This is a heartfelt personal message from Richard S. Russell.
I am an atheist.
So is Craig Stephen Hicks, who on Feb. 10 murdered, execution style, 3 young students at the University of North Carolina, ostensibly because he hated religion in general (and Christianity in particular) but for whatever reason felt compelled to take it out on Muslims.
Let there be no mistake about my own reaction to this:
• I respect the right of anyone to believe any damfool piece of cockamamie horse manure they want.
• This does not mean I have to respect the people who believe it.
• It certainly doesn't mean I have any respect for the horseshit itself.
• But under no circumstances should anybody ever, ever, ever go out and bully, harass, discriminate against, torment, threaten, harm, or kill anyone else because of their beliefs. Never! Always wrong!
I condemn the despicable actions of Craig Hicks in the most emphatic terms possible.
He does not speak or act for me or any other atheist I know.
