I am jsut curious if anyone else has a problem with the 9th district supreme court ruling on banning the pledge of allegance in schools? I really feel this is a grave mistake. I also don't see how the minority can make the majority change what they do. I say if you don't want to say it then don't! Enough said
Buck

Well put buck, I agree.

And just what makes you think this country is run by majority? (my disgust is not intented to be personal) We have a legal system that pampers the whining minority......so much for survival of the fittest, eh? We no longer help only those who "can't" do it for themselves, we help those who "won't". My $.02

But......In God We Trust is going to stay.

And for those of you that have a problem with( IN GOD WE TRUST) let me give you my checking deposit # because you won't be needing the money either, the way i see it i should be rich by tomorrow, oh wait, thats right it doesn't work both ways does it, Doug P.S. with out going over board, IN GOD WE TRUST, what religion is GOD ? just my .02 worth, but isn't GOD? something you believe in or don't believe in, .( a personal choice FINE) then why is it you can't keep you mouth shut if you don't believe in the pledge of allegance? another personal choice, you would B!$ch if you were hung with a new rope

Buck,

Without commenting either way on the topic of the Pledge of Alliegance...America is not founded on the principle that a minority can make a majority do what they want, nor is it founded on the principle that a majority can make the minority do what it wants.

It's a balance between the two. While most laws do evolve from a majority sentiment, others don't, and I'd argue that those are some of the most important parts of what America is.

I could give other examples, but I'll return to the topic at hand. The very reason that the Constitution forbids the establishment of a national religion is to protect minorities from the majority.

In this case, the District Court ruled that reciting the Pledge in public schools is an endorsement of a particular religion, and since public schools are funded by public money, then it violates the Constitution.

This ruling was affirmed by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals...which has a pretty good track record of being overturned by the Supreme Court, so stay tuned, especially with the amount of conservative judges that have accumulated there over the years.

Again, this is not a comment on whether or not I "like" the ruling...it's just a comment on whether or not it is the legally proper one...which I think it is.

One last question...how many of the folks who complain about this ruling challenge it on legal grounds...or don't like it because they are Christians?

I think it's a valid question, and I've already spoken with several folks who oppose it for one reason or the other, and I've heard some interesting replies. I'm always open to hear more!

Fish on...

Todd.

I honestly do not care what the court said. In this free country, no court, no man, no government institution will influence the religious beliefs that I hold. If the pledge upholders and pledge detractors want to fight this one out - go for it. There are clearly more important issues to be concerned with. My humble opinion.

I am all for leaving The Pledge of Allegance in schools.

I am all for them taking In God We Trust off our money.

Just seems to me like they have things backwards.

Don't get into this kind of thing much but here goes. Todd I am a history buff and the problem our country's fathers had with religion was,it was ran by the same people that ran the country. Back then the church of England was ran by the King. The Piligrams were running the the church of England. That is the reason for the seperation of church and state. They never intended for prayers or other religious acts to be removed. They just did not want it running the country.

Lets not hold what the founding fathers did 200+ years ago as the end all for american constitutional law. Remember that the issue of slavery was not even addressed in the Constitution...

Just as that constitutional question needed to be addressed as american society evolved, questions about the part religion should play in our government are arising due to evolving mores of our American society...

For me these questions need answers before I decide:

1. What is the purpose of the pledge?
2. Is that purpose currently being accomplished by recital of the pledge?
3. Why is it only mandatory to pledge up to high school? (perhaps this was just my experience)
4. Why aren't adults compelled to say it before work?
5. Are dual citizens allowed to use that time to pledge allegiance to France or wherever they may be from?

Perhaps the government should make it mandatory that every day at sunset we all get out our little american flag prayer rugs, kneel in the direction of Washington D.C. and say the pledge. How many adults would voluntarily undertake such an effort? I guess my point is that we make our kids do the EXACT same thing every day....every day, before class, face the same direction, pray to the flag...we just leave out the rug part. Why just the children?

....and for those of you that feel this a really big deal....How about a rewrite of the pledge?? One nation, under the President.......

...kinda solves the whole problem doesn't it??

That way we can continue to brainwash our children with a clean constitutional conscience.........

I don't believe that the litigants had any intention to ban the pledge of allegiance, only to remove the phrase "under God" which was added to the pledge during the Eisenhower administration.

You are correct. When I was growing up and happened to go to school that saying "under god" was not in there. Some idiot had it added and I've never said it that way.

It all began on September 8,1892, when the Boston based magazine "The Youth's Companion" published a few words written by Francis Bellamy,the circulation manager, for students to repeat on Columbus Day that year.

"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands- one nation indivisible-with liberty and justice for all."

It was not until 1942 that Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance. One year later, in June 1943, the Supreme Court ruled that school children could not be forced to recite it. In fact,today only half of our fifty states have laws that encourage the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in the classroom!

H2O,

You know, I wish this was the only problem society had to worry about-- their kids saying the Pledge of Allegiance at school. No drugs, school shootings, child molesters/sex offenders let out of jail and off the hook too easily. The trivial and insignificant receives attention because the other issues are too hard to deal with. This country was founded on principles of Christianity and are the reasons this country is what it is today. This has gone way too far-----

You know, I wish this was the only problem society had to worry about-- their kids saying the Pledge of Allegiance at school. No drugs, school shootings, child molesters/sex offenders let out of jail and off the hook too easily. The trivial and insignificant receives attention because the other issues are too hard to deal with. This country was founded on principles of Christianity and are the reasons this country is what it is today. This has gone way too far-----

Principles of Christianity??? Aint them priests the ones molesting the children. Man the hypocrisy here is way too thick!!!

ARRR! MATEYS, It's sad times fer sure when hearty fishermen are reduced to argueing bout politics or religion (or, in this case, both).

You're right SlabQuest...This board argues about everything.....Lots of people pretty sure of themselves too........

Fishin' MUST be SLOW!