Changing something starts with you. Here are some actions others have taken before in non-religious promotion:   A Petition to the Owners of Starbucks concerning the use religious quotes from The Purpose-Driven Life written by the Rev. Rick Warren. While we have no problems with the use of such quotes, we the Atheists, Humanists, and other Non-Theists request that you give us equal billing. We will be attaching a list of recommended quotes to this petition.   Humanist Network News Public Relations The U.S. Supreme Court usually rules on Mondays or Thursdays. Rulings on religion are a great opportunity for you to share a humanist voice with your local media.   So why not prepare for it? Make a short list of talking points. Pick three things you want to say about this issue. Also, think of one point for each possible verdict -- favorable, unfavorable and a non-ruling (like with the Pledge).   Don't forget to have a one-sentence explanation of humanism prepared. If you can't explain what humanism is in one sentence, the press won't be able to either.   Keep your talking points short and pithy. A concise quip can go far in swaying public opinion.   Consider sending a media advisory to your local media. Send an email or fax letting reporters know that this court ruling is expected soon and that you are willing to offer a humanist perspective on the issue.   Visit the Web sites of your local media outlets. (Don't forget your alternative or community weekly. Don't forget public access television and college/community radio stations, either.)   For each media outlet, read the instructions on how to submit a press release. Also check out the instructions for sending a letter to the editor. (Start writing your letter today, so you can send it as soon as possible.)   Always keep your press releases and your letters to the editor short. Even if you send a release by email, it should all fit on one 81/2" by 11" page -- skipping a line between paragraphs. Be sure to include all your contact information, including day and nighttime telephone numbers.   Again, respect word-limits and keep your writing short. Never leave the editing to the editor.   One of the biggest challenges to humanist public relations is not that the humanist perspective is on the fringe. The biggest challenge is trying to get humanists keep their writing short. Even in HNN, there are many contributors who do not limit their articles, columns and letters to a manageable length (and we confess that our own staff writers have been longwinded from time to time).   Remember, newspapers are the rough draft of history. The media is an ongoing conversation. Do not try to tell the whole history of anything when communicating with the press. Save that for your book. Just focus on the most important aspects of one issue.   If you're prepared to speak, and if you keep on target, reporters will be back to talk to you again and again. If you're disorganized, rambling and longwinded, you're less likely to get another chance.   Lastly, try using HNN for practice. Our word limit for letters to the editor is 300 words. Our preferred length for articles is 450 words. Our preferred length for columns is 650 words.   Good luck! Duncan Crary, Editor Humanist Network News   P.S. Looking for more media pointers? Check out CherryCommunications   Additional Notes - ALWAYS include your full name, address, and phone number when submitting a letter to an editor.   Compose your letter in your word processor and cut and paste it into an email box or webform. Word has spell check, grammar checking, and also counts the number of words. STAY WITHIN THE LIMIT. If you can't find a word limit, stick with 250 words or fewer.   Dianna Narciso I became active on the atheist front a couple of years ago. I started by supporting organizations like American Atheists, Atheist Alliance International, Freedom from Religion Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Skeptics Society.   Then I created a website where I can unload in my "Diary of an Atheist." I post links to any letters to editors I have published, list all the books I've read with some reviews, etc.... That wasn't enough for me, so I started the Space Coast Freethought Association. It started out as an email list at Yahoo Groups. After about a year, we started meeting with 4 to 6 people. After another year, our list had grown to over 20 and we started meeting at the local library. With a regular meeting place, we've been able to advertise and now draw up to 25 people with some 36 on our email list.   Through SCFA, I run FloridaWrites@yahoogroups.com. I encourage others to set up these campaigns for their own areas. You are welcome to check it out for a while and see how it's done. I post links to letters to the editor, editorials and articles that need to be responded to from Florida newspapers. I see several members with published letters regularly. I'm hoping to expand the campaign to include writing to legislators.   I also wrote a book about my experiences in realizing atheism and the reactions I received when I came out. It's called, "Like Rolling Uphill: Realizing the Honesty of Atheism."  I'm working on a novel with an atheist heroine now.   One thing I do with the Florida lists (Atheism in Florida and Florida Atheists) as well as the SCFA list is to post "Stuff to Read" almost daily. I get links to national newspaper articles from the Church State newsletter, my own reading, etc. and post those I think people ought to be aware of to the lists. Oh, yeah, I have one of the "god off money" stamps too. It's one of those little self-empowering things we can do. I used to have a Darwin Fish on my car and a bumper sticker that read, "What schools need is a moment of science." But I traded in that car. I'm hesitant to add them to the new one. I'd like to let it get scratched up first. I was keyed very nicely on the old one after the Darwin Fish went on. I guess that's about it. Dianna Narciso, Atheist View   Also, Dianna Narciso co-filed a lawsuit with the help of Americans United for Separation of Church and State to stop high school graduation ceremonies at a church. The settlement of the case states that the school board is barred “from holding graduation ceremonies in churches or any other houses of worship in which religious iconography is visible to participants or to anyone in attendance on either the outside or the inside of the building.” The settlement orders the school board to pay $26,500 to Americans United for the costs and attorney fees incurred in bringing the suit.   Atheists For Human Rights We produce atheist videos for our website video outreach project and also make them available on CDs. We run high-visibility "bold & proud" ads in mainstream publications at least twice a year. We submit letters and commentary articles to the media that are frequently accepted. We meet with media people to discuss our concerns and encourage fair and balanced coverage of atheism. We meet with public officials to make them aware of the secular community and express our concerns about the intrusion of religion into legislative action and to stress the importance of state-church separation. We wrote a proclamation declaring July 4, 2002, "Indivisible Day," which was signed by Gov. Ventura on our behalf, causing an uproar by "Christian nation" fundamentalists that was front-page news in the St. Paul and Minneapolis papers. Our visibility generates invitations to debate religious-right radio talk show hosts on their political/social agenda and state-church separation. Atheists For Human Rights