Congressman Aderholt Calls on Supreme Court to Rule Pledge Constitutional

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) today continued his call for the United States Supreme Court to allow the freedom of speech and religious liberty for millions of Americans who believe the phrase 'under God' belongs in the United States Pledge of Allegiance when said in schools. Aderholt went over to the court chambers as arguments got underway yesterday morning in the case of Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the pledge was an unconstitutional infringement of the First Amendment.

"Prohibiting school children from saying 'under God' is completely inconsistent with the principles this nation was founded upon," said Congressman Aderholt. "The Supreme Court has a responsibility to defend this essential matter of religious liberty and freedom of speech. Historically, the acknowledgment of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, and government is contained within the Declaration of Independence. The constitution of every single state of the Union acknowledges God and His sovereignty, as do the three branches of the federal government. Our founding fathers believed we are a sovereign nation under one god.

"The Ninth Circuit was wrong when it ruled nearly two years ago that the Pledge of Allegiance was unconstitutional. The Constitution guarantees the freedom of expression. It does not license the courts to prune time-honored American traditions when something is not deemed 'ideologically correct.'

"Something is terribly wrong in a society in which our founding principles are used not as a guarantor of personal liberties, but as a license to take them away. The Ninth Circuit was wrong when it threw out the Pledge of Allegiance as we know it. The Supreme Court now has the opportunity to set the record straight and ensure the liberty guaranteed to us by the First Amendment," said Congressman Aderholt.