Elián: The Atheists Done It

It was only a matter of time before somebody blamed the atheists for the Easter-weekend denouement of the Elián González standoff. (Federal agents this morning performed a predawn raid on the Miami home of Lázaro González, and reunited Elián with his father at Andrews Air Force base in Washington. There is now scattered rioting in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood.) In a United Press International report eagerly promoted on Matt Drudge’s Web site, Miami Mayor Joe Carollo gamely stepped up to the plate. “These are atheists. They don’t believe in God,” Carollo said. “There was no need to do this like this.” There may or may not have been a need to do this like this–Chatterbox is giving Attorney General Janet Reno benefit of the doubt–but Chatterbox seriously doubts that Carollo had the chance to quiz the government officials involved about whether they believe in God. (Perhaps he’s assuming that all the Christians got the weekend off, though that would still leave employees of other faiths.) Still, let’s assume they were atheists. Does that render them unfit for government service? Is the virtual loyalty oath that all presidential candidates are currently required to pledge to some Higher Being now extended to civil servants as well? Give Chatterbox a break!