand legal action that wastes taxpayer resources than have a respectful conversation.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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