When going through airport security on my way to Washington I was asked the purpose of my visit.  I hesitated and said it was to visit the historic sites.  That was true, but I would never have come to Washington just to go sight seeing this year. My visit was solely inspired by the Reason Rally.

That reply felt a bit wimpy - this visitor should be proudly proclaiming Reason Rally support at every avenue.  But,there is a little survival instinct.  The worst that could happen…

I'm in awe. Great speakers.. looked to the right - looked to the left and saw like minded people. The Reason Rally was an historic event and I was there.

I'm not as inspired by this blackberry playbook.  I deleted my last blog on Thursday and had to repeat it. Then accidentally said I liked my own blog and sent out one or more requests.  Can't wait to use a real keyboard and mouse tomorrow.

This morning I noticed a stage being set up at the Mall in Washington and excitedly wondered - Is that for us? I asked one of the workers what was going on and he told me this was for a bunch of Atheists. Darn... My hope was to hear the classier name - The Reason Rally.  My daughter asked me about this trip to Washington and I told her about the assault on the scientific method and reason and the need to separate church and state - and she got it. 

Part of my family is…

My 88 year old mother phoned me and asked me not to attend the reason rally.  She said not to go because they have guns down there. Of course we have guns up here in Canada, but she is correct about there being a lot more south of our border and a more pro gun culture.

I told her not to worry. Getting shot at is not something I consciously seek out.  People are getting shot up here in Canada as well.  I still remember the story in a Toronto paper about a New York grandmother getting…

Well I booked the flight, booked a room, and made a tee shirt online that says "A Canadian who supports the Reason Rally and Tolerance".  I hope the shirt gets done and delivered in time as promised by the web site.

Spending the money to come alone from Toronto to a strange city and standing with a bunch of strangers may use up my idealistic quotient for the next few years.

I will not argue with or try to change the mind of any religious protesters if they show up. I…

Pro

As a Canadian stand with Americans that want to show their country and the world that there are a lot of moral, friendly people who do not accept religion and believe that good government can come from non religious people as well as religious people.

Help form a political constituency - because standing alone we get forced to accept backwards encroachments in education and social policy.

Make a principled stand and put my money where my mouth is.  My wife is very…

The prominent names well known to this community like Dawkins and Hitchens are preceded by Madalyn Murray O'Hair. I wonder if she is as well known to the younger atheists.

 

It takes some courage to confront the majority like Dawkins and Hitchens have -  was it tougher to be an outspoken atheist in the 1960's?



Today after going through my deceased father's letters (he died in 1994) I saw some correspondence and magazines from an organization he belonged run by Madalyn Murray…