" To the republic for which it stands 1 nation, "UNDER GOD" indivisible with liberty and justice for all." Do the children of America, whether atheist, Christian, Muslim or any other religion, that they have freedom to choose, attending a public school, not say these words every morning before their public school classes start? Post 9/11 many state legislatures felt that in order to improve patriotism school children should be required to give, "The Pledge of Allegiance" every morning according to law. Is this fair, for the children to be required to PLEDGE themselves to an ALLEGIANCE for which they have no compassion, or to which they and their parents are strongly apposed to? Should they have to give themselves over to the greater glory of the Christian god, in a way very similar to how you would pray in a church service if their religion does not even recognize this god? No. Does our First Amendment not begin saying the words, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"? Do these new laws, requiring children, of any and all faiths not directly appose this amendment of our United States Constitution? They do. These laws, making public school children speak these words, should be lifted and removed by the Supreme Court because of our constitutional rights and does our pledge to allegiance need these 2 words that were not even in the original version. .
According to the USA Today Michael A. Newdow of Sacramento California, an atheist said, he did not want his daughter exposed daily in her elementary school classroom to "a ritual proclaiming that there is a God." He later went on to say that the "Pledge" is unconstitutional. The Ninth Circuit majority agreed with Mr. Newdow that the phrase "under God" made the pledge "a profession of a religious belief, namely, a belief in monotheism." In our country there is a separation between church and state, and public schools are definitely considered state.
