Rhode Island State Senator Beth Moura Snidely Refers to Jessica Ahlquist as ‘the ACLU’s Sweetheart’ January 18, 2012

Rhode Island State Senator Beth Moura Snidely Refers to Jessica Ahlquist as ‘the ACLU’s Sweetheart’

By Hemant Mehta
January 18, 2012

It’s appalling that Rhode Island’s politicians feel the need to insult Jessica Ahlquist, when she’s the one defending the Constitution. You would think that’s the job of the politicians.

State Senator Beth Moura tweeted this earlier:

The ACLU’s sweetheart?! How condescending can you get? And against a 16-year-old girl? Pathetic.

She also asked why Ahlquist was against the banner when she uses money with “In God We Trust” printed on it. *Sigh* Amazing that she doesn’t know why that phrase is on our money.

She later deleted many of her tweets, but Twitter user @_canyouseeme got the screenshots, though. Here, here, here, and here.

You can contact Moura here and here to let her know what you think.

And you can contribute to Jessica’s fundraiser here:

(Thanks to jenea for the link!)

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  • OkayWithThe

    This is ridiculous. This type of shit, with politicians outright bullying minors, would be making the news in just about any other Western nation. I’m guessing we won’t hear a peep of it on any major broadcast, though.

  • Yoav

    what rhetoric is she referring to, last time I checked it was the good christians who were leaving death treats for Jessica Ahlquist not the other way around.

  • Well, Beth, as soon as somebody prints US currency WITHOUT superstition on it, we will all gladly switch.

  • Yanno, I never thought of it before…but now I have an EXCELLENT reason to continue using my debit card instead of paper money and coinage.

    I have to say, I’ve been following this young woman since I heard of her actions and her attitude is simply fantastic.  It’s clear she knows she’s better than these asshats and her “water off a duck’s back” says so much about her, while her detractors continue to show their true colors.

  • Also, clearly unaware that the ACLU has fought on the side of religious freedom FOR the religious so many times it’s ridiculous.  [insert Napoleon Dynamite voice here] Idiots! 

  • Wildrumpus67

    Oh – here’s another brilliant tweet:

    “What I witnessed last night on Twitter explained what this entire
    Cranston HS banner battle is about. It has created a hero for a
    hate-cult.”

    I thought the group that was anti-homosexual, anti-other religions, anti-women’s rights, ant-atheist was the hate cult.

  • Oh and SNAP, she called atheism a cult! See how witty she is? We’re a cult with our lack of belief!

    So sick of politicians… Why is it so accepted to attack atheists but oh don’t you DARE touch Jesus huggers.

  • Shannon

    Same ol’ same ol’ – this woman is a disgrace to her position, much like  Rhode Island State Rep, Palumbo.

    And “hero for a hate-cult”? I’ve been running across this tactic from many a xtian recently – just reversing it and calling atheists bigots, cultists, etc.

    Funny how they are hold constantly to “unchanging tradition” yet consistently change the definition of words to suit individual arguments.

  • Rich Wilson

    Ya, that conservative Reagan appointed judge had nothing to do with that mural coming down.

    My take is that none of them have the necessary anatomy to take on the judge, so they’re tossing pot shots at Jessica. 

  • Somehow, conservatives think soldiers defend our freedoms, when that task has long been taken over by ACLU lawyers.

  • Heather

    I am excited to see her scholarship growing!

  • T-Rex

      Twitter- a tool utilized by people craving attention. Also a handy tool used to identify and “out” twits. I find it amusing that so many people have to voice their opinions about mundane topics and in doing so expose their ignorance and stupidity. And I’m not just talking about this particular twit.

  • I think it is worthwhile looking at her mentions to see what she calls “attacks.” I can only imagine she has never been in a debate before. And she is the one claiming Jessica is the “fake victim.” That’s rich.

  • Anonymous

    I just used money without “In God We Trust” on it (my debit card) to contribute to the scholarship fund. Hah hah Senator, jokes on you!

  • Rob

    One of her tweets talked about someone being offended by the words on the banner. I wrote to the senator.

    wrt comments made stemming from the suit against Cranston West you said in one tweet that people were offended by the words on a prayer banner. Wrong. People are, and should be, offended that a public school was in violation of the Constitution. You missed the entire point of the suit. As a member of Congress didn’t you swear to uphold the Constitution? Jessica Ahlquist is the real American here. You might be wise to (re)read the Constitution and reconsider your opinion.

  • Hc Conn

    I left a message on her website that said:

    It saddens me that an elected official who is supposed to act with honor and dignity would stoop to insulting a 16 year old girl. You should be trying to set a good example of tolerance and acceptance instead. Atheism is not a hate cult, it is simply a lack is belief in any sort of diety, from God to Kali. Its true that there are some mean and cruel atheists, but there are bad christians as well like those making death threats and wishing rape, violence and damnation on a girl that the courts agreed was simply standing up in defense of the constitution. As a role model I believe that you should not encourage hostility and should instead promote peace and understanding.

  • Supermoves3000

    Unfortunately, getting a flood of mail and tweets over this is just going to reinforce her opinion. “Ohmigawd, those people are so fanatical!”

  • benjdm

    All my money has In, God, and Trust lined out – leaving only “We.” I’ll be happy to donate some to her opponent.

  • Check it now Hemant:
    “@ologies: I hope @Senator_B_Moura has a big mouth, because she’s gonna need to fit a foot in there pretty soon.” @NBC10_Bill WHY THREATS? ologies made a joke about her putting her foot in her mouth (she is apparently not aware of that common phrase, and she then shuts  her twitter down in response to the apparent “threat,” because shortly thereafter:This Twitter account will not be active until the RI State Police and Capitol Police conclude necessary investigation of recent threat. 

  • Senator Moura interpreted a tweet as a threat and has stopped posting until the “RI State Police and Capitol Police conclude necessary investigation of recent threat. ”

    The threat?  “I hope @Senator_B_Moura has a big mouth, because she’s gonna need to fit a foot in there pretty soon.”

    Does the woman not understand English?

  • Annie

    Please excuse my ignorance, as I’m not an avid twitter user, but is it common to tweet so often from a professional account about things that are not work related?  I checked the other links supplied and it appears she has a lot of spare time on her hands.  It is so sad to me that a state representative would not only be so immature, but do so in such a public forum as twitter.  I guess if she was on her game, her state wouldn’t have needed a 16 year old child to remind fellow citizens of the constitution. 

  • Moura has protected her account and renamed it.  @BLM123BLM123:twitter

  • Hc Conn

    🙁 soldiers help. My husband is an atheist, liberal soldier and we both support the ACLU and are proud of Jessica.

  • Anonymous

    And out to get her and suppress her religious freedom

  • Michael Appleman

    Its just @blm123:twitter 

  • Supermoves3000

    Ms Moura helps keep the “Twit” in Twitter.

  • I thought the same thing about the debit card! Though I’d like to see IGWT taken off paper money before it becomes irrelevant when paper money becomes completely obsolete.

  • That’s a threat, but threats of rape, violence, and other attacks at Ahlquist (from people who have the means to carry through with those threats) and it’s all Ahlquist needs to suck it up? That is some epic hypocrisy there.

  • It’s usually seen as incredibly unprofessional, though it depends on the type of work. You’d think a politician wouldn’t do this for fear of looking like an asshole to their voter base, but it goes to show how ingrained and pedestalled religion is that politicians have no fear about publicly saying such things about minors in the name of religion.

  • Myself and 4 others worked on her for an hour before she removed her account. 

  • Annie

    Well, I think it is safe to say that she doesn’t know what an idiom is.

  • Rich Wilson

    I think I’d be ready for a requirement that before someone comment, they be required to read pertinent material, and take a small quiz on the basic facts.

    T/F Jessica Ahlquist found the banner offensive.
    T/F The judge in the case is a liberal atheist.
    T/F The constitution states that on any disputed matter a vote should be taken and the majority wins.
    T/F In The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stated “whoever shall disagree with you, puncheth them in the mouth”

    (http://abcnews.go.com/US/rhode-island-teens-battle-prayer-banner-mayor/comments?type=story&id=15386786#.TxdfNaVSQWJ)

  • Silo Mowbray

    The “Christian lens” at work again.

  • BdrLen

    Wow, how dare she stand up in defence of the constitution to the school, school board, mayor, the media, State Representatives and Senators. Why the nerve.

  • Annie

    Thanks for the link.  This is the most positive coverage I have read so far.

    I liked this part: “I think it’s gone too far,” Cranston Mayor Allan Fung told ABCNews.com.
    “Our country was built upon civil discourse, not hate for one person
    exercising their constitutional rights.”

  • I am happy to say that her renamed account has also been taken down!  While this isn’t what started the whole thing today, this is how the line of conversation began..that ended with her removing her account.  Here, we see her opening denying having ever called Jessica the “ACLU’s Sweetheart.”

  • All right.  I’ll say it: at least this one is a Republican.  Religious bigotry and “minorities be damned” is their platform.

  • They can dish it out, but they can’t take it.

  • Yeah, yeah, “Well if them atheists hate GAWD so much, why do they use OUR money? Hor, hor, hor, me so funny!”

    Interesting how backwards medicine was in the 50’s. Why, they actually believed that Communists were all Atheists, so if you put “Under god” in the Pledge, their tongues will explode in their heads if they try to say the Pledge, and with “In god We Trust” on the money, it’ll burn their hands if they touch it, so they won’t be able to buy food and they’ll starve!

    We’ve come *SO* far in almost 60 years!

  • That looks like a spam account…no followers, no tweets.  This other one had the exact number of tweets, the same pic, the same number of followers…anyway, they’re both closed now.

  • Obviously, I’d love to see IGWT taken off.  But, since I never carry it anyway, I’m just thrilled at my unintentional advocacy! LOL

  • Rich Wilson

    What worries me is that there is a mob mentality going on, and being stoked.  I haven’t seen any violent rhetoric from the support Jessica side, but plenty from the other side.  It’s just the sort of environment some wacko needs to feel justified in doing something wacko.  I’m sure no single person in a leadership position (state rep, congressperson etc) will be directly responsible.  None of them are saying ‘hurt Jessica’.  But they are fanning the flames of an “it’s ok to hurt Jessica, she’s the booogyman” mentality.

  • Annie

    I totally agree.    I have found that people say terrible things online, but don’t act on them, and it is my hope that this is the case here.  One benefit to the digital age is that if people make on-line threats and act upon them, there is a written history.

  • DILL

    Too bad she’s right.

  • M3t4lmaniac

    There will probably be some cooks sick enough to act upon this, otherwise teens and kids can be downright vicious and I’d not want to switch places with Jessica, but I sincerely hope she’ll stay unharmed. Otherwise, what are we/you to do exactly? I’m not an American so I can’t personally do much as far as I know, but what if the Christian right actually turns on the atheist/freethought movement for real?

  • Unless doing so would score her points with her constituents

  • If you let Jon Stewart know, he’d probably talk about it. He’s great at calling out douchebag politicians.

  • Nickdrumr2

    You might like to hear this. From @KrankyPanz 
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-l@KrankyPanz:disqus sy2vip0

    And his tweet response.

    http://www.twitlonger.com/show/fdqj5b

  • Piet Puk

    To bad any politician is right, creapy bunch those republicans.

  • Anonymous

    Why don’t you mention her Republican Party affiliation. This is another example of the Republican Party’s hostility to this nation’s state secularism.

  • My message to the Senator –

    I am always saddened to see anyone, especially an elected official, put the safety of a child at risk. Being a good Christian amounts to nothing more than reading and following the teachings of Jesus Christ in the Bible. Something which you obviously do not do. American is the only nation in the history of mankind founded for the individual. It was not founded as a Christian nation but on ideals that all people, should be able to respect and be grateful for. Sadly, you fail miserably as an American, a Christian and a responsible human being.

  • InvincibleIronyMan

    Does Jess print her own money now? And with “in god we trust on it” too. Tsk, tsk!

  • Carl Gorney

    Better yet, get in touch with Countdown’s Keith Olbermann.

    He’s just as good at putting people like this on blast. And it doesn’t matter if they’re Democrats or Republicans. He’s gone after both sides.

  • Who elected this woman? Did you see the stuff she’s been writing on twitter  regarding the posting of the picture?  Her FRIEND Dan Gordon posted this  calling a constituent a pig:  RT @Rep_DanGordon: @Chrissyisms Paying me? Disgusting pig. BLOCKED.”