Court clears reciting of Pledge of Allegiance at Western schools

[usregimechange]

The appeals court ruled that recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance "serves to unite our vast nation."


Washington (CNN) -- Public schools in Western states can continue teacher-led reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, after a federal court ruled against a group of atheist parents.

The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, based in San Francisco, California, ruled 2-1 Thursday that the pledge does not represent a government endorsement of religion, prohibited by the Constitution.

"The Pledge of Allegiance serves to unite our vast nation through the proud recitation of some of the ideals upon which our republic was founded and for which we continue to strive: one Nation under God," wrote the majority. "Millions of people daily recite these words when pledging allegiance to the United States of America." ...

In dissent to Thursday's ruling, Judge Stephen Reinhardt said the pledge was an overtly religious message.

"Carrying out such an indoctrination in a public school classroom unconstitutionally forces many young children either to profess a religious belief antithetical to their personal views or to declare themselves through their silence or nonparticipation to be protesting nonbelievers, thereby subjecting themselves to hostility and ridicule," he wrote.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/11/pledge.of.allegiance/index.html


Majority
Dorothy W. Nelson, Nominated by Jimmy Carter on September 28, 1979.
Bea, Carlos T., Nominated by George W. Bush on April 11, 2003.

Minority
Stephen Reinhardt, Nominated by Jimmy Carter on November 30, 1979.

http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2010/03/11/05-17257.pdf

[usregimechange]

1. In another opinion released today the court upheld "In God We Trust"

Officially 3-0 but Reinhardt did so "concurring in the result only."

[OmahaBlueDog]

2. The average American does not realize that the pledge didn't originally contain "under God"

It was added in the 50s

My mom tells me that when she was a girl in the 30s and pre-war 40s, during the pledge, you put your hand on your heart ("I pledge allegiance") then moved your hand and extended your arm, palm up, in the direction of the flag ("To the flag, of the United States of America"). This practice was discontinued because people of the day felt the motion too closely resembled the stiff armed Nazi salute.