I, Ashu M. G. Solo, filed the following:

1. Civil rights case against the City of Saskatoon (Mayor's Office) and Councillor Randy Donauer for prayer recitations at government organized events

2. Code of Conduct complaint against Mayor Don Atchison for potential online campaign advertising violations

3. Civil rights case against the City of Saskatoon (Saskatoon Transit Services) for promoting holidays from only one religion on city buses

4. Human rights complaint against the City of Saskatoon (Executive Committee) for retaliating against me by not reappointing me to the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee and not appointing me to another civic committee or board

5. Human rights complaint against the City of Saskatoon (City Solicitor’s Office) for retaliating against me by trying to deprive me of my right to directly communicate with members of City Council and by telling employees of other City of Saskatoon departments to not talk to me

6. Human rights complaint against the City of Saskatoon (Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Office) and City of Saskatoon (Living in Harmony Ad Hoc Subcommittee of Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee) for retaliating against me by not considering my submissions to the Living in Harmony Contest

This site contains my media releases, some case documents, emails to City Council, etc.

I don't waste my time arguing with opponents.

The backlash makes me much more determined to fight against bigotry and shows the need for these civil rights cases, so I'll be filing more civil rights cases. You ain't seen nothing yet.

Monday, December 31, 2012

City of Saskatoon Wasting Taxpayer Money on Tote Bags


From: Ashu M. G. Solo [mailto:amgsolo@mavericktechnologies.us]
Sent: Monday, December 31, 2012 11:27 PM
Subject: City of Saskatoon Wasting Taxpayer Money on Tote Bags

Dear City of Saskatoon Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee:

As you know, the City of Saskatoon Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee has spent $500 of taxpayer money on souvenir tote bags and the City of Saskatoon Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Office has spent $490 of taxpayer money on souvenir tote bags in 2012.  I understand that this money is spent every year on souvenir tote bags for distribution at various civic events related to cultural diversity.  I voted against the committee’s expenditure on the tote bags.  Although this might not seem like a large expenditure for the City of Saskatoon, all of these minor expenditures add up.  The city should not be in the business of wasting taxpayer money on souvenir tote bags for people.  Taxpayer money doesn’t grow on trees.  The City of Saskatoon seems to think that it does.  I’m fed up with government waste.  How many parking tickets need to be given out every year so souvenir tote bags can be freely distributed every year?  Over 50. 

The stated purpose of this $990 expenditure on tote bags was to promote the committee.  Tote bags are an expensive way to promote the committee and do not promote the committee.  They’re going to end up in people’s closets or drawers and they will likely never use them again.  They aren’t considered “cool” to use.  If you want to give something out to promote the committee, I suggest that you give out photocopied handouts on the committee for about five cents per handout.  I suggested this before.  The handouts can include pictures of the winning painting from the Living in Harmony contest.  Handing out free souvenir tote bags doesn’t make the people of Saskatoon more respectful of cultural and racial diversity.  It’s ridiculous to think that it does. 

The Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee does not need to promote itself anymore.  This email message is to tell you that the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee has received massive media attention during the past year because of a civil rights complaint that I made against Mayor Don Atchison, Councillor Randy Donauer, and the City of Saskatoon, because of a Code of Conduct complaint that I made against Atchison, and because of a civil rights complaint that I made against Saskatoon Transit and the City of Saskatoon.  Much of the media coverage of my complaints mentioned that I was a representative on the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee.  I made it clear that I’m not speaking as part of my work on the committee because the committee focuses on education and awareness, not advocacy.  You can see more information on these complaints at http://atchison-discrimination.blogspot.ca  

You can see many of the media mentions of the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee by doing a Google search on “Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee” + “Ashu Solo”  This Google search can be seen below:


You can also see many more of the media mentions of the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee by doing a Google search on “Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee” + “Ashu M. G. Solo”  This Google search can be seen below:


As you can see, there are over 6100 hits on “Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee” + “Ashu Solo” and “Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee” + “Ashu M. G. Solo” during the past year.  Furthermore, much of the radio and T.V. media coverage of my complaints mentioned that I was a representative on the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee.  This radio and T.V. media coverage is not included in the over 6100 hits above.  A single mention on T.V., radio, or a news article that I was on the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee does infinitely more to promote the existence of the committee than all of the tote bags that you could ever hand out for free.

The committee does not need more promotion through wasting taxpayer money on tote bags.  Also, the committee does not need more promotion through having ads in University of Saskatchewan student handbooks.  Tote bags and student handbook ads will have an extremely minimal impact in promoting the committee in comparison to the promotion of the committee through the massive media coverage on my complaints.  Taxpayer money should be carefully spent, not wasted like it grows on trees.

Furthermore, the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee retreat should be held at a location that doesn’t cost any extra taxpayer money like City Hall instead of at an extravagant expensive location.  I haven’t been to a retreat, but I don’t see anything wrong with the conference room that we used for meetings.  I understand the retreat is only four hours long.  The committee shouldn’t waste taxpayer money on extravagant expenditures like City Council has been doing because the City of Saskatoon is now really short of revenues and City Council just increased property taxes by 5% and is considering parking meter fees after 6:00 PM and bridge tolls. 

I don’t like that my taxpayer money goes toward these wasteful expenditures and I feel bound my conscience to speak against this in this email message.  Some people might not like this, but I don’t care.  I’m not trying to win a popularity contest or I wouldn’t have made the complaints that I did.  This is my last email message to the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee.  Please forward this email message to newly appointed members of the committee whose email addresses I don’t have. 

I am blind copying this email message to City Council and the media, so that they know about this waste of taxpayer money and can monitor if it happens in the future.  The Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Office coordinator knows more about the tote bags.  If the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee or Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Office wastes money on souvenir tote bags again, I’ll write my own article for the media on this waste of taxpayer money.

Best regards,

Ashu M. G. Solo

Monday, December 24, 2012

Update on Civil Rights Case Regarding Christmas Messages on Buses and Religious Messages by the State


From: Ashu M. G. Solo [mailto:amgsolo@mavericktechnologies.us]
Sent: Monday, December 24, 2012 9:10 AM
To: amgsolo@mavericktechnologies.us
Subject: Update on Civil Rights Case Regarding Christmas Messages on Buses and Religious Messages by the State

Dear Media and Saskatoon City Solicitor’s Office,

City Council’s decision to leave the “merry Christmas” greeting on buses was cowardly and bigoted.  City Council has referred this issue to the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee, an advisory committee to City Council.  Having served on that committee, I know its members are fairly progressive.  Because the Christmas messages will only be on the buses for another day I assume and then won’t be up again for 11 months, I will wait and see what recommendations the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee makes and whether City Council adopts them.  If the policy resulting from this process is discriminatory, I will proceed with a civil right complaint to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.  If this goes to the human rights commission, I will seek a judgment that has the effect of banning religious messages by the state throughout the province of Saskatchewan and that has persuasive value in other provinces too.

City Council says that instead of getting rid of “merry Christmas” greetings on buses, it may include messages for other cultural holidays.  This is better than before when they only had a Christmas message, so I’ve already won a partial victory.  However, this is not a practical idea because there are over 10,000 religions, 150 of which have 1 million or more followers:  http://www.adherents.com/misc/WCE.html  Most of these religions have multiple holidays.  Therefore, it would be impossible to have messages for holidays in all other religions.  Are they going to have greetings for Scientology holidays and Voodoo religion holidays?  They would have to hire a staff just to figure out all of the religious holidays and program all of them into each of the 100 buses in the fleet.  The bus drivers can choose which programmed messages they want to display at their discretion, so I doubt if many of them will display messages for religions that they don’t believe in.  I wouldn’t.  Are you going to force bus drivers to display messages for religions that they don’t believe in?  This is a totally impractical idea.

I was told that Christians have a religious requirement to push their religion onto others.  That’s why there is so much opposition to removal of Christmas greetings from buses.  They should not be using the state for proselytization.  If Christmas greetings are so important to them, they can put them on their own personal vehicles instead of on city buses.  “Merry Christmas” might be a secular greeting to many, but it is also a religious greeting to many.  Otherwise they would not oppose getting rid of the greeting or replacing it with a more inclusive greeting like “happy holidays.”  Many Christians say “merry Christmas” to push their religion onto others and that’s why some of them boycott retail stores where clerks are told to not say “merry Christmas” to customers. 

“Merry Christmas” on programmable bus signs doesn’t offend many people who are of Christian ancestry because their families celebrate it and they're accustomed to it.  People argue that Christmas is secular to non-Christians, but the people that they’re talking about are mostly of Christian ancestry and the same can be said about all religious holidays.  Eid is secular to non-Muslims who are of Muslim ancestry.  Hannukah is secular to non-Jews who are of Jewish ancestry.  But the bus doesn't display messages for Eid or Hannukah.  It can't display messages for all religions because there are over 10,000 religions, 150 of which have 1 million or more followers (http://www.adherents.com/misc/WCE.html).  This doesn't include branches of each religion.  Therefore, it shouldn't display messages for any religions.   

It has been claimed by some that this issue is petty.  If it’s petty, why did I get massive media coverage, numerous hate messages, and threats?  This is a yearly occurrence on Saskatoon buses.  I’m not the one being petty.  My opponents are the ones being petty by insisting on having “merry Christmas” on Saskatoon buses instead of “happy holidays.”  This isn't just about religious messages on Saskatoon buses.  If this goes to the human rights commission, this is about getting a permanent ban on religious messages by the state throughout the province.  Also, I strongly believe that it’s always better to vigorously stand up for what’s right than passively sit down for what’s wrong.  Finally, I wanted to start a national debate on religious messages by the state like I started a national debate on prayer recitations at civic events and that's exactly what I’ve done.

My opponents either don’t care about religious liberty or secularism or don’t understand the fundamentals of religious liberty and secularism.  Those who aren’t of Christian ancestry who oppose me are bootlickers, minions, and myrmidons to the Christian majority.  They need to have more dignity and stand up for their rights as minorities instead of trying to ingratiate themselves with the majority.

I don’t like my taxpayer money funding buses that promote a religion I don’t believe in.  I was born here, served in the army reserve here, and don’t have to tolerate religion in government here.  It’s hypocritical for the Canadian Armed Forces to fight for separation of religion and state in Kabul when this doesn’t fully exist in Saskatoon. 

Canadians like to believe that their country is respectful of diversity, but the extremely racist and bigoted backlash against me proves that Canada is an extremely racist and bigoted country.  The racist and bigoted backlash shows how important it is to make complaints like this.  The racist and bigoted backlash for my prayer recitation complaint motivated me to make this complaint.  The racist and bigoted backlash for this complaint motivates me to make more complaints in the future.

Ms. Christine Bogad, you wanted me to send my emails regarding this matter to you instead of directly to City Council.  Please forward this email to City Council and Saskatoon Transit management and acknowledge doing so or I can forward it to them.  This email message will also be posted at http://atchison-discrimination.blogspot.ca.

I have many more complaints planned to advance the birthrights of liberty.  I made many complaints before the prayer recitation complaint, but didn’t make them public.  I got two other discriminatory city policies changed this year by not telling the public about them.  If I hadn’t told the media about this complaint on Christmas messages on buses, I think the city manager would have gotten rid of the discriminatory message and nobody in the public would have known the difference, so maybe I made a mistake by making this complaint public, but at least I started a national debate on this issue.  I make these complaints because not only is the business of government the business of people, but the business of people is the business of government.

Best regards,

Ashu M. G. Solo

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Christmas messages on buses

From: Ashu M. G. Solo [mailto:amgsolo@mavericktechnologies.us
Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2012 1:02 PM
To: 'mayors.office@saskatoon.ca'; 'randy.donauer@saskatoon.ca'; 'eric.olauson@saskatoon.ca'; 'darren.hill@saskatoon.ca'; 'pat.lorje@saskatoon.ca'; 'charlie.clark@saskatoon.ca'; 'mairin.loewen@saskatoon.ca'; 'troy.davies@saskatoon.ca'; 'zach.jeffries@saskatoon.ca'; 'ann.iwanchuk@saskatoon.ca'; 'tiffany.paulsen@saskatoon.ca'
Cc: Murray Totland
Subject: Christmas messages on buses

City Council,

“Merry Christmas” on programmable bus signs doesn’t offend many people who are of Christian ancestry because their families celebrate it and they're accustomed to it.  I’m not of Christian ancestry and it offends me.  It offends other people too.  Why do you want to offend people?  Why does “merry Christmas” need to be on programmable bus signs?  If “merry Christmas” is so important to people, they can stick it on their own vehicles.  I don’t want my taxpayer money funding city buses that promote a religion I don’t believe in. 

People argue that Christmas is secular to non-Christians, but the people they’re talking about are mostly of Christian ancestry and the same can be said about all religious holidays.  Eid is secular to non-Muslims who are of Muslim ancestry. Hannukah is secular to non-Jews who are of Jewish ancestry.  But the bus doesn't display messages for Eid or Hannukah.  It can't display messages for all religions because there are over 10,000 religions, 150 of which have 1 million or more followers (http://www.adherents.com/misc/WCE.html).  This doesn't include branches of each religion.  Therefore, it shouldn't display messages for any religions.

A group of people approached me to make this complaint, but I was also extremely offended by the Christmas message when I saw it and made this complaint.

It has been claimed by some that this issue is petty.  If it’s petty, why are you budding into this issue?  If it’s petty, why did I get massive media coverage?  If it’s petty, why did I get numerous hate messages?  If it’s petty, why did I get a threat?  This is a yearly occurrence on Saskatoon buses.  I’m not the one being petty.  My opponents are the ones being petty by insisting on having “merry Christmas” on Saskatoon buses.  This isn't just about religious messages on Saskatoon buses.  If this goes to the human rights commission, this is about getting a permanent ban on religious messages by the state throughout the province.  I strongly believe that it’s always better to vigorously stand up for what’s right than passively sit down for what’s wrong.  I wanted to start a national debate on religious messages by the state like I started a national debate on prayer recitations at civic events and that's what exactly what I’ve done.  I’m on the nationally syndicated Roy Green Show today to discuss this complaint.

Take a look at some of the online comments in articles on my bus message case and see the religious bigotry and racism that you're defending by wanting to keep religious messages on city buses.  You're supporting the people making these hateful statements against me and the person who made a threat against me.

Ashu M. G. Solo

Thursday, December 13, 2012

MEDIA ADVISORY: Citizen Makes Complaint against City of Saskatoon for Christmas Message by Saskatoon Transit on Programmable Bus Signs


MEDIA ADVISORY:  Citizen Makes Complaint against City of Saskatoon for Christmas Message by Saskatoon Transit on Programmable Bus Signs

SASKATOON, SK, Dec. 13, 2012 - Ashu M. G. Solo made a new complaint to the City of Saskatoon and Saskatoon Transit about them displaying “merry Christmas” on programmable bus signs for Saskatoon Transit buses.  Solo has given Saskatoon Transit until December 22, 2012 to stop displaying this message on programmable bus signs or else he will make a civil rights complaint to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (SHRC).  If this case goes to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, Solo will seek a judgment that has the effect of banning religious messages by government organizations throughout the province of Saskatchewan and that has persuasive value in other provinces too. 

Saskatoon Transit is owned by the City of Saskatoon.  If Saskatoon Transit were not owned by the government, Solo wouldn’t make this complaint.  

Solo previously made a civil rights complaint against Mayor Don Atchison, Councillor Randy Donauer, and the City of Saskatoon with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (SHRC) after Atchison called on Donauer to deliver a Christian prayer recitation at a Volunteer Appreciation Banquet organized by the Mayor’s Office.  SHRC is currently determining which aspects of the complaint to proceed with, which respondents to proceed against, and which sections of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code may have been violated.  In this case, Solo is seeking a judgment that has the effect of banning prayer recitations at civic events throughout the province of Saskatchewan and that has persuasive value in other provinces too. 

On the Christmas message and prayer recitation, Solo said, “This violates the separation of religion and state, imposes religious beliefs on people who don't share them, and gives preferential treatment to one religion over all other religions in violation of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”

On secularism, Solo said, “Separation of religion and state means the state can't interfere with freedom to practice religion, but also means the state can't promote any religion.  Secularism protects religion from the state and the state from religion.  Separation of religion and state is a fundamental aspect of freedom of religion.”

Below you can see the complaint sent  to Bob Howe, Saskatoon Transit manager, Harold Matthies, Saskatoon Transit operations manager, and Murray Totland, Saskatoon city manager.  Totland forwarded it to Patti Warwick, Saskatoon city solicitor.

For further information:

Ashu Solo

See the complaint and acknowledgement below.

From: Ashu M. G. Solo [mailto:amgsolo@mavericktechnologies.us]
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 12:11 PM
To:
Bob Howe; Harold Matthies; Murray Totland
Subject: More Religious Discrimination by City of Saskatoon and Another Potential Civil Rights Complaint against City of Saskatoon

Dear Mr. Bob Howe, Mr. Harold Matthies, and Mr. Murray Totland,

I saw that the programmable signs for the #6 Broadway bus and a Special bus of Saskatoon Transit had a “merry Christmas” message.  The signs alternated between displaying the bus number/route name and “merry Christmas.”  I was extremely surprised, offended, and angered that a municipal government organization like Saskatoon Transit would display a message pertaining to a religious holiday on its main bus sign.  This violates the separation of religion and state, imposes religious beliefs on people who don't share them, and gives preferential treatment to one religion over all other religions in violation of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

I talked to a bus driver about this.  He said that Saskatoon Transit management programmed the bus signs to give drivers the option of having a “merry Christmas” message.  He said the bus signs are not programmed to display a message for a holiday for any other religion.  If they did, I'm sure there would be a public backlash from conservative Christians. 

Author David Barrett has documented 10,000 different religions, 150 of which have one million or more followers:  http://www.adherents.com/misc/WCE.html  Therefore, it would be impossible to have messages for holidays in all other religions. 

It is extremely inappropriate and extremely discriminatory to have a Christmas message displayed by Saskatoon Transit, which is owned by the City of Saskatoon and funded by taxpayers.  You're free to put “merry Christmas” bumper stickers on your personal vehicles, but you're not free to put “merry Christmas” signs on Saskatoon Transit buses or other City of Saskatoon vehicles.  If the “merry Christmas” message were from a private advertiser on one of the internal bus signs, this would be more acceptable, but it is not acceptable for Saskatoon Transit to display this message on its own.  If the “merry Christmas” message were by a private organization or individual, this would be more acceptable, but it is not acceptable for a government organization like Saskatoon Transit to display this message on its own.

This is not a Christian city or a Christian country.  This is a secular multireligious city in a secular multireligious country with people from numerous religions as well as spiritual people, agnostics, and atheists. 

Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses make religious minorities, atheists, and agnostics who do not celebrate Christmas feel excluded and like second class citizens.  Many new immigrants use these buses and a large percentage of them are not Christian and do not celebrate Christmas.  Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses make them feel like they need to convert to Christianity to be first class citizens.  Therefore, the Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses are a forcible attempt at Christian indoctrination.

Religion is a prohibited ground of discrimination under the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and a fundamental freedom under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  The freedom of religion includes freedom from religion.

The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion and creed.  It's my position that freedom of conscience in section 4 of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code includes freedom from religion.  It's my position that a Christmas message on Saskatoon Transit buses violates section 4 of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and discriminates against people on the prohibited grounds of religion and creed.

It's my position that freedom of conscience in section 2a of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms includes freedom from religion, that section 15 of the Charter guarantees religious equality, that the Charter forbids attempts to coerce, limit, or otherwise influence the choice of religious observance, and that section 27 of the Charter on multiculturalism forbids conferring special privileges or benefits on any particular religion.  It's my position that a Christmas message on Saskatoon Transit buses violates these sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Separation of religion and state means the state can't interfere with freedom to practice religion, but also means the state can't promote any religion.  This is to protect people of all religions including Christians.  Secularism protects religion from the state and the state from religion.  Separation of religion and state is a fundamental aspect of freedom of religion. 

In a free society, the majority cannot discriminate against the minority.  We need to protect the rights of the minority from the misdirected will of the majority.

When Saskatoon Transit displays a Christmas message on buses, it sends the message that there is a priority given to Christian values, it sends the message that Christians are more valued or welcome than others while marginalizing others, it sends the message that a citizen is second class if she’s not a Christian, and it makes Saskatoon look like an archaic city of religious intolerance.  This is absolutely disgraceful.

I didn't serve in the Cdn. Army Reserve to defend religious discrimination and bigotry.  It's hypocritical for the Canadian Armed Forces to fight for separation of religion and state in Kabul when this doesn't fully exist in Saskatoon.

I previously filed a civil rights complaint against Mayor Don Atchison, Councillor Randy Donauer, and the City of Saskatoon for a Christian prayer recitation at a Volunteer Appreciation Banquet organized by the Mayor's Office.  This complaint is currently being processed by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.  See http://atchison-discrimination.blogspot.ca for details.  I’m seeking a judgment that has the effect of banning prayer recitations at civic events throughout the province of Saskatchewan and that has persuasive value in other provinces too. 

Before filing a claim in Saskatchewan Provincial Court, a plaintiff is required to give the defendant a demand letter with her legal demands, a date by which those demands must be met, and a statement that a claim will be filed against the defendant if the demands are not met by that date.  Typically 10-14 days are given to meet the legal demands.  I am following a similar procedure here by sending you this email, despite not being required to do so for a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. 

I'm giving Saskatoon Transit 10 days until December 22, 2012 to agree to not display a Christmas message or religious message again unless it is from a private advertiser and to make an apology to anyone who was offended including me.  If these demands are not met, I will file a civil rights complaint against Saskatoon Transit, its management, and individual bus drivers displaying this message with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.  If this case goes to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, I will seek a judgment that has the effect of banning religious messages by government organizations throughout the province of Saskatchewan and that has persuasive value in other provinces too.

If Saskatoon Transit were not owned by the government, I wouldn’t make this complaint.  I am not seeking any money.  I just want this discriminatory practice stopped and I want an apology for this discriminatory practice to everyone who was offended.

There might be a backlash against me from conservative Christians and pushover progressives if I'm forced to make a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, as there was with my previous civil rights complaint, but I'm willing to deal with that because the advancement of liberty is more important than the advancement of my popularity.  The backlash from conservative Christians and pushover progressives just shows how much religious bigotry and social apathy there is and motivated me to make this complaint.

Furthermore, City of Saskatoon employees should be ordered to not say “merry Christmas” to members of the public while performing their jobs.  This year, I have already heard two City of Saskatoon employees wish a “merry Christmas” to members of the public who aren’t Christian while performing their jobs.  This was extremely inappropriate and offensive.

A Christmas message on a city bus is analogous to going to a restaurant where there is only one menu option and the restaurateur force feeds you with that single menu option.  Secularism is analogous to going to a restaurant and being able to eat whatever you want.  The former is suitable for some people.  The latter is suitable for all people.  My opponents are fighting for some people.  I’m fighting for all people.

Although I'm a representative on the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee, I'm not speaking on behalf of the committee because its mandate is restricted to education and awareness, not human rights advocacy.  I’m speaking independently in this email as a civil libertarian because I strongly believe that it’s always better to vigorously stand up for what’s right than passively sit down for what’s wrong.

I am blind copying this email message to the media.  I will also post this message on the Internet at http://atchison-discrimination.blogspot.ca

Best regards,

Ashu M. G. Solo

From: Totland, Murray (City Manager's Office)
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 5:20 PM
To: 'amgsolo@mavericktechnologies.us'
Cc: Jorgenson, Jeff (Utility Services); Warwick, Patti (Solicitors); Howe, Bob (US - Transit); Matthies, Harold (US - Transit)
Subject: RE: More Religious Discrimination by City of Saskatoon and Another Potential Civil Rights Complaint against City of Saskatoon

Good afternoon Mr. Solo.  Your correspondence has been forwarded to the City Solicitor’s Office for appropriate action.

Regards,

Murray Totland
City Manager

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

More Religious Discrimination by City of Saskatoon and Another Potential Civil Rights Complaint against City of Saskatoon

Below is an email sent to Murray Totland, Saskatoon city manager, Bob Howe, Saskatoon Transit manager, and Harold Matthies, Saskatoon Transit operations manager, about another potential civil rights complaint against the City of Saskatoon.

From: Ashu M. G. Solo [mailto:amgsolo@mavericktechnologies.us]
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 12:11 PM
To: Bob Howe; Harold Matthies; Murray Totland
Subject: More Religious Discrimination by City of Saskatoon and Another Potential Civil Rights Complaint against City of Saskatoon

Dear Mr. Bob Howe, Mr. Harold Matthies, and Mr. Murray Totland,

I saw that the programmable signs for the #6 Broadway bus and a Special bus of Saskatoon Transit had a “merry Christmas” message.  The signs alternated between displaying the bus number/route name and “merry Christmas.”  I was extremely surprised, offended, and angered that a municipal government organization like Saskatoon Transit would display a message pertaining to a religious holiday on its main bus sign.  This violates the separation of religion and state, imposes religious beliefs on people who don't share them, and gives preferential treatment to one religion over all other religions in violation of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

I talked to a bus driver about this.  He said that Saskatoon Transit management programmed the bus signs to give drivers the option of having a “merry Christmas” message.  He said the bus signs are not programmed to display a message for a holiday for any other religion.  If they did, I'm sure there would be a public backlash from conservative Christians. 

Author David Barrett has documented 10,000 different religions, 150 of which have one million or more followers:  http://www.adherents.com/misc/WCE.html  Therefore, it would be impossible to have messages for holidays in all other religions. 

It is extremely inappropriate and extremely discriminatory to have a Christmas message displayed by Saskatoon Transit, which is owned by the City of Saskatoon and funded by taxpayers.  You're free to put “merry Christmas” bumper stickers on your personal vehicles, but you're not free to put “merry Christmas” signs on Saskatoon Transit buses or other City of Saskatoon vehicles.  If the “merry Christmas” message were from a private advertiser on one of the internal bus signs, this would be more acceptable, but it is not acceptable for Saskatoon Transit to display this message on its own.  If the “merry Christmas” message were by a private organization or individual, this would be more acceptable, but it is not acceptable for a government organization like Saskatoon Transit to display this message on its own.

This is not a Christian city or a Christian country.  This is a secular multireligious city in a secular multireligious country with people from numerous religions as well as spiritual people, agnostics, and atheists. 

Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses make religious minorities, atheists, and agnostics who do not celebrate Christmas feel excluded and like second class citizens.  Many new immigrants use these buses and a large percentage of them are not Christian and do not celebrate Christmas.  Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses make them feel like they need to convert to Christianity to be first class citizens.  Therefore, the Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses are a forcible attempt at Christian indoctrination.

Religion is a prohibited ground of discrimination under the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and a fundamental freedom under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  The freedom of religion includes freedom from religion.

The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion and creed.  It's my position that freedom of conscience in section 4 of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code includes freedom from religion.  It's my position that a Christmas message on Saskatoon Transit buses violates section 4 of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and discriminates against people on the prohibited grounds of religion and creed.

It's my position that freedom of conscience in section 2a of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms includes freedom from religion, that section 15 of the Charter guarantees religious equality, that the Charter forbids attempts to coerce, limit, or otherwise influence the choice of religious observance, and that section 27 of the Charter on multiculturalism forbids conferring special privileges or benefits on any particular religion.  It's my position that a Christmas message on Saskatoon Transit buses violates these sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Separation of religion and state means the state can't interfere with freedom to practice religion, but also means the state can't promote any religion.  This is to protect people of all religions including Christians.  Secularism protects religion from the state and the state from religion.  Separation of religion and state is a fundamental aspect of freedom of religion. 

In a free society, the majority cannot discriminate against the minority.  We need to protect the rights of minority from the misdirected will of the majority.

When Saskatoon Transit displays a Christmas message on buses, it sends the message that there is a priority given to Christian values, it sends the message that Christians are more valued or welcome than others while marginalizing others, it sends the message that a citizen is second class if she’s not a Christian, and it makes Saskatoon look like an archaic city of religious intolerance.  This is absolutely disgraceful.

I didn't serve in the Cdn. Army Reserve to defend religious discrimination and bigotry.  It's hypocritical for the Canadian Armed Forces to fight for separation of religion and state in Kabul when this doesn't fully exist in Saskatoon.

I previously filed a civil rights complaint against Mayor Don Atchison, Councillor Randy Donauer, and the City of Saskatoon for a Christian prayer recitation at a Volunteer Appreciation Banquet organized by the Mayor's Office.  This complaint is currently being processed by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.  See http://atchison-discrimination.blogspot.ca for details.  I’m seeking a judgment that has the effect of banning prayer recitations at civic events throughout the province of Saskatchewan and that has persuasive value in other provinces too. 

Before filing a claim in Saskatchewan Provincial Court, a plaintiff is required to give the defendant a demand letter with her legal demands, a date by which those demands must be met, and a statement that a claim will be filed against the defendant if the demands are not met by that date.  Typically 10-14 days are given to meet the legal demands.  I am following a similar procedure here by sending you this email, despite not being required to do so for a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. 

I'm giving Saskatoon Transit 10 days until December 22, 2012 to agree to not display a Christmas message or religious message again unless it is from a private advertiser and to make an apology to anyone who was offended including me.  If these demands are not met, I will file a civil rights complaint against Saskatoon Transit, its management, and individual bus drivers displaying this message with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.  If this case goes to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, I will seek a judgment that has the effect of banning religious messages by government organizations throughout the province of Saskatchewan and that has persuasive value in other provinces too.

If Saskatoon Transit were not owned by the government, I wouldn’t make this complaint.  I am not seeking any money.  I just want this discriminatory practice stopped and I want an apology for this discriminatory practice to everyone who was offended.

There might be a backlash against me from conservative Christians and pushover progressives if I'm forced to make a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, as there was with my previous civil rights complaint, but I'm willing to deal with that because the advancement of liberty is more important than the advancement of my popularity.  The backlash from conservative Christians and pushover progressives just shows how much religious bigotry and social apathy there is and motivated me to make this complaint.

Furthermore, City of Saskatoon employees should be ordered to not say “merry Christmas” to members of the public while performing their jobs.  This year, I have already heard two City of Saskatoon employees wish a “merry Christmas” to members of the public who aren’t Christian while performing their jobs.  This was extremely inappropriate and offensive.

A Christmas message on a city bus is analogous to going to a restaurant where there is only one menu option and the restaurateur force feeds you with that single menu option.  Secularism is analogous to going to a restaurant and being able to eat whatever you want.  The former is suitable for some people.  The latter is suitable for all people.  My opponents are fighting for some people.  I’m fighting for all people.

Although I'm a representative on the City of Saskatoon Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee, I'm not speaking on behalf of the committee because its mandate is restricted to education and awareness, not civil rights advocacy.  I’m speaking independently in this email as a civil libertarian because I strongly believe that it’s always better to vigorously stand up for what’s right than passively sit down for what’s wrong.

I am blind copying this email message to the media.  I will also post this message on the Internet at http://atchison-discrimination.blogspot.ca

Best regards,

Ashu M. G. Solo

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Solo's Media Coverage on Saskatoon.ca Web Site Upgrade

From: Ashu M. G. Solo [mailto:amgsolo@mavericktechnologies.us] 
Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2012 5:35 AM
To: 'mayors.office@saskatoon.ca'; 'randy.donauer@saskatoon.ca'; 'eric.olauson@saskatoon.ca'; 'darren.hill@saskatoon.ca'; 'pat.lorje@saskatoon.ca'; 'charlie.clark@saskatoon.ca'; 'mairin.loewen@saskatoon.ca'; 'troy.davies@saskatoon.ca'; 'zach.jeffries@saskatoon.ca'; 'ann.iwanchuk@saskatoon.ca'; 'tiffany.paulsen@saskatoon.ca'
Cc: Totland, Murray 
(City Manager's Office); South, Jeanna (City Manager's Office)
Subject: Solo's Media Coverage on Saskatoon.ca Web Site Upgrade

Dear City Council,

This is my media coverage on the Saskatoon.ca Web site upgrade:

Controverse à Saskatoon:  le nouveau site Internet de la Ville coûtera plus d'un million $,” CBC, Dec. 7, 2012,
Note: This article can be translated to English with Google Translate. 

Ashu M. G. Solo interviewed by Guillaume Dumont for news on CBC Radio-Canada, Dec. 7, 2012.

Ashu M. G. Solo on “Ultimate Open Session, Part 2” on John Gormley Live with host John Gormley, News Talk 650 CKOM and News Talk 980 CJME, Dec. 7, 2012,
Note:  Solo is on between 32 min. 16 sec. and 34 min. 24 sec.

If uninformed computer laypersons in other cities were fooled into spending much more than they should have for a Web site upgrade, this doesn’t mean that uninformed computer laypersons in Saskatoon should be fooled into spending much more than they should for a Web site upgrade.  The City of Saskatoon should hire two of its own Web developers/designers to upgrade and maintain the Web site instead of using outside consultants for almost $200/hour.  I know about this because I’m a part-time Web developer and have set up Web development contracts for businesses.

I previously sent you lists of the extensive media coverage of my Code of Conduct complaint against Don Atchison for online campaign advertising as well as my civil rights complaint against Don Atchison, Randy Donauer, and the City of Saskatoon for a prayer recitation at a civic event.

I wasn’t trying to get media coverage for myself on this issue.  I was just trying to get the media to cover this issue, so that you’re held accountable for this potential extreme waste of taxpayer money, but I’m happy to give my comments to the media.  This message is blind copied to the media and will be posted for the public at http://atchison-discrimination.blogspot.ca.

Sincerely,

Ashu M. G. Solo