
The 2001 Arizona Regional Atheist Meet is dedicated to the memory of Walt
Wilkinson, former Director of the Phoenix Chapter and member of the Board of
Directors of American Atheists.
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Crowne
Plaza Hotel at Metrocenter
2532 W. Peoria Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85029
Speakers:
Ellen Johnson President of American Atheists
Monty Gaither (Arizona State Director) and Bart Meltzer
will introduce the RAM and talk about Atheist Activism in Arizona.
Victor J. Stenger
Professor Emeritus
of Physics, University of Hawaii
Visiting Fellow, Department of Philosophy, University of Colorado.
American Atheists will host a book signing at the RAM. Professor
Stenger will be signing copies of his book: NOT
BY DESIGN, THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE.
Dr. Seth Asser, Medical Director for California Children's Services in San
Diego, and Board Member of CHILD, INC., and advocacy
group for defending the rights or children.
His article in "Pediatrics" (co-authored with CHILD President Rita Swan) has
attracted widespread media attention, and raised the issue of children's
rights versus religious dogma.
Dr. Alan Hale is a world renowned astronomer, head of the Southwest Institute
for Space Research, and a co-discoverer of the spectacular Hale-Bopp comet
which bears his name. He graduated from the U.S.Naval Academy in 1976 with a
Bachelor's Degree in physics. After military service and a stint as an
engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he earned his Master's and Ph.D.
in 1992 from New Mexico State University.
Dr. Hale's writings have appeared in such publications as "Astronomy,"
"International Comet Quarterly," and the "Yearbook of Science and
Technology."
In addition to his work on comets, Dr. Hale has been an outspoken advocate
of the need for science literacy and reason in our society. When not mulling
the fate of our world and the cosmos, he works out jogging in the Sacramento
Mountains near his home in Cloudcroft, N.M., keeps up with the latest rock 'n
roll music, and watches football.
Steve Benson is editorial cartoonist for the Arizona Republic Newspaper. As
a teenager, he graduated from the famous
"Draw-This-Dog-on-the-Back-of-a-Matchbook" correspondence school, and later
obtained his bachelor's degree in political science summa cum laude from
Brigham Young University.
Mr. Benson won the coveted Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in
1993, and has been a four-time finalist for the same aware. His work has
appeared in numerous books and other publications. His favorite political
figures for cartooning include Newt Gingrich, Clarence Thomas, Maricopa
Sheriff Joe Arpaio, two former governors of Arizona, and Bill Clinton.
Steve's speech title will be "Tooning Out Religion."
Brian Barnard, Esq
graduated from Loyola Law School in 1969, and is now head of the Utah Legal
Clinic. He has been involved in numerous cases defending the separation of
church and state, including challenges to the display of the Ten Commandments
on public property, and public subsidies for illuminating a Mormon temple.
Mr. Barnard speaks on "Utah Litigation for State-Church Separation."
Conrad Goeringer, Editor, AANEWS speaking on: "Their Name Was Legion:
The Roman Catholic Church and Censorship in the Modern American Experience"
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