Just when you thought the story was finally over…

David A. Bradley, the person who wrote the prayer banner (at the age of 12) at the center of Jessica Ahlquist‘s successful lawsuit againt Cranston High School West, has a letter-to-the-editor appearing in today’s Hartford Courant.

Turns out he’s not pleased with the fact that his banner has been torn down because a judge (and the Constitution) sided with Jessica.

I read the article… about a fundraising campaign among atheists to build a $40,000-plus scholarship fund for Jessica Alquist of Cranston, R.I… How nice of them. Jessica was duped by her ACLU-leaning father and uncle into bringing suit against the city of Cranston over the display of a school prayer that I wrote in 1960. Dear Jessica isn’t yet old enough to know the meaning of atheism. She was used (and permanently injured) by powers and ideologies in the name of secular liberal progressivism that she can’t possibly understand at her tender age. I can’t believe The Courant would dignify such an award by such a group and to such a person with a piece on its pages. The R.I. judge’s ruling in this case and the subsequent headlines fly in the face of all that is decent and moral about the United States and its Constitution. Furthermore, I’d like to think that, as the author of the moral and upstanding school prayer in question, I’d be entitled to ten or a hundred times as much money as Jessica has been awarded for having torn it down and repudiated decency and morality in our schools. Where are my donors? David A. Bradley, Stonington

Where do you even begin with tripe like that?

Jessica’s in her mid-teens now. She became an atheist *years* ago. I became an atheist when I was 14. A lot of people can tell you that they became atheists at a young age. Whenever we first began to think critically and ask questions — that’s when it happened. (Edit: Obviously, Bradley knew he believed in god at the age of 12, but Jessica can’t be an atheist at 16? Hypocrisy, anyone?)

Jessica wasn’t duped by anyone, nor was she a pawn of the ACLU. This was a decision she brought to their attention, not the other way around.

Oh, and the scholarship for Jessica isn’t for $40,000. I’m still awaiting the final numbers, but it’s more than that.

A *lot* more than that.

Bradley isn’t entitled to anything. But if he wants to help pay the $150,000+ in legal fees the district owes, I’m sure they’d appreciate his help, considering he’s part of the reason they got into this mess in the first place.

(Thanks to Luther for the link!)



