It can be interesting trying to get things correctly done as a volunteer - especially if you grew up in the Twilight Zone and live under the direct effect of Murphys' Law and Stapp's Ironical Paradox, which states, "The universal aptitude of ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle."  In this context, not believing in miracles (except perhaps metaphorically with respect to unlikely events) means that it is important to extend credit for simply getting things done - even when 20/20 hindsight makes it crystal clear how a list of things might have been done better. 

Requests from others that we mount a response to an editorial in the Gazette and the weekly need for an article for the "Freethought Views" column (not to mention the burdens of non-volunteer everyday life) led to combining the response and the column into a single document.  While it would have been great to have the time to split these tasks into two and "hit the nail on the head" with both, one does what one can, leaves the rest for later and hopes that what was accomplished is sufficient to acieve the goal over time - or at least hold those who appear threatened by rationality and logic (or directly threaten basic Constitutional freedoms in the absence of rationality and logic) at bay.   

It seems there is always something that must be left undone in volunteer work - at least until the operation develops enough support that it is possible for some members of the operation to move from volunteerism into full time paid advocacy.  It appears at times that such a condition can only be a very distant dream for the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs. 

It is ironic that in these days of cardiac artery stents, cell phones, genomics, laparoscopic surgeries, positron emission tomography, semi-truck sized Space Transportations Systems and and a world wide "web" of networked computers of an incredible spectrum of size and functionality that the ideal of using reason and logic to analyze the world around us appears so controversial. 

While it would be nice to have enough donations to open a permanent "Freethinkers of Colorado Springs" office with full time staff, a suitable library and an operational soup kitchen (or some other public service operation yet to be determined), it would be much more pleasant to live in a city in which events stimulating the need to take action secondary to one's oath to "protect and defend the Constitution of the United States" were less frequent. 

Dreams of a day when volunteerism and paid advocacy in defense of the United States Consitution, human equality, logic and reason are no longer necessary are much more pleasant and interesting than "picking out the drapes" for the permanent office of the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs would be.  Perhaps some day, organizations like the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs will no longer be needed, and those of us "keeping the lights on" will be able to once again direct our "spare" time to our hobbies and leisure activities.  Until then, we here at the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs will try to do our best - and try not to worry about it when our best is not as good as we hoped or as polished and professional looking as others.