[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 11686-11687]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I would like to speak on the ridiculous 
ruling of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Literally 
ridiculous; it deserves to be ridiculed. It was a 2-1 decision, so 
there is, at least, one judge on the Court who can rule based on the 
same legal and civic theory that the rest of the country has been 
operating under for the last 226 years.
  I cannot accept removing ``under God'' from the Pledge of Allegiance. 
This ruling is appalling. I never thought I would see the day when 
saying the Pledge of Allegiance would be declared unconstitutional by a 
court. I certainly did not think I would see it on the day I placed my 
hand on a Holy Bible and made an Oath at my swearing in.
  The Magna Carta of 1215, considered the initial codification of 
Western democratic theory, clearly shows that power is granted from 
``above.'' Not ``above'' from a judge's bench, but higher--from an 
Almighty Power. Every major assertion of our fundamental political 
thought references God, and not in passing, but as a cornerstone of 
human life.
  Sometimes it is again literally a cornerstone. The Jefferson Memorial 
has quotes from that great man, which contain references to God carved 
into the stone. The Lincoln Memorial also has a testament to that 
President's

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commitment to God cut into the very marble. Anyone reading his Second 
Inaugural must know his view of a daily presence of God in the affairs 
of man and in the political life of this nation. The Holocaust Memorial 
facade quotes scriptures. So does our Library of Congress, Union 
Station, Constitution Hall, and many others.
  Even William Shakespeare's Puck is quoted referring to God over 
outside the Folger Shakespeare Theater--in a quote that I think rings 
especially true regarding certain court rulings--``Lord, What fools 
these mortals be.'' Lord, what foolish rulings these judges make. There 
has already been discussions on this floor regarding our coins, our 
money, and this very Chamber. I don't bring these up just to worry 
aloud as to whether they are soon to be ruled against as well, but to 
show that our nation was incorporated under God, and an attempt to 
excise God from this Republic is wrong and lacking in historical and 
legal insight.
  Our citizens are free from an official state religion--not forced to 
be free from religious thought.
  When President Eisenhower signed the law adding ``under God'' to the 
pledge, he was not doing so in attempt to lead this Nation down a Godly 
path. It was not using the bully pulpit to attempt to steer a course. 
He was affirming that this nation has already consistently and 
thoroughly incorporated belief in and submission to God.
  We separated ourselves from the United Kingdom under the laws of 
Nature's God, claiming the unalienable rights we were endowed with by 
our Creator and appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for 
recititude of our intentions. We have continued this way ever since--no 
matter what the Ninth might say.
  Finally, I want to make it clear that I am not merely upset about the 
fact that the Pledge of Allegiance was ruled against. I want to also 
speak against the ongoing assault on our basic religious beliefs. As my 
friend Senator Sessions voiced earlier, this is just another result of 
a dangerous and radical viewpoint that is held by an irresponsible few. 
Few as they are compared to our citizens as a whole, there are far too 
many in this body and elsewhere who express beliefs and support for 
radical judges that cannot help but lead us to these types of 
decisions. We do not jump from a nation that believes itself endowed by 
its Creator with unalienable rights to a nation where the Pledge of 
Allegiance can be ruled unconstitutional without many intervening steps 
along the way. Those of us who oppose the many small steps taken down 
this path welcome those who finally stand aghast at where we end up. I 
hope this body and the Nation will move to correct the error.

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