Posted on 06/26/2002 3:17:41 PM PDT by kattracks
(CNSNews.com) - The White House Wednesday called a California appeals court ruling on the Pledge of Allegiance "wrong," and announced that the Justice Department plans to take action.
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the pledge is unconstitutional and should not be recited in schools, because the phrase "under God" violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
"The view of the White House is that this was a wrong decision and the Department of Justice is now evaluating how to seek redress," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.
"The Declaration of Independence refers to God as the creator four different times. Congress begins each session of the Congress each day with a prayer and our currency says 'In God We Trust,'" he said.
Fleischer emphasized that the decision is one from a circuit court that only affects nine states and not a national court decision.
"I think that people are very naturally ... going to react strongly opposed to this," he said. "I think this decision will not sit well with the American people and it certainly does not sit well with the president of the United States.
"I think most Americans have faith in God, and they are going to express [their faith] and the pledge everyday that they can," he said.
Meanwhile, Rev. Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition said the ruling should be a wake-up call for President Bush to appoint more conservative court judges -- even if it means bypassing the Senate.
"We can expect more anti-God decisions like the one just handed down by the judicial tyrants in San Francisco, if we don't get good conservative judges on the federal bench," Sheldon said. "Senators Daschle, Leahy, and McCain need to get out of the way and confirm Bush's nominees quickly.
"We're sick and tired of Tom Daschle blocking the confirmation of God-fearing judges like Charles Pickering," he continued. "Americans want men like Pickering on the bench who respect America's religious heritage and understand that we truly are a nation under God.
"If Senators Daschle, Leahy, and McCain don't get out of the way this week, I think it's time for President Bush to begin making recess appointments of his judicial nominees," he said. "Enough is enough!"
Rep. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, vowed to go a step further if needed.
"If necessary, I will offer a constitutional amendment to ensure Americans can voluntarily say the [Pledge of Allegiance] in public and private settings without being in violation of the law," said Graham.
"The reference in the Pledge to being 'one nation under God' is in no way the establishment of religion by the government. If America ever needed God's blessing and guidance, it's now," he concluded.
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Maybe he's looking into the future.
If he thinks he is he's seeing phantoms. The issue here is well defined, it is not some slippery slope leading to something else.
Oh...it felt so good to spout that out. I did it civilly of course, not wanting to sound like a ranting, raving lunatic.
If there was ever any doubt how tightly the left has this society wrapped up, the proof is on this "issue". Conservatives going off thinking to themselves that they are taking "conservative" stances, not even realizing that by doing so, they are actually conceding to about 101 liberal policies and programs in the process.
Does anyone realize that by demanding that the pledge be returned to the public schools, you "conservatives" are conceding that:
1 Public schools have a right to exist
2. Public schools have a right to make attendance compulsory
3. Agents of the state have a right to "educate" children
4. Agents of the state have the right to userp parental rights.
5. Agents of the state have the right to make parental decisions.
I could go on and on. This pledge issue is nothing but a distraction. It will make for good talk radio for a few days, but it is really irrelevant to real conservative issues in the long run.
Get back to me in twenty years.
The next step is to have Him removed from our coinage. And, since the motto on our Great Seal -- annuit coeptis -- means "Heaven smiles on our endeavors, the Great Seal must be changed too, along with all 1-dollar bills on which it is depicted.
God must be erased from our culture. Just think of all the harm He has done. What place does God have in a Christian nation anyway?
"WELL, THAT MIGHT BE NEXT."
You think this is the end of it? Wrong. The liberals will do anything to take the word GOD out of our lives if we let them. We cannot. This is OUR country. Our forefathers are probably rolling over in their graves.
And Dog said this guy filed suit last year to keep Bush from saying the oath at his inauguration!
Don't you understand that if my children were going to public school, which thank God they are not, that they would not be allowed to recite the Pledge of Allegiance? This idiotic ruling handed down today by two liberal leftist judges told this country NO MORE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. IT'S UNCONSITUTIONAL. What don't YOU understand about that???
And that has what to do with a constitutional ammendment to preserve "under god" in the pledge of allegience?
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