Declaration of Independence Banned

In the city of Cupertino, California, a fifth grade public school teacher at Stevens Creek School, Stephen Williams, has been prohibited by the principal from distributing the Declaration of Independence among other documents from the American Founding. Why? Because they mention God.

Like the recent challenge to the Pledge of Allegiance, many Americans will view this as an outrage. It is. But it would be a mistake to think that striking down the Pledge or banning the Declaration or any other historical document from our public schools is a new development. The sad fact is that these actions are supported by more than fifty years of Supreme Court jurisprudence. Carried to its logical conclusion, the position staked out by modern courts would prevent not only any mention of God in the classroom, but would render teaching the natural rights principles of constitutional government unconstitutional.

In his dissenting comments in the 1985 case, Wallace v. Jaffree--which struck down an Alabama law allowing students a one-minute period of silent reflection as unconstitutional--Justice Rehnquist predicted that upon the arguments of the Supreme Court, the Pledge of Allegiance could also be held unconstitutional. Two years ago, Rehnquist's predication came true, as a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance represented an unconstitutional establishment of religion.

As Americans prepare to give thanks to God for the blessings they enjoy, many are asking why there is a concerted effort to drive God out of our schools and out of our public square. Modern Supreme Court jurisprudence regarding religion, and the all-too-familiar instances of students and citizens being prohibited from acknowledging the existence or authority of God, are symptoms of the liberal project to remake America.

Thomas Krannawitter and Daniel Palm wrote this summer about the attempt by Los Angeles County to remove a cross from the county seal. Liberals want to remove constitutional limitations on government power, and, at the same time, replace moral, free, self-sufficient citizens with needy, subservient citizens dependent on government. Removing God from the American mind advances both goals.

Understanding that sound government and a free, moral society rest upon a belief in the "laws of nature and of nature's God," California passed a law in 1997 requiring public schools to teach the Declaration of Independence and other documents from the Founding period. By prohibiting Mr. Williams from distributing the Declaration, not only is Stevens Creek School undermining legitimate civic education, they appear to be in direct violation of California law.

John Eastman, director of the Claremont Institute's Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, commented, "Unfortunately, our courts have abandoned the original meaning of the religion clauses of the First Amendment, and what we are witnessing today is the logical consequence of a half-century of misguided jurisprudence." Eastman, who also filed an amicus brief in the case of Newdow v. U.S., may be reached for comment by members of the media at (562) 900-3902.

What is going on in the public schools is sheer insanity. The Marines cannot put up a Santa Claus poster at the Toys for Tots display, but my 7 year old daughter has to sing about a "peaceful Ramadan" at a HOLIDAY concert which just happens to coincide with a certain Christian holiday. Another mother and I complained to the principal but his hands are tied by the PC crowd in the NEA and the local p-ssy school board. To his credit, he privately agreed (voted for Bush, good man). I can't afford private school so I see a lot of battles in the future. Thank God my daughter knows its all crap, and she will not sing the part about Ramadan.

Fair warning about Catholic school...I went through some of it, as did many of my brothers, and I was not the only one to notice that the RELIGION teachers had lessons that were aimed at de-bunking all the biblical miracles, starting with the plagues. We're talking about two different high schools, here, and about a ten-year time gap.

I applaud your decision to send your child there, but please keep an eye on what they learn. It was also in this same Catholic high school that I learned all my misinformation about the "benign" nature of communism. The history teacher actually taught us that "communism was a really good idea in theory, and only failed in practice because it cannot be forced on a population...everyone has to choose it for it to work." This view of communism was also taught in the local public school. It was only in adulthood that I had this view corrected, thank God, and I'm horrified to realize that I was taught so poorly, especially by a private school which is normally supposed to turn out people with a decent education.

As a Christian parent at Stevens Creek School, Cupertino, CA, the school accused of banning the Declaration of Independence, I am shocked with the misrepresentations of our community school that have put our children and school staff at risk. Since the incendiary headlines about the lawsuit Williams v Patricia Vidmar hit the media before Thanksgiving, the school has received over 3000 angry calls and emails from all over the country, many of which were extremely threatening, combative, profane, and decidedly un-christian in tone. Our shell-shocked school secretary (also a Christian) now sends all out-of-state calls to the recorder. Two sheriffs patrol the campus daily.

If you are interested in the truth about Stevens Creek School, please see www.StevensCreekParents.org. At Stevens Creek, my daughter was taught the usual California curriculum, with the complete Declaration of Independence and religious context of our forefathers. We say “under God” in our Pledge of Allegiance. Our school was bristling with holiday decorations of every variety. The Good News Club and the Boy Scouts meet after school on campus.

This law suit is not about a school policy. It is the result of a disagreement between a principal and a specific teacher. If you look closely at the documents that were edited from Mr. Williams' lessons, you will notice that, while laudable for high schoolers, some are just too difficult for 10 year olds. Other edited documents were within an extremely religiously charged context. The Declaration itself is not among the edited lessons; Mr. Williams' lesson consisted only of the first, second, and last papargraphs of the document without context. Mr. Williams is notorious for running his class months behind the other 5 grade classes. I believe Mr. Williams spends too much time on religion at the expense of the three Rs. I also believe he should have completed the complaint process with the union before taking the case outside. In my view, he was being a bit of a jerk, but he was our jerk, and we were working with him.

The Alliance Defense Fund, an Arizona-based Christian advocacy group, has already tried this case in the media. I believe that our school was the unlucky target of its pre-existing political agenda. Is it moral to endanger children while they debate their lofty issues. How can the message of our tiny community school compete with that of a slick group of attorneys with their $15 million budget?

We implore you to write responsibly and truthfully about our issue. By the time this lawsuit is resolved in favor of Mrs. Vidmar, it will no longer be a front-page story. The ADF, however, will have collected another truck load of donations from the misled.

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