The AAI Convention 2007 offered an outstanding roster of speakers and was an occasion too good to miss. For me the trip to Washington in September was my first chance to hear Richard Dawkins speak in person. He tops my list of contemporary outspoken intellects on the subject of Atheism, Anti-theism, Secular Humanism or whatever label is applied to non-belief in primitive superstitions. Dawkins in his humility may say that he is not the most important or influential activist in neo-Atheism, however perception is subjective and in my mind he is number one.

     Andrew and I flew to DC on Friday, September 28^th arriving at the convention hotel around 5:30 p.m. and literally had to queue immediately for seats in the ballroom where Dawkins was to speak at 7:30. I would have been really steamed if after making the trip could only watch the proceedings via video link. Margaret Downey (AAI president) did a wonderful job of organizing the event, but in planning did not anticipate the overwhelming response when choosing a location, and the venue was simply too small for the turnout.

     There was extremely intense security in the hotel. Participants were subjected to body searches and bomb sniffing dogs cleared the space before people were allowed to enter the meeting room for presentations. The A-list of Atheist speakers were the targets of those who are willing to harm others, justifying murder and violence as having some sacred validity conferred on their actions by Bronze Age legends.

Here are links to video recordings featuring the highlights:-

     How interesting that Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens and Harris are proclaimed as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse heralding the end of religious influence on societies. There are many strong voices striving through reasoned argument towards the goal of intellectual freedom hoping that soon religion will be marginalized everywhere. Ayaan Hirsi Ali puts her life on the line daily working tirelessly to enrich and enlighten, raising public awareness about the dangers that the continued protection of primitive belief poses to all cultures.

     A friend gave me Matthew Chapman’s book 'Trials of the Monkey' for my birthday last January so I was quite intrigued to learn that the author and filmmaker was making a presentation at the convention too. Chapman’s distinction in neo Atheism is that he is a relative of Darwin and a friend of Hitchens. Thank you Matthew Chapman for noticing my Leica Rangefinder!

     Julia Sweeney introduced Dawkins at the convention Awards Banquet and as I listened to her describe the sheer panic and fear she felt prior to her first meeting with Dawkins, it struck a chord with me as that was exactly my feeling too. My impression of Dawkins is that he seems tuned in to everything happening around him, listening and observing and no doubt making mental notes for future comments. The man tirelessly signed books and spoke to people throughout the weekend while never displaying fatigue and always being approachable. That takes stamina!

    The Dawkins' Fleas writers use gobbledygook to insult him with accusations of arrogance or belligerence, which are ridiculous and rather reflect that those who utter such insults are themselves furious for his simply stating the obvious - that the claims of religion are not true. People who dare to point this out are the enemy of the emotionally infantile that still exert undue influence on government and culture. Literally every time Dawkins or any of the other notable anti-religion activists are engaged in conversation or debate with theists, it is the god defenders that become aggressive and agitated, shouting away the quiet, steadfast observations that are rocking their fantasy world.

     One of my goals for the weekend was to take photos and especially to try for one of Dawkins. My preference would have been to join the trip to Galapagos last May and photograph him over a few days in that landscape while he lectured. Sadly I only heard about the trip after it was sold out, hence my eagerness to aim for a picture in DC even though that environment (corporate boardroom)  was not at all conducive to interesting still photography. I so wanted to take lots of pictures however didn’t feel comfortable imposing on people by getting in their faces. After a critical review of my pictures shot on negative film (I do not love digital), there remained only a handful to post here. I really hope that the next time there is such a meeting of minds that I have more scope to work.

     My comments here are a thank you letter to Richard Dawkins for the God Delusion. It is a work that is accessible to all given his witty and playful approach to tackling the religious superstition problem.  Thanks too for the website which is an excellent resource for news, information and insight into the ongoing and necessary movement of militant atheism. The archive there is exceptional. The diligent work of webmaster and video-grapher Josh Timonen  has made the  Richard Dawkins website into a sanctuary for free thinkers  and a juggernaut clearing the way for everyone to live happily free of religion.

     2007 was for me an exciting year as prior to attending the AAI Convention I had the opportunity to hear Hitchens and Sharpton at the New York Public Library in May when ‘god is not Great, How Religion Poisons Everything’ was launched. Hirsi Ali was there too and I made a point of thanking her for her courage in fighting for Islamic women’s freedom. I did tell her about my participation in the protest against the implementation of Sharia Law in Ontario and that we won our battle on that small front. (That's me pointing an accusatory finger at a misogynist proponent of Sharia.)