The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals — which has federal judicial authority over Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington — says the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. Seems the words “under God,” which were added in 1954, constitute an establishment of religion.
Whatever do the judges do with their coins, every one of which says “In God We Trust”?
The court noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has said students cannot hold religious invocations at graduations and cannot be compelled to recite the pledge. But when the pledge is recited in a classroom, a student who objects is confronted with an “unacceptable choice between participating and protesting,” the appeals court said.
“Although students cannot be forced to participate in recitation of the pledge, the school district is nonetheless conveying a message of state endorsement of a religious belief when it requires public school teachers to recite, and lead the recitation of, the current form of the pledge,” the court said.
It’s worth noting that the 9th Circuit is considered the most liberal of the appellate courts. Anyway, I bet talk radio is having a field day with this, and I can’t wait to see what Ernie the Attorney and LawMeme have to say.
Wanna bet The Supremes weigh in on this? The line to place bets on the outcome starts to the right.
