I protested this when it originally came up, and I’m deeply irked that the politicians didn’t listen to me.
The House passed legislation Thursday that would prevent the Supreme Court from ruling on whether the words “under God” should be stricken from the Pledge of Allegiance.
In a politically and emotionally charged debate six weeks before Election Day, Democrats said majority Republicans were debasing the Constitution to force a vote that could hurt Democrats at the ballot box. Supporters insisted Congress has always had authority to limit federal court jurisdiction, and the legislation is needed to protect an affirmation of religion that is part of the national heritage.
The bill, which the House approved, 247-173, would prohibit federal courts, including the Supreme Court, from hearing cases involving the pledge and its recitation and would prevent federal courts from striking the words “under God” from the pledge.
It’s not “debasing” the Constitution (the Constitution does provide that Congress can restrict jurisdiction), but it’s a precedent that’s a troubling upset of the tradition of separation of powers. And, as everyone with half a brain is pointing out, it’s a horrid precedent, which will come back and bite the GOP in the butt — next time it could be a gun control law, or a less-religious-“friendly” law (e.g., “Nobody will mention anything about God in any public building — and the Supremes can’t say otherwise”).
I don’t know which I find more troubling: that such a law could be passed by the House over such a relatively trivial matter (there are more profound religious freedom issues out there) like the wording in the Pledge of Allegiance, or that it was passed (with little hope of Senate concurrence) simply as a calculated wedge ploy by some in the GOP. The former is goofy, the latter is recklessly dangerous.
(via Les)