The Barnette case was decided in 1943, in the midst of the passions of World War II, when - war or no war - there was still some underlying sense that philosophic principles were supposed to be applicable to governmental action. Today, however, . . . but,. . . but, . . . uh, . . . that is, . . . er, . . . but, . . .oh, yeah, 9/11!
Regarding not saying the pledge to the flag, in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943), the Supreme Court overturned a West Virginia law that compelled public school children to salute the flag and recite the Pledge.
The Court said:
If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. If there are any circumstances which permit an exception, they do not now occur to us.
We think the action of the local authorities in compelling the flag salute and pledge transcends constitutional limitations on their power and invades the sphere of intellect and spirit which it is the purpose of the First Amendment to our Constitution to reserve from all official control.
See a summary of the case here and the full opinion here.
Writes Fr. Seraphim Bell: "I enjoyed the note about the 'young heretics and flag religion.' When I was a senior in high school in 1969, about 4 or 5 of us decided that during the morning pledge, as a protest against the Viet Nam war, we would give the peace sign instead of placing our hands over our hearts. Our teacher was shocked by such a revolutionary display and sent us all to the principal's office. He didn't know what to do, so he sent us to the library and then at 3 pm, after spending the entire day reading in the library, he informed us that we had been suspended for that day and the next. Glad to see that there are still some students acting out a peaceful resistance to the State."
The WSJ thinks it's Hillary's problem -- wrong, as usual (Hat tip to Paul L.)
"In a recent survey of 19 states that have held a presidential primary this year, 63% of Catholics identified themselves as Democrats, compared with 37% for Republicans, a sharp increase from 2005 when 42% of Catholics identified themselves as Democrats. One of every four voters in the U.S. is Catholic."
Butler Schaffer asks a good question: "what about McCain's (and his supporters) continuing reference to his being held as a POW during the Vietnam War from 1967-1973?
There are other significant events from the 70s that fester just under the surface. For instance, being a prisoner of war is not a sin, but what about dumping your crippled wife when your military career is at a dead end, so you can hook up with a buxom billionairess who can give you a ticket to a hot-shot political career?
Ho-hum? Well, not to a lot of "family values" folks whom McCain disdains, but takes for granted because he promises them more Scalias.
Well, I'm not so sure. A Catholic writer sends me today the link to Catholics for Obama. Sure, they're lefties, but how many folks out there will exercise the Rockefeller Option (namely, reject Rocky because he dumped his first wife for Happy). Those lefties may have some right good company after a long hot summer of McCain's smirks.
Take my friend John, who writes me this morning:"But who in hell is gonna vote for John McCain? I’m a conservative Republican but I’m not going to hold my nose for the umpteenth time, see Dole, Ford, etc., and vote for the left wing Democrat McCain. With his track record, all we have from John McCain are promises to vote somewhere near the middle and a claim that he’s going to change his ways to garner votes."
His numbers are legion. McCain smirks at the Dems, but, as Howard Baker used to say, soon that door will be swinging the other way.
John McCain is trying to put down the charge that he had said, at a 2000 Hollywood dinner party, that he had not voted for George W. Bush for president. A number of guests at this party have apparently stated that they heard McCain make this comment at the time. McCain's present response is that this took place eight years ago, and that it was time to put such matters aside. If the passage of eight years renders events irrelevant to the present, what about McCain's (and his supporters) continuing reference to his being held as a POW during the Vietnam War from 1967-1973?
Writes Professor Stephen Cox: "Thanks for publishing your beautiful tribute to 'Liberty.' It expertly answers the question of what we are and what we think we're doing here. I especially appreciate your emphasizing 'Liberty's' independence from propaganda, and the fact that our authors actually have style. The tradition of Rothbard, Paterson, Nock, and Garrett -- the tradition of stylistic individuality and intensity. But here I am, bragging about the journal I work for. The praise comes much more eloquently from you."
Next Wednesday (May 14, 6:00 p.m.) Ron Paul 2008 National Youth Coordinator Jeff Frazee will be speaking on a panel at Harvard's Institute of Politics (79 JFK St., Cambridge, Mass.). The topic is "Civic Engagement and the Youth Vote in '08," and the other panelists are all lefties: two from something called Act.Hope.Change and one from Nation. Since Ron Paul is the only Republican with a significant student and youth following, he's the only one represented. Supporters in the area, particularly students, should drop by and hear Jeff talk about how Ron Paul has done it and where the consistently antiwar, pro-market youth movement is going next. Details of the event are here.
The "Pledge of Allegiance" is an anti-secessionist oath of fealty to centralized government and its myths. Imposed on kids forced to attend government schools and other victims, it was written by an atheist Baptist minister and socialist after Lincoln's War. Ike added "under God" during the US Cold War against Russia, to keep the hierarchy of authority straight in everyone's mind:
1. God
2. Government
3. You
Now, three small-town eighth-graders have been suspended for refusing to stand for the daily federal oath. Future libertarians? (Thanks to Blake W. Imeson.)
Writes the Boston Globe: "Senator John McCain is sailing toward his coronation as the Republican presidential nominee while the Democratic candidates battle fiercely. But Republicans also are engaged in some tough infighting that could disrupt the national convention and make it more difficult for him to unite the party in the fall.
"Across the country, at state and county GOP conventions, diehard supporters of maverick Ron Paul are staging uprisings in an effort to secure a role for Paul at the national convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul." Read the rest, and thanks to Paul Likoudis.
Writes Andrew Borzone: "What a pleasure (and surprise) to hear you on the Charles Goyette show this morning in Phoenix! I swear, I get better financial discussion on his show than the local Financial News Network (KFNN) who is constantly selling crap than actually talking about finances/investment/econ. If there not selling mortgages or stock market BS, then they are interviewing a local ice cream store owner for his take on ice cream sales. Its a joke like the rest of the media. But Goyette, Lewrockwell.com, and other 'alternative' forms of media coverage really bring it home."
Hillary - a multimillionaire who craves nothing so much as the power to rule all of mankind - projects her own elitism onto Barack. She also trumpets her support from "hard-working Americans, white Americans" as an explanation for her allegedly strong voter base. Along these same lines, she and Bill have long posed as champions of blue-collar workers.
I can just imagine the following taking place at the Clinton home. There is a knock at the front door, and Bill answers it. He then turns to Hillary and says "Hill, there's a bunch of guys from the Machinists' Union here with some six-packs. They'd like us to go bowling with them tonight. I know we had tickets for the philharmonic tonight, but, hey, these are our union brothers. Whatta you say?"
"Oh, Bill," Hillary responds, "you know how elitist those concerts are, what with all the college-educated, pointed-headed types showing up. Let's go bowling with the guys!"
"I knew that's what you'd say," Bill answers. "You ride in the back of their green pick-up, and I'll ride in the red one. And, hey, let's chip in and buy a few bags of pork rinds!"
If I may add, it would also be a contest between a disciple of the Prince of Peace and a devotee of Mars the god of war and between a biblical Christian and an imperial Christian.
i'll be be on the Charles Goyette show in Phoenix this morning, at 7:30am local time, and the Ron Smith show in Baltimore this afternoon, at 4:15pm local time.
