[Aquamarine]

[The Mayor]

[Aquamarine]

Welcome to the Finest!

"This will be the best security for maintaining our liberties.
A nation of well-informed men who have been taught to know
and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved.
It is in the religion of ignorance that tyranny begins." --Benjamin Franklin

[The Mayor]

[SpookBrat]

Good morning Aqua. I recently read excerpts of George Washington's prayer book he wrote and kept. It was beautiful. I hope to find this book some where and purchase it. I wish I could pray like that.

[GailA]

Good Morning Aqua, most excellent thread!

[Temple Owl]

Good morning Aquamarine and all FReepers. Very good post and as Ben would say, "Well done is better than well said."

It came at an appropriate time for Southeastern Pennsylvanians. We are in the process of carefully moving our beloved Liberty Bell to a new (nearby) location.

[lonestar]

Great job!

[FreeTheHostages]

I so agree that the layperson does not appreciate these legal facts.

I would say, however, that the US Supreme Court and the federal courts *generally* do get the fact that discussions of religion and morality can and *should* take place inside Courthouses. Witnesses can and do swear before God, for example, and God is referenced in "God Bless this Court" and various phrases.

When it was announced that Attorney General Ashcroft prayed early in the morning at his government workplace, there was a hue and cry among the leftist non-lawyers that this was a violation of "separation of church and state." But since all the Constitution forbids is an establishment, and General Ashcroft's activities were surely not that, one notes that no federal court told him to stop it.

I would just say, regarding your legitimate complaints, that despite the press attention to weird court cases, the federal courts generally do, I think, appreciate that religious speech shy of an "establishment" is permitted -- indeed as you point out constitutionally protected. Ever since the monument case, I've been trying to persuade some of my skeptical non-lawyer friends that indeed the Supreme Court has the 10 commandments in the hallway of its building. And they do.

[Dubya]

Very good, thanks for the ping.

[jwfiv]

Good monring, Miss Aqua...thank you immensely for your beautiful and timely thread...very nice...)

You've got that HTML knack...and, you've sure got the Freedom knack, too...all Freepers do.

A big Howdy to all our lovely Hostesses, and all our Finest neighbors.

[Calpernia]

*Sniff* *Sniff*

No one answered me :( I guess this means I wasn't missed? http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/978538/posts?page=112#112 I just love my graphic of my dragon buring M$ !!!!!

I'm almost back in the saddle here!

Thank goodness the computer nightmare is coming to a close!

Morning to all the Finest!

[Calpernia]

Great post Aqua! Since the ACLU wants to remove all religious symbols from public viewing, what do you anticipate they will try to do with places like Arlington Cemetary?

They do seem to be that extreme.

[The Thin Man]

Good morning, Aqua!

You mean that the Constitution is not a living and breathing document that can be changed at the whim of justices? That "Original Intent" actually matters? What radical thinking! :-)

I hate to do this, but remember it's only for your benefit........

Thomas Jefferon and the Babtist Association of Danbury Conneticut.

What happened? You were doing so well. :-)

[Libertina]

Beautiful US Consitution BUMP! Good morning and thank you Aquamarine! BTTT for our God-given freedoms and the brave "extremists" who fought to bring them to paper! Isn't it blessed to have had Founding Fathers who refused to be "moderate!"

[Billie]

Now, having gotten my requisite post to T Man out of the way......:)

Aqua, once again, I want to tell you how much I appreciate you, and the fact that you're jumping in so quickly with these threads. It is wonderful to have you enthused and excited about posting what is dear to your heart, and to do it in such a beautiful way.

I feel so blessed to have all of you as FR Sistahs, and your time and talents and commitment to keeping the Finest the 'finest' are appreciated by not just me, but all of us. Thank you!

[JohnHuang2]

G'morning, my good friend :-) Fabulous job, as always!

[JohnHuang2]

And G'morning, to y'all, too :-)

[Diver Dave]

Great Thread today on the original intent of our Freedoms.

How about a mid-day Freedom Snack?

[dansangel]

Jefferson believed that God, not government, was the Author and Source of our rights.

That's really the crux of our "roots" as a country - neatly packaged and to the point. What then, is it, that the ACLU cannot understand????

(((((((Aqua)))))) - so beautifully presented and so meaningful, especially in light of all that we hear in the news on a daily basis. Excellent job! You ***ROCK***!

((((((Hugs)))))) to my othah Finest Sistahs and to my fuzziest of brothahs:

[[[[[{{{{{(((((Louie_Wolfie_Man)))))}}}}}]]]]]

[Mama_Bear]

Thank you hugs to you, Aqua, for this beautiful and important post today. You did a wonderful job...this is a masterpiece!

Free, I missed your thread yesterday. I would tell you that I am sorry, but you will just tell me once again......"never apologize when you can't be here", so I won't (but I really am sorry.) I did read your profile of GunsareOK. Great job! The DC FReepers have all the fun! LOL

I can't stay, but just wanted you all know how much you are appreciated, everyday. :-)

Finest hugs!