The Supreme Court Wimps Out

[omorka]

After all that sound and fury, the SCotUS overturned the 9th Circuit Court's decision - not because the phrase "under God" in the pledge is really constitutional, but because Newdow doesn't have the right to sue, according to the Supes.

Given that Justice O'Connor seems to have been on the side of "God," we'd've probably lost if they'd actually voted on it, anyway. I suppose I should be thankful for sour grapes. This way, someone who has better standing can sue on it again, preferably under a less frighteningly conservative court (please, Kerry, we can't take four more years of this asshat, and we all know he'd pack the court with Pickerings).

It does seem like a strike against fathers' rights, though. I wonder if any of the groups who are legal advocates for non-custodial fathers will take this up.

Comments

[memeslayer.livejournal.com]

Lame! LAAAAAAME!

This is one of the few issues that doesn't get any support from Congress. It really needed to get some backing from the courts.

This HAS to be FIXED!

[quantumduck.livejournal.com]

When I finally entered the Texas Public School System, I was was given a hard time by teachers and students for not standing for the pledge, and for not reciting the unconstitutional anticommunist propaganda portion therein.

Telling kids that they can just be silent is a great way to make kids into targets of abuse. We need to cut the whole flag worship thing from our school schedule. Still, removing the 'G' word from the Pledge is a good start.

Re: This HAS to be FIXED!

[omorka.livejournal.com]

Well, you can take some comfort in knowing that the current generation is perfectly content to keep their butts in their seats and talk through the pledge. I stand at attention (like any good marching band alum) when it comes on over the PA, but don't say anything. I did, at one point, get on one girl's case for saying the word "motherfucker" very loudly during the pledge, as it was extremely rude and not aimed at an appropriate target (she was talking about her ex-boyfriend, and not, let's say, Dubya).

I actually kind of like the symbolic salute to Flag-as-pseudo-religious-symbol - I once referred to it as "the omnipresent idol of the civic religion" during a math teacher's workshop, which impressed one of the atheists in the group and caused another guy to laugh for about two and a half minutes straight - but let's get straight what we're worshiping. I'd be happier if we all saluted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights instead. (Hey, maybe I can drag a two-ton granite monument with the Constitution engraved on it into the Texas Supreme Court building at 2 am. Think I'd get arrested?) Or that image of Lady Liberty laying a big ol' French kiss on Blind Justice - that might make the kids more interested in the exercise.

As a matter of fact, can we go back to the original pledge? It makes no sense to require Colombian, Nigerian, Vietnamese, and Mexican kids to pledge allegiance to a flag that isn't theirs . . .