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She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. —Norman Bates, Psycho

Oh, you don’t want to be an atheist in this country.

Via Crooks and Liars: an Illinois state legislator clears up that whole “freedom of religion” misunderstanding:

The following exchange between atheist activist Rob Sherman of Buffalo Grove and Ill. Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) took place Wednesday afternoon in the General Assembly as Sherman testified before the House State Government Administration Committee.

Davis: I’m trying to understand the philosophy that you want to spread in the state of Illinois. This is the Land of Lincoln. This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God, where people believe in protecting their children…. What you have to spew and spread is extremely dangerous, it’s dangerous —

Sherman: What’s dangerous, ma’am?

Davis: It’s dangerous to the progression of this state. And it’s dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists! Now you will go to court to fight kids to have the opportunity to be quiet for a minute. But damn if you’ll go to [court] to fight for them to keep guns out of their hands. I am fed up! Get out of that seat!

Sherman: Thank you for sharing your perspective with me, and I’m sure that if this matter does go to court —

Davis: 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.

There’s an audio clip here. You can hear she got a little applause.

“It’s dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists!” and “Get out of that seat! You have no right to be here!” — those belong in the pantheon of great all-American words, alongside these: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The authors of the Bill of Rights — they just went a little mad, that’s all. We all go a little mad sometimes.