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10/14/2003 04:32:00 PM | Brad Plumer Here it comes: CNN reports that the Supreme Court will hear the Pledge of Allegiance case. Justice Antonin Scalia will recuse himself from the hearing, presumably because he's taken a public stand against the Ninth Circuit decision to strike the words "under God" from the pledge. Does that mean the case will end in a 4-4 tie? Will Clarence Thomas get confused when it comes time to vote? Oh my. Personally, I hope the Ninth Circuit decision gets struck down and the pledge remains unchanged, for a couple of reasons. First, Michael Newdow is a ninny and if his daughter is really adversely affected by the words "under God," he should lock her up in a closet and keep her fragile ears safe from all stimuli and naughty suggestions. But that's just the visceral reaction. You could probably convince me that the Pledge is in fact unconstitutional. Fine. But more importantly, what would anyone gain from upholding the Ninth Court decision? Odds are, with Bush appointees on their way to the Supreme Court, the "under God" pledge is going to stick around for some time anyways. Right now, victory for liberal atheists will only mean an uproar from religious conservatives, and an ugly one at that. The decision is going to be announced next year, right around election time, and if the pledge gets hacked, we're going to be barraged all day and all night with God-fearing moral guardians whining on and on about the assault on American values. An anti-pledge decision could drive hordes of religious activists to the voting booths, motivate Republicans to push harder for their court appointees, and polarize the country even further. It's really not a fight worth having, certainly not over an issue this small. America is not going to become a theocracy because of two little words. So here's hoping for a reversal, and a moratorium on mock atheist outrage. perma link |
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