Unlike Eve, Florida mayor tells Satan no
by Chris Taylor, editor-in-chief

    A news item grabbed my attention the other day.

   Carolyn Risher, mayor of Inglis, Fla., has taken it upon herself to ban Satan from the town. She came to this decision while speaking to God at 4 a.m. while having coffee.

   Shouldn’t a person’s mental health be checked before he holds a public office?

   Does this woman honestly think that Satan would be intimidated by a small town proclamation?

   Another thing—we do live in the United States, a free country with certain constitutional rights.

   Does anyone have any direct evidence linking Satan to any crimes? Are Satan’s fingerprints on a smoking gun or did he attempt to evade police in a white Ford Bronco?

   I didn’t think so.

   I have to wonder if Satan is banned, does that mean Satan-worshippers are banned?

   Funny thing about our Constitution—it protects all religions, even Satan worship, which means that the mayor is violating people’s religious freedoms.

   Don’t all people deserve to worship in their own way?

   My other question is this: would everyone think this development was so cute if the mayor said she were talking to her imaginary friend Bosco or the high Wiccan priestess Esmerelda?

   Or what if she banned God from the town? Would this action still be something to cheer about?

   The mayor also thinks that God told her to do this. First, God does not make laws in this country. The American government tends to operate on the earthly plane.

   Second, is this the same God that told Andrea Yates to drown her children? If so, I find His methods a little suspect.

   Let’s hope that this mayor comes to her senses and realizes that church and state are separated. Many people have fought and died to keep things this way.

   It would also be a good idea for the mayor to put down the Bible and start reading the Constitution.

   Those are the laws this country is based on.