I applaud the town of Brandon for revising the plans for the upcoming Brandon Carnival to eliminate the Christian worship portion of the event, following objections from community members, including myself.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits governmental endorsement of religion and requires separation of church and state. In my view, the inclusion of Christian religion in a government-sponsored event is a breach of those bedrock principles of American democracy.
In addition to restricting governmental endorsement of any particular religion, the First Amendment also protects religion from government intrusion, thus protecting the rights of both religious and non-religious Americans.
I hope the changes to the Brandon Carnival serve as an opportunity for education about the First Amendment and the principles of religious liberty that require clear separation between church and state, for those wondering why the last-minute changes were necessary and for those planning future events in our community.
Katie Burghardt Kramer
Cornwall