1000 Plaintiffs for Newdow v. Roberts

Thank You For Your Participation!

2009-02-17T08:18:00.013-05:00

We have stopped accepting new plaintiffs at this time.

Updated Thurs. Feb 26, 2009 2:12 AM EST

Click HERE if you want to learn more about Mike's case.

Click HERE if you already know the details of Mike's case, and you want to know what's involved in signing on as a plaintiff.

Click HERE for an easy template to write your brief "declaration".

Click HERE for instructions on submitting your completed declaration.

If your organization is interested in filing an ORGANIZATIONAL STATEMENT to join as a plaintiff, email us at newdow.plaintiffs@verizon.net for special instructions!

Here's the story behind Newdow v. Roberts

2009-02-17T07:39:00.001-05:00

On December 29, 2008, Constitutional activist Mike Newdow, along with the American Humanist Association and 39 other individuals and organizations, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, challenging two monotheistic religious practices planned for Barack Obama's inauguration.

The first concerns the presidential oath of office, which is prescribed in the Constitution's Article II. With no authorization whatsoever, Chief Justices have taken to adding the purely religious phrase, "so help me God" when administering that oath. This practice is being challenged.

Additionally, since 1937, chaplains have been brought in to the inaugural ceremony to give prayers to Jesus and to God. Because such prayers are prohibited under the Establishment Clause, this, too, is being challenged.

You can view Mike's original complaint HERE. (131KB pdf download)

Not unexpectedly, a preliminary injunction was denied. The case will now continue in the District Court, after which an appeal will be made to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. If the judges there adhere to the constitutional ideal of religious equality for all, a victory is assured!

WHY MIKE NEEDS YOUR HELP RIGHT NOW...

In the 1984 U.S. Supreme Court case where a "creche scene" depicting the birth of the baby Jesus was at issue, Justice Sandra Day O'connor wrote, "It is significant in this regard that the creche display apparently caused no political divisiveness prior to the filing of this lawsuit, although Pawtucket had incorporated the creche in its annual Christmas display for some years."

Justice O'Connor used that logic again in the Elk Grove (Pledge of Allegiance) case, writing, "in the 50 years that the Pledge has been recited as it is now, by millions of children, this was, at the time of its filing, only the third reported case of which I am aware to challenge it as an impermissible establishment of religion."

Justice Breyer, also, expressed this sentiment in 2005 in the Texas Ten Commandments case: "As far as I can tell, 40 years passed in which the presence of this monument, legally speaking, went unchallenged (until the single legal objection raised by petitioner)."

This argument - that the fact that members of a disenfranchised minority don't spend years of their lives (and hundreds of thousands of dollars) to fight what seems to be a futile battle can be interpreted as meaning that most don't care - is completely specious. How many Black Americans challenged the laws requiring them to sit in the back of the bus?

Thus, to demonstrate that there is a lot of support for ending the offensive, exclusionary references to God at the inauguration, we want 1,000 people to sign up as plaintiffs. Will you help?

NOW...Click HERE to learn HOW you can help!

Here's how to submit your declaration:

2009-02-17T06:37:00.005-05:00

Updated as of Mon. Feb. 23, 7:53 PM EST

THANKS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION. WE ARE NO LONGER ROUTINELY ACCEPTING NEW PLAINTIFFS. IF YOU WISH TO SUBMIT A DECLARATION ANYWAY, WE WILL CONSIDER IT IF TIME AND STAFFING ALLOW.

If you have a fax machine (or access to one) and no scanner:

1. Print out your declaration on letter-size white paper and sign it. (Keep another hardcopy for your records, too.)

2. Email the unsigned version to newdow.plaintiffs@verizon.net and we will promptly (we hope) send you a fax number and a snail mail address. If time allows, we might suggest corrections/changes to the declaration.

3. Fax the final signed declaration promptly to the fax number we send you.

4. Mail the signed declaration at your earliest convenience. (The signed fax version is more time critical.)

If you have a scanner (or access to one):

1. Print out your declaration on letter-size white paper and sign it. (Keep another hardcopy for your records, too.)

2. Scan the signed document. (pdf format preferred; if jpg or other format, please make sure the resolution produces a file >150KB)

3. Email the scanned file to newdow.plaintiffs@verizon.net and we will promptly (we hope) send you a snail mail address. If time allows, we might suggest corrections/changes to the declaration.

4. Mail the final signed declaration at your earliest convenience. (The signed scanned version is more time critical.)

If you do not have a scanner or fax machine (or access to one):

It's too late to submit for this weekend's deadline, sorry. If you wish to submit a declaration anyway, we will hold it and use it IF there is a future opportunity to add a significant number of plaintiffs, or perhaps there will be an opportunity for you to play another role later in this ongoing case.

1. Print out your declaration on letter-size white paper and sign it. (Keep another hardcopy for your records, too.)

2. Email the unsigned version to newdow.plaintiffs@verizon.net and we will send you a snail mail address. (Please put "Snail Mail Only" in the subject line of the email.)

3. Mail the signed declaration at your convenience, and we will keep it for possible future use.

Please note that we will still need a signed hardcopy mailed within the next week, even if you send a scan or fax promptly, but the hardcopy need not arrive this weekend.

Please understand that Mike and his helpers have the discretion to reject any declaration deemed inappropriate to the case, but we do not expect that to happen often. Also, all submissions that are accepted for inclusion become part of the public record of this case, so please do not expect anonymity.

Questions?
Email newdow.plaintiffs@verizon.net
(type "Question" in the Subject line, please)

2009-02-17T06:18:00.007-05:00

Here's an easy, step-by-step way to write your personal declaration...

Updated as of Mon. Feb. 23, 7:53 PM EST

THANKS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION. WE ARE NO LONGER ROUTINELY ACCEPTING NEW PLAINTIFFS. IF YOU WISH TO SUBMIT A DECLARATION ANYWAY, WE WILL CONSIDER IT IF TIME AND STAFFING ALLOW.

STEP 1: Copy and paste the template shown immediately below onto a blank page in any major word processing program. (.doc, .docx, .rtf, .pdf, and .txt files preferred, but use whatever you have)

(you may add more paragraphs or delete inapplicable ones, but please number the paragraphs consecutively--this is an update from earlier instructions--earlier plaintiffs, don't worry, your submissions are okay)

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I, (insert your name), declare as follows:

1. I am a citizen of the United States and a resident of the State of ___________.

2. I am a member of (insert the names of any relevant national, state, or local organizations, such as Freedom From Religion Foundation, American Humanist Association, Pennsylvania Nonbelievers, Mayberry Atheists, etc. and, if applicable, any official positions you may hold in those organizations) . [If you are not a member of any organization, that's fine, just delete this paragraph!]

3. I consider myself a (insert "atheist", "humanist", whatever you use to describe your perspective).

4. I have (insert, for example, "watched the inaugurations of 1989, 1993, and 2005 on television at my home, and I watched the inauguration of 2001 in person in Washington, DC"--use your best recollection and try to mention specific years.)

5. I watched the 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama (insert, for example, "live on television at my home, and later on the Internet", or however you witnessed the event).

6. As I watched this inauguration, I (insert your personal reaction to this event--Please stay focused on the specific inauguration issues--Roberts and the oath, the clergy and the prayers--and don't stray into areas that are not the subject of this case. Since President Obama is not named in this case, please do not focus totally on what he said, but rather, on what Roberts and the clergy said. Also, please, no general rants about Faith Based Initiatives, other church/state issues, or former presidents from Texas.)

(If you didn't see or hear the inauguration, say why.)

7. Being (insert age) years old, I expect to witness (insert estimated number) future inaugurations during my lifetime. (remember--it's number of inaugurations--every 4 years, NOT the number of years you expect to live)

8. (IMPORTANT! If you have minor children and wish to mention them, their reactions, your concerns, etc., please do so and tell us if they saw the inauguration with you. Also let us know their ages and if they will be under age 18 when they view the next inauguration in 2013. In addition , insert here any thoughts about *HOW* you believe their viewing/hearing the "so help me God" and clergy-led prayer will/could adversely affect them. You do not need to name the children, but if you wish to, please email newdow.plaintiffs@verizon.net and alert us.)

I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.

Executed on February (insert the date you submitted the file and signed the hard copy), 2009.

[leave space for signature on hard copy]

(Insert your typed name and address)

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STEP 2: After you paste it into the word processor, insert the information requested, based on YOUR personal inauguration experiences. Feel free to add more relevant detail, if you wish, but please keep it all under one page.

STEP 3: When you are satisfied, SAVE the file to your computer, before you forget. (.doc, .rtf, .txt, and .pdf formats preferred, other formats might cause delay--especially .odt!)

Now, click HERE to find out how to print and submit your declaration.

Here's How You Can Help Mike Win the Case....

2009-02-17T06:03:00.003-05:00

Updated as of Mon. Feb. 23, 7:53 PM EST

THANKS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION. WE ARE NO LONGER ROUTINELY ACCEPTING NEW PLAINTIFFS. IF YOU WISH TO SUBMIT A DECLARATION ANYWAY, WE WILL CONSIDER IT IF TIME AND STAFFING ALLOW.

It's easy, it's almost free (a postage stamp, and maybe a fax call), and there's no obligation to make a court appearance if you do not wish to.

To become one of the 1000 plaintiffs in Newdow v. Roberts, we make it easy for you to submit a brief statement or "declaration"--less than a page--that includes information such as:

(1) Any national, state, or local atheist/humanist/freethought organizations of which you are a member, such as Freedom From Religion Foundation, American Humanist Association, Atheist Alliance Intl., American Atheists, Pennsylvania Nonbelievers, Dover Atheists ;-)...you get the idea. You do not HAVE to be a member of ANY organization, but if you are, please list them.

(2) How you classify yourself (i.e., Atheist, Humanist, Agnostic, Atheist-Humanist, etc.)

(3) How many (and which) inaugurations you have seen/heard in the past (including watching on television, etc.) Use your best recollection.

(4) Whether or not you saw/heard the 2009 Obama inauguration. If so, under what circumstances (e.g. in person, on TV, radio, internet, etc.).

(5) If you saw/heard the inauguration, describe your response vis-a-vis the religious intrusion in the inauguration event. [ Please note that general statements about your feelings on church-state separation are not relevant here. We need specifics about what you felt as a result of what you saw and heard. Also, please avoid rants about political parties or politics in general. We are concerned with the inauguration event. ]

(6) If you didn't see/hear the inauguration, explain why not.

(7) Best estimate of how many future inaugurations you plan to watch/hear (either in person or via TV/media)

(8) Also, if you have minor children who saw/heard the inauguration with you, or who you expect will see/hear the next inauguration, please put that in your declaration as well (including their CURRENT AGES, and any information about HOW you believe their viewing/hearing the "so help you, God?", "so help me God", and clergy-led prayer will/could/did harm or adversely affect them).

(9) Penalty of perjury statement

(10) Signature

(11) Address

Click HERE for a template to help you compose your declaration.
It's easy and quick.