Atheist Protesters Get Apology After Being Denied Portable Toilet Rental

[rug]

Portable toilet service apologizes for denying service to atheist protesters at Ark Encounter Theme Park.



21 Jul 2016
Posted by Kelly Frazier

Ark Encounter, a $100 million Biblical theme park in Grant County, Kentucky, built by the religious fundamentalist organization Answers in Genesis, was officially opened to the public on July 7th, 2016. Thousands of Christians attended the opening of the park whose centerpiece is a full-scale model of Noah's Ark, which is, as of now, the largest timber-frame structure in the world. The event also attracted more than 150 protesters, including the Tri-State Freethinkers, an atheist group with members from Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio.

Prior to the demonstration against the theme park, the atheist group made arrangements with the Five Star Septic and Portable Toilet Rentals company to supply them with portable toilets on the Ark Encounter opening day. However, on July 7, the company refused to provide the group with the portable toilets after learning that the units were for the protest, citing the reason that the company did not want its name associated with the protest against the theme park. The group then had to quickly arrange a caravan to a nearby gas station for its members to use the restroom facilities on the extremely hot day.

A week later, Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF), an American non-profit organization advocating for non-theists, sent a letter to the portable toilet company complaining about their breach of contract with the Tri-State Freethinkers. The letter emphasized the fact that the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in “places of public accommodation.” Arwood Waste and Demolition, the company with which Five Star Septic and Portable Toilet Rentals has been a subcontractor, immediately got back to FFRF offering an apology for the inconvenience caused, and assured that there will be no charges made to the MasterCard provided to them by the group.

The e-mail that the president of Tri-State Freethinkers, Jim Helton, received from the associate director of communications of Arwood, Michael Nancarrow, stated that what happened in no way reflects the values of their company and that measures would be taken to ensure that incidents like this would not happen in the future.



http://www.worldreligionnews.com/issues/atheist-protesters-get-apology-after-being-denied-portable-toilet-rental

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. What a pisser.

The company's reaction was good, though. I guess they read the same polls showing us "nones" beating out them nuns, and preachers, priests, rabbis, imams, and ministers.

When a minority of ours is approaching majority status, it will cause even greater strains and craziness in the religious Reich. I can only imagine them reacting like those "morans" in Cleveland.

[rug]

2. First they took away the toilets . . . .

[cleanhippie]

3. No, first they took away reproductive choice, then equality...

[rug]

5. But not the water.

Poor Dan.

[edhopper]

4. first they gave a large tax break

to a clearly religious undertaking.

[rug]

6. And then they denied toilets.

[edhopper]

7. no big deal?

right?

[IMG][/IMG]

[rug]

8. Really?

You compare this

To those of us affected, the denial of service felt like punishment for our views.

to this?

[edhopper]

9. That is quite a reach

even for your.

[rug]

10. It's your reach, ed.

Dan Barker writes a letter about a local vendor not delivering portapotties (to a decidedy white rally).

Dan Barker claims it's because of his current "views". (Never mind he spent prior decades as a fundy preacher.)

You compare it to the Jim Crow segregation in daily life that prevailed for a hundred years in the South, not based on "views", which change, but on race, which doesn't.

Color me unconvinced.

[edhopper]

11. it's about views on race

just like views on atheist.

But I am not surprised you have no problem with this kind of discrimination.

[rug]

12. Views on race are not "just like views on atheist".

The eagerness with which you and others wish to blend in with victims of long-standing discrimination based on race because of a present philosophical opinion on the existence or nonexistence of a deity is craven.

[edhopper]

13. we probably deserve it anyway

right?

[rug]

14. I'll go to the ramparts to defend your right to piss in a portable toilet.

Dan Barker remains an ass.

[edhopper]

15. I can sleep peacefully now.

[rug]

16. You no longer have to worry about getting up in the middle of the night to . . . . you know.

[edhopper]

17. oh

that will happen, no matter what.