Last week a group of House Republicans introduced a resolution “expressing support for” the First Amendment. (Something that generally gets a lot of support already.) The resolution focuses on freedom of speech and specifically freedom of speech on campus. The Secular Coalition for America certainly supports the First Amendment too, but this looked like a good opportunity to remind the resolution’s authors that the First Amendment also establishes the separation of government and religion, so we sent them a letter. It mentions that one of our coalition member organizations, the Secular Student Alliance, exemplifies a group that should always have their freedom of speech on campus protected.
The House resolution briefly mentions language from a 1943 Supreme Court decision concerning the role of schools in our society. Our letter reminds the resolution’s authors that this was the decision that allowed students who were Jehovah’s Witnesses to refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance because it conflicted with their religious beliefs. (You can read a previous Heretic on the Hill that criticized a Senate Resolution which praises the Pledge of Allegiance and specifically the addition of “Under God.” It’s worth clicking on just to appreciate Justice Jackson’s moving conclusion to his 1943 opinion.)
Rarely is there a perfect piece of legislation in Congress. The Secular Coalition supports H.Res. 770 but would support it even more if the importance of the Establishment Clause were at least mentioned. |
