June 14, 2004
thoughts on "under god"
The legal case against "under God" being in the official US pledge of allegiance was thrown out of the Supreme Court via a technicality. However, this doesn't really answer the debate.
Let's take a quick look at the relevant points of this issue.
1. The famous First Amendment to the US Constitution reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" you can see my somewhat lengthy analysis of this phrase and it's meaning in regard to the "under God" clause of the pledge here.
2. Many people who support having "under god" in the pledge point to the Declaration of Independence, our founding document. First off, while this founded our nation's independence, it is NOT law. Secondly, let's actually look at this document, which clearly states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." In other words, while rights may come from our Creator, our government is established by men, not "under God."
3. If you think that "under God" is acceptable, how about "under Allah," "under Buddha," or "under Satan." If not, why not? If not, then you understand how someone who doesn't believe in God, or doesn't believe in one god, might feel about the current pledge.
4. Some argue that students, for example, can either choose not to say the pledge, or can leave the room while it is recited. When did "separate but equal" become acceptable again?
5. Some argue that the United States and its government were founded on religious, or even Christian, principles. But this clearly isn't the case historically. While many of the founding fathers and founding generation were Christians of various denominations and faiths, many were instead Deists, including with certainty Ben Franklin and Thomas Paine, but also perhaps Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and others. At the constitutional convention, Ben Franklin even noted in the margin of his speech notes that, "[t]he convention, except three or four persons, thought prayers unnecessary!"
In addition, the Treaty of Tripoli, a treaty signed with a muslim nation very early in our nation's history, stated that, "the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion" - note that this was written late in President George Washington's second term, and ratified without debate (at least over this aspect of the treaty) under President John Adams!
Jefferson stated, "I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature," and also suggested that one should "Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear."
In addition, though there are obvious ties between our basic laws and some of the 10 commandments (not to mention earlier, similar laws like the Code of Hammurabi), we must not forget that 'Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,' that the basic republican form of government that we enjoy was originated by the polytheistic Greeks and Romans, that Christianity became 'popular' only when it became the established religion of the Roman Empire (and was spread thereafter mostly due to conquest), and that the major Founding Fathers got their inspiration for the ideas of rights and liberty from the writings of atheists and deists, many of whom believed that rights came from nature itself, and not any god or gods.
6. In June 1954, as he signed the law that added "under God" to the Pledge, president Dwight D. Eisenhower stated, "In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we will constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war." Thus, he confirms that the clause in question was in order to "establish" religion in this country - this core purpose of "under God" in the Pledge, in and of itself, makes the phrase in the /official/ pledge of allegiance unconstitutional.
7. I'm surprised that Christians even care about the pledge of allegiance - aren't they to have no other god before Yahweh? Aren't they supposed to avoid worshipping idols? And yet the pledge indicates their loyalty to a flag...???
Just some thoughts... what are yours?
June 07, 2004
Goodbye, Mr. President
Regardless of politics, regardless of core beliefs, I will always consider Ronald Reagan as one of America's greatest Presidents. His wit, his strength, his character, his ability to bring people together, all of these and more made him a great leader, a great servant, of our nation.
For me personally he's also, for all intents and purposes, my first President. I was in grade school when he entered office, so that his was the first presidential election I remember, the first where I understood (at all) what was going on, what the general process of an election was. And I was graduating high school at about the time he left office, so that I'm sure his Presidency helped shape my understanding of the world, helped form for me what a leader and president should be.
I remember the Iran hostages being released the day he was inaugurated.
I remember his seemingly ever present jar of jelly beans.
I remember his general mirth, and his jokes (generally speaking), both at his own expense and that of other's.
I remember vividly the day he was shot. We were in school, and we were ushered into the audio-visual room where we watched news coverage of the shooting for the rest of the day. While I'm sure the teachers were thinking of, perhaps even reliving in some ways, the assassination of President Kennedy, the fact that such a thing could happen to a President was new to us students. All, student and teacher, watched with bated breath to hear whether he would live or die. I hoped he would live, and, deep down, I felt that he would be okay.
I remember the bombing of Libya. And the fact that Khadafi became a non-issue shortly thereafter.
I remember his working towards peace with the Soviets, while continuing to be strong against their socio-political and military advances around the world.
I remember him telling the Soviets, "Tear down this wall." And they did.
He gave us the best years of his life. After his successful career in film, he could have easily retired into private life. But he didn't. He first served his adopted state of California as governor, and then the nation as President.
Thank you for everything you did and tried to do for our nation and goodbye, Mr. Reagan, my President.
June 02, 2004
Dear Pizza Hut...
I read recently that you have fired one of your delivery people after he successfully defended himself, against a armed would-be robber, with his own legally owned and carried firearm. This employee was obviously safer for having had his firearm with him, and yet, since you seem to set your ill founded company rules above your employees' safety, you fired him for having the means to protect himself - something he obviously needed!!!
As I wouldn't want to put your employees in harm's way by having to deliver my pizza without the ability to carry protection with them, I will therefore discontinue ordering pizza from your company...
Sincerely,
Robert B. Curtis
Indianapolis, IN
More info...
Pizza man saved by gun, but fired for packin' heat
June 01, 2004
Michael Badnarik
Constitutional scholar Badnarik wins LP presidential nomination
