This weekend was a full one at camp, with a number of different groups. One of the groups is a humanist community. They found us after the camp they stayed at previously changed their rules to only serve Christian groups. While that camp is completely within their rights, I'm glad that this group has come our way, because they have been a lot of fun.

So, at breakfast this morning, a guy comes in wearing a black t-shirt with a large A over the front of the shirt. My mind immediately came up with a scarlet letter joke, and wondered, due to the shape of the letter, if it was a t-shirt for the nerdly anticipated Avengers movie. For both reasons, I looked closer and saw that it was a Richard Dawkins t-shirt. For those of you who don't know, Richard Dawkins is an adamant atheist and secular humanist.

This shirt made me smile, especially on Memorial Day. As a person of faith, I'm glad I work in a place that can be so welcoming. As a citizen of the United States of America, it doubly reminds me of our First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

So, thanks to all those who fought and died for our country to preserve the rights that we hold dear. I hope that on Memorial Day, we can be reminded of why these lives were given; because "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by theirCreator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." And the right to wear a big, bright A.

(This post was going to segue into my thoughts that we need to establish a Bill of Responsibilities, as many who protest against the Government fail to own up to their complicity in letting the government become this way, but I just don't feel that cynical right now.)