How to find us: Look for the MNA banner and all the MNA t-shirts. You can't miss us! Click HERE for the May Day parade route.

 

The May Day Parade and Festival in South Minneapolis is one of the most fun things Minnesota Atheists get to do during the year. We gather at Cedar Field at noon to march down Bloomington Ave from Cedar Field to Powderhorn Park. We carry signs as we march to educate the public about us.

After the parade, which starts at 1:00, we join together at our booth. It's a great chance to talk to people who are supporters of our causes, even if they are not atheists. Many people who identify as wicca, pagan, or neo-spiritualist support the separation of church and state just as much as we do. So, stop on by the booth, or parade to show your support!

For more information, visit The Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater page:
http://www.hobt.org/mayday/parade/route.html
Or contact Steve Petersen at spetersen175@comcast.net or 651-484-9277.  We are also looking for volunteers to help with the booth let Steve know if you are willing to set up, staff or take down the booth.

Cedar Field is on 18th Ave and 25th St. Bus routes 22, 14, and 27 will get you close, so will the Franklin Light Rail Station. Remember, we are headed to Powderhorn Park, so if you park near Cedar Field, you need to walk back from Powderhorn Park.

Our public meeting on Sunday, April 17th, will be a Game Day at the Roseville Library. Game Day is a fun opportunity for families and people of all ages. It has been a couple of years since we have held this event, and it was always a lot of fun. Test your knowledge of atheist history in Atheist Jeopardy, or enter the second Fern Wodtke Memorial Chinese Checker Tournament, in honor of our undefeated champion. Or sit down at a board in a simultaneous exhibition by chess master George Kane. Or bring your own favorite card or board game, and teach others to play.
   

There will be prizes galore. All prizes have not yet been decided, but if you win a game, you will likely win something.
 

There will be a business meeting at 1:15. Following the meeting, socialize and enjoy the games until the cleanup. The festivities will continue until 4:00.
    

That evening, our good friends at the Humanists of Minnesota will be holding their banquet, headlined by Brian Keith Dalton, best known as “Mr. Deity.” We want to encourage attendance at their banquet, and so will forego our customary practice of going out to eat after the meeting.

By August Berkshire

Currently, liquor stores in Minnesota are not allowed to sell intoxicating liquor on Sundays, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day, and they must close two hours earlier than normal on Christmas Eve. This law (Statute 340A.504) is clearly an old blue law enacted for religious reasons.

 

Breaking News from the St. Paul Sentinel

 

Saint Paul City council members and Mayor Chris Coleman will be meeting next Monday to discuss preparations for a public hearing to possibly restore the city’s name to “Pig’s Eye”.  The preliminary meeting was scheduled after city lawmakers received a wave of emails, letters, and phone calls petitioning for the name change.  While it’s not clear what caused the recent influx of requests, some petitioners are citing the recent revelation of chronic pedophilia committed in the Catholic Church, said Carl Richards, the mayor’s communications director.

 

By Eric Jayne

In 1988 the popular and controversial television evangelist, Pat Robertson received an impressive second place finish in the Iowa Caucus for the Republican presidential nomination. It’s worth noting that he beat the eventual president, George H. W. Bush by six points (Bob Dole finished first). Twenty years later Iowa voters overwhelmingly selected an African-American for the Democratic presidential nomination and one year after that the Iowa State Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of same sex marriage. A few months after the same sex marriage ruling, the Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers organization gained attention for their city bus ads that said, “Don’t believe in God? You’re not alone.”  I’ve become increasingly proud of my Iowa roots, and even though I haven’t lived there for 17 years, I frequently make the 4-hour drive to visit family and friends. Since the American Atheists national convention will be held in my beloved hometown of Des Moines this Easter weekend (4/21 – 4/24), I thought I would play the part of ambassador and share some events, attractions, and information in and about beautiful Des Moines, IA