Dr. Fay Boozman
The following blog post is by Family Council staff member David Cox.
Today many Arkansans—regrettably—have little recollection of Dr. Fay Boozman. He was a doctor, legislator, Director of the Arkansas Department of Health, and—most importantly—a devoted Christian, father, and husband. Many people thought very highly of Dr. Boozman, including me.
I was fortunate enough to meet him before his untimely passing in 2005.
Family Research Council has collaborated with others to produce a list of encroachments of religious liberty in the military.
Increasingly, members of the armed services–especially chaplains–have found themselves at odds with their superiors over religious expression.
Examples of anti-religion activity include Rev. Billy Graham’s son Franklin being dis-invited to the Pentagon’s National Day of Prayer event after criticizing Islam’s treatment of women; Christian prayers being banned at funeral services at the Houston National Cemetery; Walter Reed Medical Center banning Bibles; and an Army Reserve Equal Opportunity instructor labeling Catholics and Evangelical Christians as “extremists” alongside Al Quaeda, Hamas, and the KKK.
You can download the complete list, Clear and Present Danger, here.
Family Research Council has also put together a broader list of encroachments of religious liberty, The Survey of Religious Hostility in America. You can download that list here.
In 2005 the Arkansas Legislature passed Act 1151 authorizing West Memphis and Hot Springs to call special elections regarding “electronic games of skill” at their horse and greyhound tracks.
We said in 2005 that this legislation could make Oaklawn and Southland into de facto casinos. At the time we were assured casino-style gambling would not happen there—that each game would be electronic and involve some degree of skill on the part of the player. Within months of Act 1151’s passage, however, both tracks had casino-style games.