Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional?
6/29/2002It's a ruling that will surely enrage generations of Americans. The Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional? It should surprise no one that this ridiculous interpretation of constitutionality came from the West Coast. What is disturbing to me is that any court, regardless of jurisdiction, would agree to hear the case in the first place.
At a time in our country when the re-instilling of pride and national unity should be a priority, you have an atheist father from Sacramento, Calif., successfully suing to stop the Pledge of Allegiance from being said at the beginning of the school day because the words “under God” are part of the text of the pledge and his child is offended by it.
I guess it is the right of this parent to raise his child in a godless environment if he so chooses. He'll have an eternity to explain that decision, if my pastor was correct. What is most troubling is the nonstop, strident lobbying for the dissolution of all references to God, anyone's God, from our daily life. With each ill-thought, stupid ruling by these west coast liberal judges, we get closer to the scenario of the word “damn” preceded by the word “God” not only being in bad taste but also illegal to utter.
I have to wonder if the California father is so offended by references to God that he refuses to accept the bills and coinage he is handed after cashing his payroll check? All of them say “In God We Trust.”
SCOTT SANFORD
Sylvania
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The judges on San Francisco's 9th District Court of Appeals need to move to a different country - any country.
This nation was founded by religious leaders, and the Congress opens every session with a prayer.
These judges need to be removed before their cancerous opinions (like the ACLU's) begin to spread. With the attitude of some of the extremist groups, we just need another revolution to bring sanity back to our judicial system.
Federal judges think they are immune to the desires of the people in this country. News flash: stand by. Their timing could not be better for Americans to bestow their wrath on these guys.
DON MOONEY
Erie, Mich.
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Everyone keeps wondering why Osama bin Laden hasn't made a reappearance to further his attempts to destroy America.
Perhaps it's because his agenda is being furthered quite nicely by a small group of elite Americans right here at home. Bin Laden can watch from his satellite television and be a first-hand witness to the methodical destruction of our Bill of Rights.
The Pledge of Allegiance has been ruled unconstitutional, as federal courts continue their fatal practice of ruling on precedent rather than on what the Constitution actually says (obliterating the Ninth Amendment with each such ruling).
Elected American officials, including Ohio's, publicly support the recision of the First Amendment (via campaign finance legislation), the Second Amendment (via gun show “loophole” legislation), and the Fourth and Sixth Amendments (via Homeland Security legislation).
A Constitution that was written to limit the powers of government is now wielded by government to limit our freedom. Inalienable rights recognized by the Founders in the Declaration of Independence as having been given us by our Creator (the same God now virtually banished from mention in any public forum), are continually being ripped away from us.
And still we sleep in ignorance and apathy, just as we slept on Sept. 10. Only instead of shattering our steel, this homegrown enemy is shattering our American soul.
CHAD D. BAUS
Archbold, Ohio
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Thank God for Judge Ferdinand Fernandez for writing the minority report in the 2-1 Court of Appeals decision declaring our nation's Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional.
God forgive the majority for they do not have a clue. God help me to forgive them because down deep I do not want to forgive them. God forgive me if I did anything to cause the majority to believe the way they do. God forgive me for becoming angry and giving permission for anger to take away my happiness with you. God help me to forgive myself.
God is God. God is not religion. Christianity is religion. Islam is religion. There are 22,000-plus belief systems and religions. God is God. God is love. God is spirit. Worship God. Worship God in spirit and in truth. Spirit is love. Love God. Love neighbors. Love the minority report. Love the majority report.
But God forgive them, for they know not what they do.
ROBERT MOYERS
Maumee
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Atheism, like Catholicism, is a belief, and therefore, a religion. And I, for one, do not wish to have my children forced into an atheist's beliefs. Let the Pledge of Allegiance stand. (For the record, there are no atheists in a foxhole.)
ANTHONY ESPOSITO
Regina Parkway
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Woke up in fright in the middle of the night. What are we going to do now? Will the mint in San Francisco no longer mint coins with any reference to God? I'll bet that the judges and the atheist father have had a terrible time using that paper money that has “In God We Trust” printed on the back. Next thing you know they will find that they really are not judges at all because they took their oaths with their hands resting on a Bible, and thus would be unconstitutional.
WILLIAM C. LOCKE
Whitehouse
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Americans should be outraged by the irresponsible decision on the Pledge of Allegiance by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The court found that the reciting of the pledge by teachers and students “amounts to a government endorsement of religion,” going so far as to compare the phrase “under God” with “under Zeus.” Just last month this radical court found that certain people could smoke marijuana on federal lands if it is part of their religion.
This ruling is further proof that we need to end the judicial crisis and place the men and women of distinction that President Bush has nominated on the bench. While the President continues to nominate responsible jurists, Democrats in the Senate continue to play partisan games with our courts.
ASA BOUR
Findlay
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I am an American who grew up saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school and at special events. I am appalled that a court would say that it is unconstitutional to say the Pledge of Allegiance in our schools.
What held our nation together after the Sept. 11 attack? The pride in being an American and those who hold a belief in God standing tall and holding everyone in their hearts. I am not your traditional Christian, but I say the Pledge of Allegiance and withhold the word God just as it was done before Congress put the word God into the Pledge.
I understand the anger the father felt, but how can the rights of so many be taken away for the rights of one? All the father had to do was teach his daughter how to say the Pledge without saying the word God.
The Pledge is not a prayer, but a statement of how proud we are to honor the nation we live in.
MARIANNE BLANCHONG
146th Street
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I wonder if the folks wanting to remove “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance use God's name when they curse. I suppose consistency is too much to expect.
JIM MOTTER
Turnbridge Road