Isn’t it surprising how some people just aren’t satisfied? Take the colored folks for example. Why a few years back they demanded the polite term, “colored,” be discontinued. Then “Negro” had to be replaced by “black.”

About the time we got used to that, Jesse Jackson came along with another word for his folks--the awkward (and often incorrect) “African-American.” And in a move that must have confounded the die-hard traditionalists, African-American men insisted they be called men, not boys.

Gee, why can’t those folks be satisfied? They don’t have to sit in the back of the bus any more, and one of “them” sits on the Supreme Court. All this progress in the mere 134 years since the Civil War! Now, if they’ll just not try to move in next door. . .

Such thoughts went through my mind when I was chatting with the editor of a national newspaper about my favorite subject--atheism. He clearly saw no need for running any stories from that viewpoint. I took advantage of the opportunity to give voice to my usual lament: George Bush’s base statement that we dreaded nonbelievers couldn’t be patriotic or even citizens.

It didn’t faze the editor one bit. “Obviously that’s not true. You are a citizen. You vote and you served your country for twenty-three years.”

But, I persisted, “Doesn’t it bother you that the vice president could simply dismiss a whole group of people because of their beliefs?”

“But you don’t have beliefs.” I tried to catch a bit of irony in his statement, but this nabob of publishing world was serious. I could only infer that he was willing to allow preferential status for those who at least believe in something. The editor clearly was uncomfortable with the subject and found he had a lot of work to do all of a sudden. Thus, another phone call ended with my blood pressure on the up tick.

That’s the way it always goes. Atheism is a subject few people are willing to discuss. Just bring it up and out comes the old reliable “Oh we don’t ever discuss religion.” That bit of disingenuous censorship works well for most Americans.

Atheists are invisible, just as were African-Americans for the first hundred years after their emancipation. Check some of the movies, books, plays, TV shows made prior to the 1960s and count the black characters in anything other than a subservient role.

Now it’s our turn. We are the niggers of today. What does it matter if a small minority is ignored? We are not a voting bloc to be reckoned with. Generally we aren’t joiners; heck by definition we cannot join most outfits unless we proclaim a belief in good old God. Our opinions are seldom reflected in the press.

And the disadvantages are built into our culture. Folks who believe in good old god are given a huge head start. They are automatically assumed to be virtuous as in “good Catholics,” or “good Mormons.” Ever see the term “good atheist” in the paper? We don’t even get a capital letter.

I belong to a writers group, comprised mostly of sexagenarians like me. Most are also women. Still, about anything goes. Steamy sexual situations are described complete with all the cuss words. The class dutifully critiques the writer’s ability to write regardless of his opinions --almost always.

What makes these folks so nervous? Yep, atheism. The group which can handle that big four-letter “F” word because it “advances the plot” has a huge problem with the idea that some folks just do not believe. It does not matter that few of the “true believers” actually believe in whatever another “true believer” believes. The folks who believe in none are shuffled off to the back of the bus.

It’s rife throughout our society A while back I got involved in an Internet forum. Twas a good ‘un--one of those “anything goes” ones. We discussed politics, the environment, fads and fashions, language, motorcycles, military things, and sex. A couple of folks said “fuck” more times than I’d done it.

What was missing? Yep, you got it again: atheism. I broached the exclusion of atheists from the Boy Scouts and got a swell argument going even though I was in the minority. Several folks were anxious to defend the outfit that does “so much good.”

A couple other folks on the forum were atheists. One came to the defense of me and all his fellow nonbelievers. The other just wished I’d stop rocking the boat. Ever heard that before? Soon the whole argument disintegrated into a gabble about how “you atheists” shouldn’t put your opinions off on others. I felt like a Mormon missionary in Alabama.

Soon America’s most pervasive and pernicious institute was excluded from discussions of all the world’s great problems. In fact the board host sent me this notice: