June 14, 2004

The Supremes dismiss Pledge Case

Whatever you think about this case, involving the 'under God' clause of the pledge of allegience, this is a pretty weak ending. Realistically, the Supreme Court usually waits until they get the 'perfect case' to make a binding precedent so that it's less likely to be overruled later. That being the case, this is the right outcome, it's just sort of a letdown, though not nearly as big a letdown as having the case lose on the merits, which it looks like it probably would have had it made it past this procedural issue.

For those interested, here's some info on the origins of the pledge and what I would like it to be: "The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Baptist minister and educator Francis Bellamy, who made no reference to religion in his version. It was originally worded: "I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." It quickly became a part of public school programs."

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