Oh, and TopDog the 9th court upheld the ruling.
I am posting a couple of quotes here:
"Even though school children have been reciting the Pledge since 1892, it was not until 1942 that Congress officially endorsed it. In 1954 Dwight D. Eisenhower amended the Pledge by adding the words "under God." "
KANSAS CITY, MO, June 27, 2002-The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, the nation's premier veterans' group and patriotic organization, are seething over the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling yesterday declaring the nation's Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional. The ruling, which affects children in public schools in nine Western states, said the pledge cannot be recited in public schools because the phrase "under God" endorses religion.
"The Pledge of Allegiance has long been the bulwark of American pride and patriotism," said VFW Commander-in-Chief James N. Goldsmith of Lapeer, Mich. "It is an unconscionable act by our court system, especially when patriotism is renewing the spirit of our nation. In no uncertain terms will the 2.7 million members of the VFW and its Ladies Auxiliary tolerate this total disregard for the patriotic values our Pledge symbolizes. We fully condemn the actions of the 9th court and will dedicate all our resources to fighting this decision."
In addition, Goldsmith said every American should be outraged at the direction of the court and is encouraging all Americans to join the Veterans of Foreign Wars at 11 a.m. local on Friday, June 28, to say the Pledge in solidarity. "We are asking all Americans to join us in demonstrating unity and resolve toward preserving a vital part of our nation."
Check out this link for more: http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/06/27/pledge.allegiance/index.html
The 9th Circuit covers California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Montana and Idaho.
Pledge of Allegiance:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Perhaps we should just remove those states from the union which are represented in this action so they may apply for induction to a country better suited to their religous or atheist beliefs.