Free Republic

Atheists and radical church-state separatists have taken particular offense to the continued uttering of the Pledge of Allegiance. To these individuals, the words “under God” have no place in the public square, even when utterances are voluntary in nature. Now, there’s a new epicenter in the debate over the Pledge. Following the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the University of Connecticut’s interim athletic director, Paul Pendergast, decided to add the recitation as a viable way for individuals to remember both the nation and U.S. troops. Following his decision, the Pledge was first uttered after a home football game...

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said ahead of a meeting Friday with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak that he would warn his Israeli counterpart about the global economic consequences of a military strike on Iran's nuclear program, adding that he still favors sanctions and diplomacy over a strike.

An Oregon town's City Council voted down a proposal to say the Pledge of Allegiance before every council meeting, but later passed a compromise that seemed to make no one happy. The approved measure allows the pledge to be recited at just four Eugene City Council meetings a year, those closest to the Fourth of July, Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Flag Day. It was supposed to be simple, but Councilman Mike Clark soon found out when you’re dealing with God and country, nothing in Eugene is easy.

Kids refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT4FHUet988

At a recent Board of Supervisors meeting in San Francisco (District 6), newly elected Board Supervisor Jane Kim, to the shock and dismay of patriotic Americans everywhere, refuses to say America’s Pledge of Allegiance. The San Francisco Examiner reports: “Kim’s objection to the pledge, she says, is that the ideals it speaks of are not reality, specifically its conclusion, which says “with liberty and justice for all.” Kim says the nation is just not there yet.” While Kim has a right to be anti-American and fill a position of authority in American government nonetheless, we as patriotic Americans, have a...

The principal of a public school in Brookline, Mass., is asking parents to fill out permission slips before their children can participate in a weekly recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. Gerardo Martinez, the principal of The Devotion School, informed parents that the school would begin reciting the pledge in January over the public address system. Attached to the letter was a form that asked parents to check either: "Yes, my child will participate in the weekly Pledge of Allegiance" or "No, my child will not participate in the weekly Pledge of Allegiance." "I urge you to have a conversation...

October 20, 2010. The League of Women Voters hosted a candidate forum featuring Joe Walsh & Melissa Bean running for the 8th Congressional District in Illinois. The League of Women voters got schooled on what it means to be an American.

The time has come to question if Islam is protected under our First Amendment rights to freedom of religion. Yes, everyone in America has the right to freedom of religion, but Islam is not a religion. Religious faith is only a part of Islam. The rest is a socially engineered society with its own laws and customs that seriously conflict with American law. Is Great Britain a religion because they have the Church of England? Of course not. Britain has an established charter, civil and criminal laws, and a society that respects those laws. Islam has the Qur'an that provides...

The Kenyan president wants a new constitution, one that opens the door to abortion on demand. President Obama is willing to use U.S. taxpayer dollars to persuade voters to approve the updated governing document, which would loosen regulations designed to protect the unborn, establish Muslim family courts and create a right to homosexual marriage. It's not unusual that Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki would see enactment of the provisions as a "government project," but Mr. Obama is on shaky legal ground when he commits U.S. government resources to it. On Aug. 4, Kenya's 12.3 million registered voters will be asked a...

Red Skelton loved America. In one of his most famous soliloquies, Red Skelton re-enacted a lesson about the American Flag taught to him by his childhood teacher, Mr. Laswell. [See the video above and please visit Red's website here for more.]

Student Sean Harrington appears to have won his fight to bring the Pledge of Allegiance back into his Massachusetts high school -- except the principal's proposed solution leaves the daily honor to the nation's flag literally hanging in the hall. Charles Skidmore, principal of Arlington High School in Arlington, Mass., has offered to allow students to recite the pledge before school begins -- but in the school's foyer and not in the classrooms, as 17-year-old Harrington had hoped. Kathleen Bodie, Arlington superintendent of schools, told Fox News Radio that “The principal wanted to be very respectful about the pledge and...

The government of Kenya is no longer accepting pirates captured by the international task force operating in the Red Sea and approaches. Kenya claims that its justice system is overloaded with Somali pirates and that it just can't handle any more of them. This policy was initiated with no warning or even a public announcement. The task force has already started cutting loose pirates caught in the act. A Dutch vessel did so early last week, followed by a U.S. Navy destroyer that tossed back a crew that had actually opened fire with RPGs. This is obviously a situation that...

‘I PLEDGE.’ Kindergarteners Carmelo Cancellieri, Victor Alongi and Liam Clifford recite the Pledge of Allegiance Nov. 10 during a Veterans Day concert at St. Lawrence School in Greece, N.Y. SAN FRANCISCO — The United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has issued a surprising judgment upholding the reference to God in the Pledge of Allegiance and reversing an earlier decision. Congress inserted the reference at the instigation of the Knights of Columbus some 56 years ago as an answer to communistic doctrine that laws and freedom derive from the will of the people, rather than God. The Catholic...

"3. Strunk wishes a partial summary judgment with FRCvP 56(d) for a Declaratory Judgment with 28 USC 2201 and 2202 as to the legal controlling facts in this case of Defendant Obama's admitted Dual Allegiance at birth without two U.S. Citizen parents contrary to the U.S. Constitution Article 2 Section 1 Clause 5, as a matter of first impression Defendant Obama is not a natural-born citizen and therefore is ineligible to be the chief law enforcement administrator and trustee of the office of the President of the United States (POTUS) and or of Strunk's grant of power of attorney over...

The Islamic jihadi murders of their military brothers in arms by U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan at Fort Hood and U.S. Army Sergeant Hasan Akbar in Kuwait raise an uncomfortable question: Is it possible for a practicing Muslim soldier to swear allegiance to the U.S. Constitution? The common circumstance prior to each of these jihadi murders is that both Hasan and Akbar were noted to have expressed "radical emotion" -- that is, angry opposition -- regarding the U.S. invasion of dar al-Islam (land under Muslim control), specifically Iraq and Afghanistan.

It seems to be in vogue today to change the wording of the Pledge of Allegiance. The atheists want to drop the phrase "under God." The Barackamites want to pledge support to The One. Herewith is my version: I pledge allegience to the Flag of the United States of AmericaAnd to the the Constitution thereof and to the Republic created thereby, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all

While our elected idiots hold a shocking moment of silence for a child molester, that even other Democrats were disgusted over: We get other elected idiots in the New York State Senate acting like little kids: One member plays exies no erasies with the podium, while her colleagues try to make the chamber into the Democratic Club playhouse (no Republican cooties allowed!). When Republicans try to start the session on their own terms, the Democrats refuse to acknowledge their authority to do so — which is why they remained seated, except for one Democrat, who got pulled back down by...

That is why judges toss out certain cases -- because the plaintiffs weren't able to show they suffered concrete harm. That was the circumstance when an Internet-fueled rumor sparked several lawsuits seeking to bar Honolulu-born Barack Obama from the presidency because the plaintiffs doubted he was, as the Constitution requires, "a natural-born citizen." In dismissing one such suit, Judge R. Barclay Surrick, of federal district court in Philadelphia, said an aim of the standing doctrine is to prevent courts from deciding questions "where the harm is too vague." He observed that a disgruntled voter who suffered no individual harm "would...

Dutch police in the Gouda region have sworn in police officers who swore allegiance to Allah. The small Christian party SGP has demanded an explanation from the government. Under current arrangements, police in the Netherlands can choose between the Christian oath ('So help me God Almighty) and the neutral vow ('I declare and promise...'). But it has been revealed that n Gouda, the option has existed for years for Islamic officers to use the oath that runs: 'In the name of Allah, the Merciful Compassionate, and he is my witness that I promise this.' The hand must be placed on...

The person who posted the video wrote: "The Dean of the school lied! [. . .] The kids chant, "Obama's speech on race to America!" That was March of this year!!!!!!!!!! Also. for anyone that thinks this is no big deal, why did the school pull it ASAP? This was pulled after the school was contacted. Watch it...it's sick. I did not make this video, but I did save a copy yesterday when it had only 250 views. I'm just reposting so everyone can see it." [Caps lowered from the original so as not to be obnoxious]

Supreme Court justices take an oath promising to "faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties . . . of the Supreme Court of the United States under the Constitution and laws of the United States. So help me God." They do not take an oath to "faithfully and impartially perform all duties . . . except when personally offended, or when having pangs of empathy for the poor or trying to be a standup guy or gal." Listening to Barack Obama, you may think they do. And though the Bush administration cared little for the Constitution, the next...

"At the mere mention of doing the pledge there were groans and boos. Then, when the district chair put the idea of doing the Pledge of Allegiance up to a vote, it was overwhelmingly voted down. One might more accurately say the idea of pledging allegiance to the flag (of which there was only one in the room, by the way, on some delegate’s hat) was shouted down."

It is my contention that the federal government can be fixed starting with the 111th Congress by amending/expanding the oath of office that all members of both houses of Congress take as follows: Current Oath of Office for Congress (House and Senate) I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Student leaders at a California college have touched off a furor by banning the Pledge of Allegiance at their meetings, saying they see no reason to publicly swear loyalty to God and the U.S. government. The move by Orange Coast College student trustees, the latest clash over patriotism and religion in American schools, has infuriated some of their classmates -- prompting one young woman to loudly recite the pledge in front of the board on Wednesday night in defiance of the rule. "America is the one thing I'm passionate about and I can't let them take...

Bainbridge Island, WA More people on the island are entering the debate about whether the Pledge of Allegiance should be recited at City Council meetings — something that hasn’t been done until recently. The local chamber of commerce, fearing widespread media attention, has sent out an e-mail urging city and chamber leaders to back Old Glory. And Council member Jim Llewellyn, who personally opposes the practice introduced by Councilman Bill Knobloch, doesn’t appear to be backing down. Last week, Llewellyn polled his colleagues via e-mail about whether the Pledge has a place at City Council meetings. He and at least...

On Bainbridge, Reciting Pledge Makes Some Edgy City council finds itself divided and digging in on both sides of the dispute.More people on the island are entering the debate about whether the Pledge of Allegiance should be recited at City Council meetings -- something that hasn't been done until recently. The local chamber of commerce, fearing widespread media attention, has sent out an e-mail urging city and chamber leaders to back Old Glory. And Council member Jim Llewellyn, who personally opposes the practice introduced by Councilman Bill Knobloch, doesn't appear to be backing down. Last week, Llewellyn polled his colleagues...

THERE'S something unseemly about banning flag burning, let alone amending the Constitution to make a ban possible. And the unseemliness extends beyond the obvious concerns over freedom of expression. Now, I love the flag. One flies on our front porch, not just on Fourth of July weekend, but year-round. I'm appalled by those who would burn the flag, as well as by those who do the intellectual equivalent by buying into the pernicious blame-America-first ideology. Yet a flag-burning amendment, like the one the U.S. Senate narrowly rejected last week, takes us to the opposite extreme. Instead of profaning Old Glory,...

US Senate (Oath or Affirmation) (Same Rule III Oaths The oaths or affirmations required by the Constitution and prescribed by law shall be taken and subscribed by each Senator, in open Senate, before entering upon his duties.) Oath Required By The Constitution And By Law To Be Taken By Senators: "I, A__ B__, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of...

Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America Oath: "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; -- that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; -- that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; -- that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; --...

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; or that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when...

Why the Pledge of Allegiance Matters--Speech by Tom McClintock There is a reason behind the movement to strike the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance--and from our national customs, and our currency, and our public ceremonies. It has very little to do with atheism. It has a great deal to do with authoritarianism. The philosophy of the American Founding is unique among the nations of the world because of a bedrock principle that was given expression with words in the Declaration of Independence that are old and familiar, and yet not often pondered these days. In the American...

130 countries represented at ceremony After waiting in messy traffic, enduring long lines and ending up in one of the worst seats in the house, Aurelia Gheletca had an excuse to be grumpy. But as she filled in the little squares on a voter registration form for the first time and readied to wave her small American flag, the Anaheim woman was positively radiant. "Today, my dream has come true," said Gheletca, 56, who left her native country of Romania nearly 16 years ago to find political and religious freedom. "I am so happy because I am finally an American."...

The Minutemen will be starting the first leg tomorrow, led by FReeper Lyman Stucky's patriotic pace car. We want the borders sealed! Allegiance is not an option! Citizenship Requires Allegiance-- if you refuse to pledge and prove Allegiance to The United States Of America and OUR Flag, Where, WHERE, IS your Allegiance? -- FReeper Lyman Stucky (The Spirit Of Allegiance), May 1, 2006 Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. -- Theodore Roosevelt Hi, Fellow Americans and Neighbors. I'm glad you're here. I own and drive The Spirit Of Allegiance...

Here is an excellent video of the Pledge of Allegiance as recited by Red Skelton. It's on YouTube and I hope you'll enjoy it. http://youtube.com/watch?v=a6Kt_D4MegM

SACRAMENTO (AP) - A federal judge said Monday he is inclined to dismiss part of a lawsuit brought by a Sacramento atheist who claims the Pledge of Allegiance is an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton said he would allow Michael Newdow, a doctor and lawyer, to sue four Sacramento-area school districts where children he is representing attend and recite the pledge. The judge said Newdow could not challenge the pledge itself and the words "under God," which Congress inserted in 1954. "What I'm doing is cutting out a whole lot of your case and making it...

"The Secret Revolution of Mexico and the Congress OF the United States!" by an American Patriot July 15, 2005 To the Members of Congress: WAKE-UP!!! a drug dealer is not an "unlicensed pharmacist" a burglar is not an "uninvited guest" and an "illegal alien" is not an "undocumented immigrant" or an "illegal immigrant" – they're "ILLEGAL INVADERS" in violation of the laws of nations!       The United States is "occupied territory" – occupied by Mexican nationals and "other than Mexican" with no allegiance to this country and the Senate of the United States voted NOT to fund the hiring for...

DENVER -- The students in Vincent Pulciani's seventh-grade class were reciting the Pledge of Allegiance this week when they heard the voice over the intercom say something they'd never heard before, at least not during the Pledge. Instead of "one nation, under God," the voice said, "one nation, under your belief system." The bewildered students at Everitt Middle School in Wheat Ridge never even got to "indivisible," according to Vincent's mother, Christina Pulciani-Johnson.

Jeffco school's counselor alters phrase 'under God' By Jennifer Miller, Rocky Mountain News April 22, 2005 JEFFERSON COUNTY - Seventh-grader Bailey Pierce, hand pressed against her heart, was reciting the Pledge of Allegiance when the voice over the intercom said something that stopped her cold.

DENVER (AP) - A judge ruled Wednesday that a town can hold a recall election to decide whether to oust a trustee for remaining seated during Pledge of Allegiance at Town Board meetings. U.S. District Judge Edward Nottingham ruled that citizens have a right to disagree with Estes Park Trustee David Habecker and that recall organizers did nothing wrong when they gathered more than 200 signatures supporting the effort. The judge withdrew a temporary injunction that had blocked a recall election that had been scheduled for Feb. 15. The injunction was issued after the trustee filed a lawsuit to stop...

Pledge Dad sues to ban ministers at oath Published 1/14/2005 2:07 PM WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Atheist Michael Newdow wants a U.S. district judge to ban prayers by clergy at the president's inauguration ceremony, the Washington Post said Friday. Newdow, a California doctor and lawyer who sued to have the words "under God" stricken from the Pledge of Allegiance in 2003, told the court that prayers offered by two Protestant ministers during the Jan. 20 ceremony when the president takes his oath of office would violate his constitutional rights. "This is like the Super Bowl, the Olympics. It's a...

Roger Nash Baldwin was the founder of the American Civil Liberties Union and a notable American Communist. These are facts. Now, read his words: “I seek the social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class and sole control by those who produce wealth. Communism is, of course, the goal."— Harvard Class Book of 1935, spotlighting Baldwin's class of 1905 on its thirtieth anniversary.[1] “Do steer away from making it look like a Socialist enterprise...We want also to look like patriots in everything we do. We want to get a good lot of flags, talk a good deal about...

DENVER -- A recall election is now set for an Estes Park, Colo., trustee who refuses to stand up and recite the Pledge of Allegiance during the Town Board meetings.I have not been standing for the Pledge of Allegiance due to a conflict I have with the wording of the pledge, specifically the words 'under God,'" Councilman David Habecker said. Habecker said it's a violation of church and state to include the words in the pledge and for that reason, he won't stand.The board began reciting the pledge before meetings earlier this year at the suggestion of Trustee Lori...

In Estes Park, there's discomfort on all political sides that the flap over a town trustee's refusal to recite the Pledge of Allegiance is redefining the community. "Estes Park is becoming known as a town that wants to recall someone instead of as a tourist attraction," said Linda Wagner, a 12-year resident.

Generally, most Americans blindly accept our national values and traditions without question or doubt. Most twentieth century Americans have been so occupied with living the "good life" of ease, pleasure and materialism that they have neglected to safeguard their culture, Christian faith and philosophical heritage. Many strange ideas and foreign concepts have crept into the average American psyche without notice or question and, therefore, have become mainstream thought patterns which set a standard by which our society is governed. Once example of this condition is the lack of knowledge concerning the history behind the writing of the Pledge of Allegiance...

One Nation Under God, By Brenda Stocks A college professor, an avowed Atheist, was teaching his class. He shocked several of his students when he flatly stated that there is no God, the expression, "One Nation Under God", was unconstitutional, and further, he was going to prove there is no God. Addressing the ceiling he shouted: "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you 15 minutes!" The lecture room fell silent. You could have heard a pin fall. Ten minutes went by. Again he taunted God, saying, "Here I am,...

Zarqawi Movement Vows al-Qaida Allegiance Sun Oct 17,10:02 PM ET By RAWYA RAGEH, Associated Press Writer BAGHDAD, Iraq - The most feared militant group in Iraq, the movement of terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, declared its allegiance to Osama bin Laden on Sunday, saying it had agreed with al-Qaida over strategy and the need for unity against "the enemies of Islam." The declaration, which appeared on a Web site often used as a clearinghouse for statements by militant groups, began with a Quranic verse encouraging Muslim unity and said al-Zarqawi considered bin Laden "the best leader for Islam's armies against...

www.JB-Williams.com Written by: JB Williams ©2004-10-12 Let’s pretend for a moment that Good and Evil both exist on earth. That issues aren’t only a matter of one’s perspective, but that real facts exist and they don’t have a side. That “gray area’s” are just mind bending attempts to justify the unjustifiable. That America is not divided along socio-economic lines, but rather by opposing forces with very different agenda’s. Let’s pretend that we no longer have the luxury of walking the tightrope of indecision, or sitting on a politically correct non-committal fence, void of moral or ethical conviction. Let’s pretend that...

WASHINGTON - Justices once again are considering a case involving the Pledge of Allegiance. Justices were asked this year whether the pledge and its reference to God belong in public schools. They got rid of the red-hot case without ruling on that issue. Now, a Colorado man wants the court to decide if the oath belongs in courthouses. Frank Herbert Wonschik was convicted of possessing parts for a machine gun in 2002 by a jury that recited the pledge after hearing a patriotic speech from the judge. His federal public defender, Jill Wichlens, said in court papers that judges hearing...

"A bill passed by Congress on Thursday would strip the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts of the authority to hear cases regarding the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. The legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 247-173. It still needs approval of the U.S. Senate, which is unlikely to advance the bill this year."

East Nassau-- Panel bows to pressure from veterans, others by ensuring oath will be recited at meetings Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance is back on the agenda at village trustee meetings after a storm of protest followed its removal in April.Veterans groups were prepared to converge on the meeting Monday night of the Tsatsawassa Protective Volunteer Fire Department board to urge fire officials to bar village elected officials from holding their regular meetings in the department's social room if they were not going to start their meetings with the pledge. The village of 571, created in 1997 from the hamlets...