The World’s Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!

Rhode Island Florists Refuse to Deliver FFRF's Bouquet to Jessica Ahlquist

This is so petty that I can hardly believe it. Is Roger Williams spinning in his grave? (Any seismic disturbances in the area?)

News Release

FRIENDLY FLORISTS IN CONNECTICUT TO DELIVER FLOWERS

Rhode Island florists refuse to deliver FFRF’s flowers to Jessica Ahlquist

Jan. 19, 2012

The Freedom From Religion Foundation discovered the shocking extent of petty and vindictive community reactions against 16 year old litigant Jessica Ahlquist when it attempted earlier this week to order a dozen roses to be delivered to the victorious state/church plaintiff in Cranson, R.I. FFRF is in the process of filing a complaint about one of the floral shops with Rhode Island’s human rights division over the civil rights violation.

Working through a Wisconsin flower shop Tuesday, Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president, placed what she believed to be a routine order: A dozen red roses to be delivered on Wednesday with the message to Jessica: “Congratulations, and hang in there, with admiration from FFRF.”

Late yesterday, the local florist called FFRF’s office to report she had struck out at three Cranston florist’s shops, including at Twins Florist, which responded to the order in writing with this statement: “I will not deliver to this person.” The other two shops mysteriously produced unusual excuses for refusing the order. Gaylor said when she heard this news, “My jaw literally dropped. Everyone is stunned by the bigotry.”

FFRF was told a Warwick floral shop as of Wednesday had agreed to make the delivery today with no additional long distance charge. This morning, FFRF discovered it too was refusing the order, citing the excuse of unwanted media attention.

Thanks to an FFRF member’s referral, FFRF has placed an order out of state with a friendly shop, Glimpse of Gaia, in Putnam, Ct., which has agreed to deliver a dozen roses.

In addition to sending flowers, FFRF announced, after Jessica’s state legislator had called her “an evil little thing,” that it is re-awarding Jessica its Thomas Jefferson Student Activist award, this time doubling the scholarship to $2,000. “The thicker critics lay on the hate, the more we freethinkers will support Jessica,” Gaylor said.

FFRF, a 501(c)(3) a charity which has run a student activist scholarship fund in an accountable fashion for decades, has also announced a new scholarship, “The Atheists in a Foxhole Support Fund,” and is making Jessica the first recipient. (Donate to the fund here.)

The petite Jessica, who was already a lightning rod at her Cranson high school for challenging an illegal prayer banner in her auditorium, has come under a firestorm of local revilement since winning a federal judgment in her favor on Jan. 11. She has received nonstop abuse, even death wishes, via Twitter and social network sites, including by schoolmates.

“The vicious reaction in Rhode Island, where it seems nearly the entire state has banded together to bully and revile one very tiny and courageous teenager, is out of bounds and out of control. The Cranston school board, by not yet accepting the judge’s ruling, is, by its inaction, egging on Jessica’s abusers and fanning the controversy. It should be over with this strong ruling,” noted Gaylor.

Jessica was named FFRF’s Thomas Jefferson Student Activist awardee last year, wowing and charming the 34th annual national FFRF when she accepted her $1,000 scholarship in person.

“Rhode Island legislators, instead of calling her names, ought to be giving Jessica a commendation for her patriotism in standing up for the precious principle of separation between state and church,” said Dan Barker, FFRF co-president. “The hostility against Jessica is giving Rhode Island a black eye. It is time for reason to prevail and the law to be abided by.”

View other Jessica Ahlquist news releases below

FFRF announces “Atheists in Foxholes Support Fund”

Jessica Ahlquist needs your support!

Hooray for Jessica!

0 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Susan Stanko on January 19, 2012 at 12:54pm

Is the entire state one big high school?

Permalink Reply by sk8eycat on January 19, 2012 at 2:19pm

More like pre-school or kindergarten. The florists are certainly unprofessional.

Permalink Reply by dr kellie on January 19, 2012 at 2:57pm

What a bunch of jackass idiots.

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on January 19, 2012 at 5:42pm

I think this is insulting to jackasses everywhere. I would call them assholes, but these Rhode Island legislators, florists, and high school people would then be giving anal sphincters a bad name.

Permalink Reply by sk8eycat on January 19, 2012 at 8:32pm

Late-breaking news release from FFRF:

Florist shops violate Rhode Island public accommodation statute

Jan. 19, 2012

Connecticut flower shop arrangement sent to Jessica. The flower shop issued this warm statement:
"Glimpse of Gaia fully supports our First Amendment and will not be bullied by those who do not. Here's to you, Jessica Ahlquist!"

The Freedom From Religion Foundation this afternoon filed a formal complaint with the State of Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights, alleging “illegal discrimination based on religion” when a flower shop in Cranston refused, on the basis of religion, to fill an order to send a dozen roses to Jessica Ahlquist.

Jessica, 16, has been treated as a pariah by many in her Cranson community for being the lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit that resulted last week in a court order to remove an illegal prayer banner at her high school auditorium.

The complaint, filed by FFRF’s Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert, notes that FFRF, based in Madison, Wis., is “the nation’s largest association of freethinkers — atheists, agnostics and skeptics,” and that “Ms. Ahlquist is an outspoken atheist who has made national headlines because of her involvement in a federal lawsuit against the Cranston School District.”

Markert lays out the facts, noting that on Tuesday, FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor, wishing to send a bouquet of roses to congratulate Jessica, contacted a shop based in Madison, Wis., to assist with the delivery. FFRF understands at least three florists in Cranston were contacted on Wednesday.

• Floral Express, in Cranston, on Wednesday messaged the Madison shop via Dove Network, an electronic order service, that it was “closed on the requested delivery day” (which was the same day) and “. . . I am not able to fill this."

• At 2:12 p.m. Wedneday, the Madison florist was contacted by Twins Florist, refusing the order via Dove Network message: “I will not deliver to this person.”

• Then Flowers by Santilli in Cranston was contacted by phone. The owner, upon hearing the name of the recipient, said he would rather not get involved and refused to fill the order.

• Seeking to go outside Cranston, the Madison flower firm on Wednesday next contacted Greenwood Flower and Garden in Warwick, which agreed to accept the order, but today called back saying patrons were phoning and emailing threatening to boycott his business so he refused the order, too.

FFRF was forced to go to an out of state business, Glimpse of Gaia, in Putnam, Conn., which not only agreed to deliver the flowers but threw in a second bouquet from the shop with its own message, “Glimpse of Gaia fully supports our First Amendment and will not be bullied by those who do not. Here’s to you, Jessica Ahlquist.”

Under R.I.G.L. 11-24-2, it is unlawful for a place of accommodation to deny services “on account of religion.”

Wrote FFRF to the commission: “Twins Florist violated this statute when it refused the order by FFRF and it stated in its refusal that it would not 'deliver to this person.' " Furthermore, FFRF was harmed by this refusal, which was based on Ms. Ahlquist’s atheism and FFRF’s support of her. FFRF was forced to find a store out of state to accept the order and make a belated delivery to Ms. Ahlquist.

“We ask that the Commission for Human Rights in Rhode Island commence an immediate investigation into this matter.”

Unbelievably, the three Cranston shops have put up their own Facebook page, “I stand with the Cranston florists,” seeking public support.

(I refuse to have anything to do with FakeBook, so I can't check that out. Sk8ey)

“They must grow ’em mean in Rhode Island,” commented Gaylor.

FFRF has heard from folks as far away as Sweden and Denmark wishing to support Jessica, some supporters saying they would be ordering flowers for Jessica from the Connecticut shop themselves

****************************

And now I really do have to get back to work!

Permalink Reply by Susan Stanko on January 19, 2012 at 8:43pm

I just checked their Facebook page and they have 22 likes so far. They refuse to fill and order, but FFRF is "slanderous" and "frivolous".

They also have a twitter page with 8 followers

Permalink Reply by sk8eycat on January 20, 2012 at 12:27am

Is there any way to do a "DisLike," or something like that? I tried FakeBook a long time ago, and hated it, so I unsubscribed after a week. I've never looked at Twitter; is that another "Members Only" thing?

I hope they lose long-distance business...slowly and painfully.

Maybe I should ask Basement Cat for help.

Permalink Reply by Susan Stanko on January 20, 2012 at 8:48am

Is there any way to do a "DisLike," or something like that?

Nope, unfortunately.

I've never looked at Twitter; is that another "Members Only" thing?

You are able to read their tweets, if that is what you mean. You have to be a member to respond, though.

I hope they lose long-distance business...slowly and painfully.

Agreed.

Permalink Reply by Joseph P on January 19, 2012 at 10:20pm

So, what you're saying is that this lawsuit is going to turn into a 2-for ... or perhaps a 3-for, if there's some grounds to sue the legislature for their idiocy.

Permalink Reply by Sandi on January 26, 2012 at 8:37am

https://www.facebook.com/GlimpseofGaia?sk=wall

The florists facebook page

Permalink Reply by sk8eycat on January 26, 2012 at 10:23am

"Religious leaders from across Rhode Island came together Tuesday in a show of support for the teenage atheist who's lawsuit forced the removal of a prayer banner from her Cranston high school."

*********************

Can we say "Damage Control," boys and girls?

Why didn't they do that weeks ago? Or months ago when she first pointed out to the school administration that the banner is unconstitutional? It was the school district's choice to push the issue to the point of a very expensive lawsuit.

Permalink Reply by dr kellie on January 26, 2012 at 10:49am

I agree. It seems incomprehensible that among the school officials, there was no one who thought, "Well, maybe we should just take the banner down." Idiots.