News Item: SOME GOOD NEWS: God Not To Be Censured on Congressional Flag Certificates
(Category: Misc)
Posted by 8milereb
Wednesday 31 October 2007 - 18:21:43
October 15, 2007: God Not To Be Censured on Congressional Flag Certificates
In an action that reminded many of the controversial 2002 ruling of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools was an unconstitutional endorsement of religion, the Architect of the U.S. Capitol recently ordered the word "God" removed from a U.S. flag certificate. This time, the matter of religious censorship has come to a swift, happy ending.
One of the services offered by congressional offices, including mine, is the flying of U.S. flags over the Capitol for constituents. For a small fee (to cover the cost of the flag), a person can request a U.S. flag be flown over the Capitol and can also designate the wording of the accompanying official certificate. The office which oversees the flags is the Architect of the Capitol. Usually such flags are flown in honor or in memory of a person or event. With 535 House and Senate offices, literally thousands of such flags are flown every year without incident - until recently.
A few weeks ago, an Ohio Eagle Scout requested a flag be flown over the U.S. Capitol. In the wording of the certificate, the young man asked that it read "in honor of my grandfather Marcel Larochelle, and his dedication and love of God, family, and Country." His congressman sent in the request and the flag was flown. But what came back was a shocker. The word "God" was not on the certificate. When the scout and his congressman pressed the Architect's office for an explanation, they were told that use of the word "God" violates the Architect's rules prohibiting religious references on the certificates. That did not sit well with many members of Congress or the public.
As soon as the public learned of the Architect's action and of news reports of Liberal Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi's defense of the censorship, congressional phone lines and email accounts were buzzing with outraged reaction. A letter was also written and signed by over 160 members of the House, including myself, to Speaker Pelosi demanding a reversal of this policy which "censors our citizens' right to expressions of their faith."
Furthermore, I cosponsored HR 3779, the Andrew Larochelle God, Family, and Country Act, which would reverse the Architect of the Capitol's policy barring religious references in flag certificates.
It is a sad day when the Architect of the Capitol thinks he can waive the First Amendment rights of just about anybody. Fortunately, the public outcry and mounting congressional opposition pushed the Architect to reverse his position. Late last week, Mr. Stephen Ayers announced that his role is "to certify that flags are appropriately flown over the U.S. Capitol, and any messages on the flag certificates are personal and between a Member of the Congress and his or her constituents." That is a reasonable position. Many wonder why references to God were ever in question when our nation proclaims "In God We Trust" on our money and on the walls of the U.S. Capitol's House and Senate chambers.
If there is a single lesson to be learned from this incident it is that public vigilance remains a necessary role in our modern democracy. Once again the people have spoken and their voices were heard loud and clear in Washington last week.
[Submitted by 8milereb]
This news item is from Southern Heritage Advancement Preservation and Education
( http://southernheritageadvancementpreservationeducation.com/news.php?extend.12 )
(Category: Misc)
Posted by 8milereb
Wednesday 31 October 2007 - 18:21:43
October 15, 2007: God Not To Be Censured on Congressional Flag Certificates
In an action that reminded many of the controversial 2002 ruling of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools was an unconstitutional endorsement of religion, the Architect of the U.S. Capitol recently ordered the word "God" removed from a U.S. flag certificate. This time, the matter of religious censorship has come to a swift, happy ending.
One of the services offered by congressional offices, including mine, is the flying of U.S. flags over the Capitol for constituents. For a small fee (to cover the cost of the flag), a person can request a U.S. flag be flown over the Capitol and can also designate the wording of the accompanying official certificate. The office which oversees the flags is the Architect of the Capitol. Usually such flags are flown in honor or in memory of a person or event. With 535 House and Senate offices, literally thousands of such flags are flown every year without incident - until recently.
A few weeks ago, an Ohio Eagle Scout requested a flag be flown over the U.S. Capitol. In the wording of the certificate, the young man asked that it read "in honor of my grandfather Marcel Larochelle, and his dedication and love of God, family, and Country." His congressman sent in the request and the flag was flown. But what came back was a shocker. The word "God" was not on the certificate. When the scout and his congressman pressed the Architect's office for an explanation, they were told that use of the word "God" violates the Architect's rules prohibiting religious references on the certificates. That did not sit well with many members of Congress or the public.
As soon as the public learned of the Architect's action and of news reports of Liberal Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi's defense of the censorship, congressional phone lines and email accounts were buzzing with outraged reaction. A letter was also written and signed by over 160 members of the House, including myself, to Speaker Pelosi demanding a reversal of this policy which "censors our citizens' right to expressions of their faith."
Furthermore, I cosponsored HR 3779, the Andrew Larochelle God, Family, and Country Act, which would reverse the Architect of the Capitol's policy barring religious references in flag certificates.
It is a sad day when the Architect of the Capitol thinks he can waive the First Amendment rights of just about anybody. Fortunately, the public outcry and mounting congressional opposition pushed the Architect to reverse his position. Late last week, Mr. Stephen Ayers announced that his role is "to certify that flags are appropriately flown over the U.S. Capitol, and any messages on the flag certificates are personal and between a Member of the Congress and his or her constituents." That is a reasonable position. Many wonder why references to God were ever in question when our nation proclaims "In God We Trust" on our money and on the walls of the U.S. Capitol's House and Senate chambers.
If there is a single lesson to be learned from this incident it is that public vigilance remains a necessary role in our modern democracy. Once again the people have spoken and their voices were heard loud and clear in Washington last week.
[Submitted by 8milereb]
This news item is from Southern Heritage Advancement Preservation and Education
( http://southernheritageadvancementpreservationeducation.com/news.php?extend.12 )