LEDGER FORUM
If you saw it on TV, if you heard it on the radio, if you read it in the paper, if it came from government, it’s probably false.
Is there nobody in the mass media or government who can read and has enough initiative to read before commenting, and has the integrity to comment on what he read instead of what "everybody" says he read?
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit did not declare the pledge of allegiance unconstitutional. It re-emphasized that the 1954 modification of the pledge was a deliberate attempt by government to establish a religious belief and it declared it unconstitutional for government agents to require/lead recitation of that pledge.
"In conclusion, we hold that (1) the 1954 Act adding the words "under God" to the pledge, and (2) EGUSD’s policy and practice of teacher-led recitation of the pledge, with the added words included, violate the Establishment Clause.
"The judgment of dismissal is vacated with respect to these two claims, and the cause is remanded for further proceedings consistent with our holding."
The court ruled unconstitutional a government-coerced assertion of religious dogma. It ruled that government (i.e., the public schools) cannot require recitation of the religious dogma introduced into the pledge in 1954 by the federal government.
It did not prohibit recitation of the pledge in schools or anywhere else. Anybody who wants to recite the pledge of allegiance to the flag is free to do so. The court ruling prohibits government agents (teachers, school officials, etc.) from directing such activity.
For those of your readers not satisfied with the typical hysteria among media and politicians, and other flag-wavers, read the
text of the decision.
Trafalgar Court