House Demogoguery 

House Demogoguery

As was expected, the House of Representatives today passed, by a 247-173 vote the Pledge Protection Act, designed to remove from the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts cases challenging mandatory recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance with the words "under God" in it. There are two purposes for this being passed. The first, and most practical, is that idiot Republicans (all but 6 House Republicans voted yea) will now claim that the Democrats don't respect the pledge of allegiance, trying to use this as a wedge in the November election. And, among the idiot portion of the voting public, never a segment to underestimate, I'm sure this will achieve the desired effect. The other purpose, though it's realization remains a long shot, is to actually have this succesfully pass through the Senate and become law some day. That's not too likely to happen, but it is probably desired by those in the country who fear that our nation will crumble if our school children do not mouth empty platitudes to an emasculated generic "god." It must be such a god mentioned in the pledge, else this bill, along with the pledge, is in serious trouble.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

Does that look familiar? It's the beginning of the first amendment. If the "god" in the pledge has any meaning, if it refers to a diety that people would actually worship, then the original Cold-War era act of Congress inserting "under God" into the pledge, as well as the Pledge Restoration Act, is a law made by Congress respecting an establishment of religion and is unconstitutional. It's really as simple as that. I think even our current Supreme Court would see that and rule appropriately (unless it gets another chance to duck the issue, as it did in Newdow). If people desire to repeal that part of the First Amendment, and I have no doubt that those most dedicated to retaining "under God" in the pledge desire just that, then that's what we ought to be having a debate about. Let's not nibble at the corners of the First Amendment with this chicken-shit Pledge Protection Act.