|
Knights of Columbus wins Pledge of Allegiance case in Federal Appeals Court Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds constitutionality of "under God" in Pledge
(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) -- The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that he words "one nation under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance "do not violate the Establishment Clause" of the First Amendment to the Constitution.
The Knights of Columbus led the campaign to add the words "under God" to the Pledge in the early 1950s, and the trial court agreed to allow the Knights of Columbus to join the present case as defendants when it was originally filed in 2005.
"This decision is a victory for common sense," Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said. "It is also a welcome reversal of the Ninth Circuit's 2002 decision in a similar case that was ultimately thrown out by the Supreme Court on technical grounds. Today, the Court got it absolutely right: recitation of the Pledge is a patriotic exercise, not a religious prayer. Best of all, the Court said that the words 'under God' add a 'note of importance which a Pledge to our Nation ought to have and which in our culture ceremonial references to God arouse.' Every reasonable person knows that, and today's decision is a breath of fresh air from a court system that has too often seemed to be almost allergic to public references to God. This is a very good day for America," Anderson concluded.
In today's ruling, the Court noted that, "Among the 'self-evident truths' the Framers believed was the concept that all people are entitled to certain inalienable rights given to them by the 'Laws of Nature and Nature's God' and that the purpose of government should be to "secure those rights.'" Such beliefs provide the context in which the words of the Pledge must be understood, the Court said.
The Knights of Columbus and several individual Knights and their families were defendant-intervenors in the case, and the court's 2-1 decision incorporates many of the arguments presented to the Court by The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a public interest law firm that represented the Knights in the case. Oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit panel had been heard in December 2007. Other defendants in the case included the United States government and a Sacramento-area school district.
# # # # # March 11, 2010 |
REMINDER REMINDER REMINDER
Service Program Entry applications (Supreme Form STSP) are due Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Submit original copies of your entry to Ed Strach, State Program Director or your Diocesan Program Director. A copy of your entry should be kept by the submitting council.
1. Activity – The activity behind the successful documentation and tracking of the project will become the backbone of the successful Service Program Award entry.
2. Preparation – Similar to any successful program the more work done in the preparation phase will help ensure the award submission is complete, conscience and of high quality.
3. The Deliverable – The entry should be submitted in an appropriately sized 3 ring binder. The binders with the clear plastic covers for the front and rear are best for inserting a creatively designed project cover page.
Contact your District Deputy or Diocesan Program Director for further assistance in putting together a quality Service Award presentation.
Winners will be announced at the 2010 State Convention!
Church, Family, Youth, Community, Council and Pro-Life are the Service Award catagories.
Vivat Jesus,
Ed Strach
State Program Director
As our Palm Sunday weekend MI drive approaches, I ask you to consider the Special Olympics as your charity to support. Here are some facts from Michigan Special Oympics. Last year the Knights of Columbus councils in Michigan donated approximately $160,000 to the Special Olympics. This money goes to assist the athletes in training and competition thoughout the year.
If your councils have trouble staffing shifts for the MI drive, contact your local S.O. Area Director for assistance. They have management team, coaches and athletes who would be willing to help. This will also give your council a chance to meet the athletes you help.
On June 3-5, 2010, we invite you to join us at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant for the State Special Olympic Summer Games. Opening Ceremonies will be held June 3 at 7pm in Kelly Shorts Stadium. Our State Officers and 4th Degree Color Corps will play a prominent part in these opening ceremonies. This is a family event full of color and pagentry.
We hope to see you all there!
Timothy J. MacGraw, State Special Olympics Program Director
More Articles...
Page 1 of 3
Log In/Out
Spread the Word
