:smack:
Thank DOG, I’m an Atheist
It’s not about atheism, glilly. It’s about separation of church and state, and there are many theists of every description who are just as happy about this ruling as us atheists. Anyone who characterizes atheists as “weak and whiny” based on this ruling is not thinking hard enough.
So many wooshes. 
Given the feelings expressed in the rest of the post, I took it to mean that they [people who don’t want to say “under God”] should have the option to politely omit “under god” when the Pledge is said, rather than unpolitely making a stink about their Constitutional rights and getting the phrase removed for everyone.
Perhaps Simetra can clarify.
Ok, so I had just heard the news about the court decision & I was feeling pretty good. We don’t often get to celebrate victories, albeit small ones. Then, who do I happen to see on MSNBC but Bay Buchanan, sister of the xian automaton Pat Buchanan. She referred to the two judges who issued the majority opinion as “dingbats”. (If an atheist had referred to a xian as a dingbat we’d never hear the end of it). I couldn’t find the remote quickly enough to turn that old battleax off, & it really spoiled my mood.
Ah, what the heck–it’ll probably be overturned on appeal anyway.
Well, the reverberations are already being felt in congress. According to the link in the OP, the Senate voted 99-0 supporting the Pledge and asking for some kind of intervention.
"In an impassioned speech on the Senate floor just before the resolution vote, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-West Virginia…warned the judges who declared the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional to never come before him because “he’ll be blackballed.”
“I wonder if that judge would hold the Declaration of Independence unconstitutional,” said Byrd.
“I hope the Senate will waste no time in throwing this back in the face of this stupid judge. Stupid, that’s what he is.”
Sens. Lott, Hastert, and Daschle were also quoted (Daschle said, “This decision is nuts.”)
Now, I realize congressional declarations don’t get to decide what is constitutional and what is not, but I have to believe that this ruling will not pass constitutional muster if the SCOTUS decides to weigh in.
Given that the Ninth Circuit ruling basically found an act of Congress (from 1954) to be unconstitutional, perhaps Congress, of all people, is not fit to decree which of its acts are in accord with the Constitution.
What’s “nuts” is the fact that not one Senator was able to speak against this lunatic backlash.
[Moderator Hat ON]
I’m locking this since we already have one PoA thread. Please continue your discussion here: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?&threadid=122540
[Moderator Hat OFF]