If you want to know the state of our democracy, just look to how minorities are treated.

I’m not referring to minorities of race, color or sexual preference. I’m talking about people who are minorities and outcasts because of the things they believe.

On April 2, State Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) blew up at atheist activist Rob Sherman, a man noted for his almost religious devotion to keeping religion out of state affairs. When Sherman came forward before the House State Government Administration Committee to say he believed state funding for the restoration of a church would be unconstitutional, the vitriol that poured forth from Davis’ mouth was shocking (keeping in mind that she has since apologized):

“It’s dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists!” Davis said. “You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying! You believe in destroying what this state was built upon!”

Meanwhile, a Saturday story from the Associated Press centers on U.S. Army Spc. Jeremy Hall, who is bringing a lawsuit against Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Hall believes the Army has violated his constitutional rights because he doesn’t believe in God.

When it came out after a firefight that Hall was an atheist, other soldiers harassed him. His chain of command did nothing to stop the treatment and eventually sent him back to the U.S. because they said they couldn’t protect him.

Now, imagine what would have happened if Davis’ comments were directed against minorities who couldn’t control their circumstances. Davis would have been run out of town on a rail as a bigot. There would be a massive swelling of national support to halt the shoddy treatment of Hall. But because the people in question are atheists, we get this chilling lack of discussion on the subject.

The undercurrent seems as though atheists deserve their treatment because their beliefs are founded on a personal choice about how they view the universe. However, they shouldn’t be badgered until they change their minds or shut up. Atheists’ choices don’t exclude them from human rights.

It’s written very beautifully and clearly on some very old paper in Washington, D.C., and as long as the rights to freedom of religion and speech are not dispersed equally, the promises of our founders remain unfulfilled.

Sherman is not someone I agree with most of the time. However, freedom of religion applies to people who choose to have no religion.