The first amendment of the U.S. Constitution is one of the most commonly quoted document entry in America. It’s an all-time favorite of both high school and college students alike. Freedom of speech, of expression, and of belief in Jesus. Now what about the lack thereof?

The separation of Church and state is one of the oldest myths in American history. Although unnoticed by those who are fortunate enough to live in a culturally-diverse area such as New York, the invisible hand of religion holds the legislative pen in some places within the United States.

It was on a Sunday, around the latter part of December, 2007, when I found myself staring at a yellow sign hanging just about 3 feet above the ground that reads: “WAL-MART SUPERCENTER, DUE TO SOUTH CAROLINA BLUE LAWS, THIS SECTION IS CLOSED UNTIL 1:30PM.” Irritated and slightly offended, I felt my insides recoil and my mind infuriated with anger. Disappointed, my girlfriend and I headed towards the closest RadioShack, then Walgreens, and finally some office supply store I’ve never heard of before; I felt defeated. It wasn’t until we finally decided to head for the hotel that I spent the next fifteen minutes in the car ranting and complaining about how New York doesn’t need to follow some ridiculous law written by a chaplain. That evening, when I finally arrived at my warm cozy bedroom in New York, feeling a bit nostalgic as I meticulously examined the photographs in my camera, I came across the image I snapped during my only moment of inconvenience that week and it suddenly hit me: I’ve never fully appreciated the benefits of living among a diverse group of freethinkers until that day.