Cecil Bothwell was sworn in yesterday as a new member of the Asheville City Council, which was more of an accomplishment than you might think. Some people want him banned from council already. Bothwell, a longtime alternative journalist in Asheville, was elected last month, but his swearing in was opposed by critics who claim he can’t hold public office because he’s an atheist. North Carolina’s constitution, you see, still includes a provision that bars from public office anyone who “shall deny the being of Almighty God.” It’s antiquated, it’s unenforced, and, more importantly, it violates the U.S. Constitution, which both guarantees freedom of religion and specifically states, “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” A lawsuit may be forthcoming from Bothwell’s opponents, however, who apparently enjoy wasting time and money.
Bothwell calls himself an atheist on his MySpace page, although he says he prefers the term “post-theist.” “I don’t ‘deny the being of Almighty God,’” Bothwell told the Asheville Citizen-Times, “I simply consider the question of denial or acceptance irrelevant.”
An even odder sidelight to the controversy comes in the form of H. K. Edgerton, Bothwell’s most vocal critic. Edgerton is the former head of the Asheville chapter of the NAACP, but more recently has taken to “promoting Southern heritage” by standing on Asheville streets dressed in a Confederate soldier’s uniform, and flapping a Confederate flag.
And the surreal adventure that is modern day Asheville continues.
This article appears in Dec 8-14, 2009.
Hi there,
Please give me a credit line and/or a link back when you take one of my photos for your own use. The creative commons license on my photos actually forbids the above use of my photo, but I’m willing to share.
Here’s the link to my original photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetashvegas/4040153377/
Thank you.
Jason
Jason Sandford
Asheville NC
Sorry about that; you might want to consider putting your name next to the photo on the website.
I don’t understand what’s so surreal about a black man supporting Confederate heritage, when it’s well-documented there were blacks who sided with the Confederacy on their own accord. You’re ultra-PC rag will never investigate that and just keep perpetuating the same old anti-Southern heritage bashing like always.
WOW. No I KNOW I should live in Asheville. Hey Paul,”Southern Heritage” represents racism, the KKK, and slavery. You can be proud of your heritage without supporting any of those things. The supremacists use this jargon, so why not come up with your own. Maybe something that represents your past even better.
Actually, this provision absolutely does NOT “violate the U.S. Constitution”!!! The U.S. Constitution is a list of negative liberties. It does not guarantee or magically grant any religious freedoms whatsoever. It simply states that the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is not allowed to ever make a law infringing on this natural right. The federal government & the U.S. Constitution have absolutely ZERO say in whether or not a state can list a religious requirement/restriction/etc. in their own state constitution. That is up to the people of the state to decide for themselves.
This IS a violation of the US Constitution. Leave it up to a bleeding republican to twist and sneer soemthing so it fits their elitist agenda. The government should override any such indecent act like this imposed by the states. Government should always have the final say, not the G.D. states!
First, I’m not a Republican. Second, it doesn’t matter what YOU believe the goverment “should” do!!! I’m sorry, but you have a fundamental misunderstanding of your own government. Read the 10th amendment. Besides, the whole point of a republic and living by the rule of law is to avoid these types of scenarios. It’s none of the federal government’s business. Nor is it anyone’s business in Alabama or Oregon or Maine or any other state. It’s the business of the people of North Carolina. If they want it changed, their constitution has a clear and concise method for how it is to be amended. And guess what?????…it says nothing about asking the feds for permission or help either! Lucky for you though, the federal government and the majority of the american public could care less about the rule of law, so your disgusting love of government and giving them the “final say” is safe for now. Sad…..
Laughable, and entertaining. Almost like your idol, SlutPalin. Only the states should decide on gay marriage and if they don’t approve, then it is up to the federal governement to help them understand that they need to comply with what is acceptable and right. No difference in other cases too if the states are so damned messed up with their Jesse Helms mindset.
Wrong again. I don’t “idolize” any politician. And is that really the limit of your perspective?…that anyone who doesn’t give you a high-five and pat you on the back for being jaw-droppingly ignorant about the basic functions of our system of government must be a republican or a Palin fan??? You should be embarassed. Not only is your view of the Federal government’s role naieve and foolish, it’s downright DANGEROUS!!!! What happens one day when the federal government decides it has a different definition of what is “acceptable and right” than you do? Answer: you’ll get exactly what you deserve for helping facilitate them. Wake up!
Asheville is all about being free to do what you want. I think it is great people here in town can choose what they wanna act like and what the want to stand for.
just my 2 cents about the Asheville sub culture…