Many people in this country seem to miss the point of the recent ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. First off, the court did not rule the pledge itself unconstitutional. The judgment did not make it illegal or morally wrong to recite the pledge. The ruling is not an act against American tradition or idealism; in fact, it is a judgment supporting them.

If every man, woman and child in the country simply decided to start saying the pledge with the words `under God’ inserted, it would be Constitutionally protected free speech. The United States is based on majority rule. But our Constitution is there to represent and protect each and every American citizen. It doesn’t just represent 51 percent. It is there for all of us.

Congress must first and foremost uphold our most sacred document. That is the Constitution, not the Bible. Any law enacted by Congress regarding religion must be able to represent all of the people or it is an effective establishment of state religion by excluding the beliefs and tenets of others. The judges were not trying to remove God, or religion, or faith, or morals from our people, they were simply upholding what our forefathers held dear when they wrote the Constitution: It is up to the individual – not Congress – to determine their own beliefs by the guidance of their conscience.

Hamlin Krewson

Resident

Ames