Court rules words ‘under God’ unconstitutional
By:Vanessa S. Holt and David Koch
Two words caused national controversy last week when a federal appeals court ruled 2-1 that the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance were unconstitutional.
Although the judge who wrote the opinion stayed the controversial ruling so the full 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals can reconsider the matter, local school administrators are already weighing in on the issue, saying the words "under God" should remain in the pledge.
Bordentown Regional School District Superintendent John Polomano said he concurred with County Superintendent of Schools Walter Keiss, who disagreed with the June 26 court ruling that declared the pledge unconstitutional.
"I really believe there are certain symbols of our freedom and beliefs and when we tamper with them we go overboard," Mr. Polomano said.
Mr. Polomano said he was "disheartened" by the decision to remove the two words from the pledge.
"It’s like the flag itself," he said. "It’s like a symbol it has been there over the years."
The phrase "under God" was added to the pledge in 1954. The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Baptist minister Francis Bellamy. The original pledge read, "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
The issue of the word "God" in the pledge has not come up before during his time as superintendent, said Mr. Polomano, but he added that any student who doesn’t wish to say the pledge, or that portion of it, is free to do so.
"Sometimes you’ll have someone who doesn’t want to say it, but it certainly has not been an issue here," he said.
Several other local public and private school officials also said they disagreed with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling.
Bob Newman, dean of students at the Life Center Academy in Florence said the Pledge of Allegiance does not have a religious affiliation.
"The Pledge of Allegiance is a pledge of loyalty to our nation and our values," said Mr. Newman. "It’s just traditional in our country and it doesn’t even have a religious connotation."
Because the Life Center is a private, non-denominational Christian school, it wouldn’t have to abide by any potential federal court ruling requiring the words "under God" to be omitted from the pledge.
"The Pledge of Allegiance is about support to our nation and values that make it great, which comes from our Judeo-Christian heritage," said Mr. Newman.
"Personally I have no problem with keeping things as they are," said Clara Barton Elementary School Principal Berenice Blum-Bart, referring to the pledge in its 1954 form. "Traditionally it’s part of our historical culture, but we have many people from different cultures here and we always work to accommodate that and provide other options."
For example, she said, students may choose not to participate in activities for holidays like St. Valentine’s Day and Halloween, which are not celebrated by all students.
"We work to make everyone feel comfortable," she said.
North Hanover Superintendent Richard Carson said the ruling was absurd, but the school district would comply if the U.S. Supreme Court someday required public schools to omit the words "under God" from the pledge.
"If you look at the term ‘under God,’ God to every one is different," said Dr. Carson.