Jessica Ahlquist, a brave young woman fighting for what is right
Being a teenager can’t be easy. I know it wasn’t when I was one and, considering the rise of social networks, peer pressure, and ridiculous trends, I can’t think that it has gotten any easier in the years since then. However, on occasion, one of these teenagers will just stand up and do something so admirable that you have to just stare in awe at their guts and determination.
This is the case with Jessica Ahlquist. Ahlquist was only 16 years old when she decided to stand up against a corrupt system. Her story is remarkable and it is one that deserves to be commented on as often as humanly possible. So, first, let me give you a few basic facts.
At the end of her freshman year at Cranston High School West in Rhode Island, Ahlquist noticed that there was a mural in her high school auditorium that was a prayer. Now, as Cranston High School West is a public high school and the Supreme Court has found that this sort of religious indoctrination on public property is not acceptable under the United States Constitution, Ahlquist decided to begin a campaign to have the prayer mural removed.
In most reporting of this story, the first thing that has been mentioned is that Ahlquist is an atheist. This is true. In fact, she has been identifying as an atheist since she was 10 years old, according to reports. However, the fact that she is an atheist, while showing a remarkable level of rationality and reasoning for a 16 year old, let alone a 10 year old, is completely secondary to this story. What is important to this story is the fact that she saw a clear violation of the law of the land and, despite the strain that it undoubtedly put on her social and personal life, she stood up against what she knew to be wrong.
And, finally, we have something resembling an end to her struggle.
Jessica Ahlquist has won her lawsuit to have the mural removed.
As the Providence Journal reports:
U.S. District Court Judge Ronald R. Lagueux, in a 40-page ruling issued Wednesdayon the lawsuit filed by Jessica Ahlquist’s father, Mark Ahlquist, has ordered the “immediate” removal of the prayer mural, although he has given Cranston school officials 10 days to respond.
If you want a much better explanation of the nuances and the timeline of this story, including much more detail on the remarkable young woman that Jessica Ahlquist is, I suggest you take a look at the always wonderful work that has been done by Hemant Mehta over at Friendly Atheist. And you should really just add that blog to whatever reader you use because you can never go wrong reading Hemant and friends.
However, because I know a large number of you will not click on the link to Hemant’s post, I do want to include a video of Ahlquist giving a talk for the Secular Student Alliance that I found via that post:
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