[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11456]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 REACTION TO U.S. 9TH DISTRICT COURT DECISION CONCERNING THE PLEDGE OF 
                               ALLEGIANCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kerns). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Jeff Miller) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. JEFF MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, look what the courts have 
done now. Just when we think life after September 11 had gained some 
sense of normalcy, just after patriotism at a level not seen since 
World War II had permeated every segment of our society, a society 
under God, two liberal judges in San Francisco have told this Nation at 
war that our Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. Personally, Mr. 
Speaker, I am sickened. The Pledge is not a prayer. It is a declaration 
of being an American. It is the embodiment of everything we hold dear, 
the flag, the Republic, and one Nation under God.
  I guess in a country where our constitutional safeguards have been 
taken to the extreme and have had to have nativity scenes removed from 
town squares and even silent prayers removed from high school football 
games, I should not be surprised. I suspect it is only a matter of time 
or a matter of finding the right lawyer who is seeking to make a name 
for himself to proclaim that the U.S. flag is unconstitutional and that 
by flying the flag someone may be offended by its semblance. We are 
forced to say happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas. We are forced 
to say gesundheit rather than God bless you. If a school teacher 
mentions Jesus during a lesson on history, that teacher faces 
disciplinary action.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time we put our foot down as a body, a 
representative body of this country and respond to this outrageous 
decision and proclaim that these United States are united against 
terrorism, united against this decision, and united under God.

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