I have always looked at the 4^th of July as a thanksgiving day for our freedoms. We live in a time when are freedoms are more at risk than ever before. We older Americans should be spending more time with our sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters. While we look at those freedoms gone by lets examine how we lost some of our most basic rights. Starting with the most recent attack on the “Pledge of Allegiance” that since 1954 this pledge has been accepted by millions of Americans with the words “under God”.  This decision to outlaw the pledge is a slap in the face of every American. 

The lawsuit was brought by a California atheist, Michael Newdow, who did not want his second-grade daughter to be forced to listen to the pledge. Mr. Newdow was  on the “Fox and Friends” and said that his daughter was not ashamed to say the words “under God”.  So what is he doing? It was disclosed on CNN that not only was he trying to put a stop to God fearing Americans saying “under God” in the “Pledge of Allegiance” but is trying to do nothing more than gain his 15 minutes of fame. He sang a song base on his action to remove the words “under God” from the “Pledge of Allegiance”.  This kind of action is a grab for control and an attempt to shut down the freedom to speak openly with one voice in support of our government.  The United States is the only government in the world that has a foundation based in the “Bill of Rights”, those rights limit what laws the government can levy. The “separation of church and state” which is what Mr. Newdow was claiming “under God” violated his rights is bogus. One only has to study American history. Pilgrims came to this country to escape Great Britain’s government sponsored churches. So for that reason our founding fathers put in the “separation of church and state” which means that our government cannot sponsor a particular church. It does not limit our individual right to attend the church of choice and it does not limit our right to pray whenever and wherever we please. 

Now with all of that being said let’s look at who is causing all of the ruckus. Well it looks like to me the democrats, they have been holding up President Bush’s judicial  nominations for nearly a year. This kind of silliness such as bringing suit because of the words “under God” are spoken in the “Pledge of Allegiance” would have never been heard under a Bush justice.  While Circuit Judge Alfred T. Goodwin who wrote the two to one decision was nominated by President Nixon would have most likely would not have rendered such a decision had he not been pressured from the left. Now with pressure from the public and a few Democrats that are in a panic fearing that this next election will sweep them from any kind of power the justices are tabling the decision for the next sixty days and another review. So my thoughts on this is that if a Circuit Judge can be pressured to reverse his decision then he must have been pressured to make the original decision and has no true set course of knowing what is right and wrong. I have always been of the belief that a judge knows right and wrong and that as a general rule will not reverse his own decision under any kind of pressure but only under a presentation of new evidence. 

This attack on the “Pledge of Allegiance” is typical of what has been happening to our freedoms for the past 50 years. Attacks on gun and  property ownership as well as attacks on landowners by various government agencies. Those attacks have come from not only congress but also from the bench. So this 4^th of July I am saying prayers of thanksgiving that we have a great president who had the wisdom to appoint John Ashcroft United States Attorney General who said “The Justice Department will defend the ability of our nation's children to pledge allegiance to the American flag.”

Sincerely,

Jim Gibb

PS If you don't know what the "Pledge of Allegiance" is you might want to read this. Click here!