The media has revived news of the three judges in the ninth District Circuit Court who decided by a vote of two-to-one in favor of Dr. Newdow's flag- pledge suit last Summer. Dr. Newdow had sued his daughter's school district, pointing out that the original pledge to the U.S. flag had become a "prayer" since the addition of the words "under God" in 1954. The doctor's contention was that the public school, because its teachers lead the "under God" pledge, violated the First Amendment clause, re. the estab- lishment of religion; that is, the separation of state and church.
The news these days has to do with the Ninth Distsrict Appelate Court panel of twenty-four judges whose decisions denied the appeal of the Elk Grove School District. Their decision, by fifteen to nine, upholds last Summer's ban on public school's recitation of the "god" version of the pledge. (The decision affects only nine states out West. Will the U.S. Supreme Court uphold the ban?)
Saying "old pledge" versus "God pledge" recalls that until the mid-50's there was the original pledge which we, in my day, recited with pride. It "sang" like a phrase from one of the documents from the founding of our republic--- it had a rhythm; a simple beauty. Then, in the mid 1950's Senator Joseph McCarthy, et al, cowed the leaders of this nation into scrambling around seeking "proof" that the U.S. was superior to those feared "godless Communists." As a result, "In God we Trust" appeared on paper currency and "under God" was inserted in the U.S. Flag pledge. I guess we showed those "dirty Reds!!"
The current occupant of the Attorney General's Office is an openly rabid born-againer. His every reference to the "mistake" of the Ninth District decision is to say, "'They' don't want our children to recite the pledge!" Can't every- one see how biased that remark is? It is not the pledge itself Dr. Newdow and the rest of us object to, at all. Obviously it's those "two little words" that connote govern- ment-blessed religious doctrine to which we object. Besides, those added words spoil the old measure--they intrude also--- like a hiccup in polite society. They are embarrassing !
Marcel Stratton
3/5/03