We atheists keep hearing the percentages about what an extreem minority we are in America. Mainstreem media still atempts to use this marginalize us as being an "extreem".

HOWEVER, I do believe the tide is turning and more and more the word "atheist" is in news print in newspapers(just recently had my opinion printed here locally where I live) and magizines like Newsweek, and even presidental debates. We have skeptics like Bill Maher and Penn Jillette out now.

BUT the big names would not be growing if it were not for the longtime efforts over the years from various websites and orgaizations. We've had Reggie and his family become the first Atheist family in TV history to take up a full hour on a major national network devoted to the topic of atheism vs theism. We've had Brian and RRS be the focus of a national news program on Nightline.

 Many authors such as Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins are frequently on best seller lists. But all these open voices are not due to one person or one activist or one famous face.

People as far back as O'hair and Ingersoll, and most recently Ellen Johnson, Reginald Finly and Jake who created the Atheist Network, gave oportunities for sites like RRS. There has been an explosion of the atheist voice especialy on the internet.

It has been every single poster as well. All of you by merely puting a voice to non-believers have shown other non-believers that it IS OK and you dont have to put up with being marginalized.

It is also showing theists that by also disscussing topics other than religion, that we to, as non-believers are just as varied in likes and dislikes from politics, to social issues, to sports and entertainment.

The following is another example in our growing voice from CBS. I do not have a link to a video clip. But here is the artical from "CBS Sunday Morning".

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/16/sunday/main3174781.shtml

KEEP IT UP EVERYONE, you do have a voice and weither writing your ellected officials, or e-mailing a newspaper or national media or merely posting on the net YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERANCE! 

My trip on the net started after 9/11 when atheists were a mere blip on the raidar. Since then what I see today is a huge differance than where we once were.

My personal thanks to all the major voices on the front lines, but also to all the posters who helped build the atheist community on every website and every organization that fights to take the stigma out of being a non-believer.

THANK YOU ALL