Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

Should public officials keep their religious beliefs hidden?  Atlanta's fire chief Kelvin Cochran didn't think so. Cochran wrote a book about Biblical manhood and moral boundaries.  Atlanta's mayor publicly denounced his religious beliefs and eventually fired Cochran. There was no due process, no evidence of discrimination and no chance for Cochran to defend himself. But in the end Cochran was vindicated. The city of Atlanta awarded him $1.2 million for wrongful termination. It was a big victory for free speech and the right to hold conservative religious beliefs even if you're a public figure. We may have big disagreements on morality and standards of conduct, but one thing we must all agree upon is the right to freely exchange our sincerely held ideas about right and wrong and that nobody should lose their job over this.