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Old 06-27-2002, 09:29 AM   #1
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Question Did Newdow just make everything worse for us?

I think so and I think this was the absolute WORST time this could have happened.

So much MORE anger and hatred is now focused on us because of this. Why did this have to happen in the middle of the "god bless america" hysteria while ANY criticism or questioning of our current religious govt is seen as shameful and unpatriotic?

This is a huge step backwards for us.

I`m too disgusted and ashamed of my country to say anything else right now.
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Old 06-27-2002, 09:42 AM   #2
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It's my understanding that this case began 5 years ago (correct me if I'm wrong). Whether or not it's total coincidence that it comes to a ruling at this particular time may seem, on one hand, disasterous.

On the other hand, because people are paying attention, it could serve as a wake-up call and be an opportunity to educate those citizens who are not clear on American history.

I support Newdow.
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Old 06-27-2002, 09:43 AM   #3
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I don't know if this is true, but someone on one of my email lists said that Newdow made a statement to the effect that he would have to "pray" that his daughter would be safe at school! (of course I don't blame him for being scared witless!!) I think Connie Chung was interviewing him when he said this. When she asked him about that comment he ended the interview. This is not good. Did anyone see this interview to corroborate what I heard?

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Old 06-27-2002, 09:46 AM   #4
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Newdow did what was the Constitutional thing to do but the timing definately couldn't be worse. I'm currently indifferent on this.
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Old 06-27-2002, 09:46 AM   #5
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/27/opinion/27THU2.html?tntemail0" target="_blank">NY Times agrees with you</a>

Quote:
The practical impact of the ruling is inviting a political backlash for a matter that does not rise to a constitutional violation. We wish the words had not been added back in 1954. But just the way removing a well-lodged foreign body from an organism may sometimes be more damaging than letting it stay put, removing those words would cause more harm than leaving them in. By late afternoon yesterday, virtually every politician in Washington was rallying loudly behind the pledge in its current form.

Most important, the ruling trivializes the critical constitutional issue of separation of church and state.
Actually, it is "under God" and "in God we trust" that trivialize religion. The words can only be upheld against a Constitutional challenge by saying that they don't really mean anything.

Newdow acted on his own. He had logic on his side but no political savy. He pointed out that the emperor was naked when the society needs to maintain the fiction that the emperor is the height of fashion.
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Old 06-27-2002, 09:47 AM   #6
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Thumbs up

I just want to be clear that I also support Newdow. The man has courage! I have been pretty rattled by the reactions of our fellow countrymen/women though.

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Old 06-27-2002, 09:51 AM   #7
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Quote:
I don't know if this is true, but someone on one of my email lists said that Newdow made a statement to the effect that he would have to "pray" that his daughter would be safe at school! (of course I don't blame him for being scared witless!!) I think Connie Chung was interviewing him when he said this. When she asked him about that comment he ended the interview. This is not good. Did anyone see this interview to corroborate what I heard?
When he said he would "pray" for his daughter, he said it in jest.

[ June 27, 2002: Message edited by: vonmeth ]</p>
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Old 06-27-2002, 09:52 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally posted by freemonkey:
<strong>
[snip]
On the other hand, because people are paying attention, it could serve as a wake-up call and be an opportunity to educate those citizens who are not clear on American history.
</strong>
I have already enlightened several people (via discussion on this issue), my wife included, about the "under god" part having been added and tossed in info about "In god we trust" on money too. Quite a few people honestly don't know that that stuff wasn't there to begin with.

My wife (a professed Xian) simply said "Oh...they should just take it back out then".

This can be an opportunity to get more people aware of what was changed. All I have spoken to have also thought that "E Pluribus Unum" was a much better motto and it should be changed back.
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Old 06-27-2002, 09:53 AM   #9
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Cool

I support him, and I'm disgusted by the reactions of the media and the general population. I wonder, however, if this 'backlash' is real, or if it's a media fabrication. Honestly I don't know. Most of the cable news channels tend to be at least slightly conservative, ranging to almost fascist/fundamentalist. (Think Faux News here...) How much of what we've heard so far is how people actually think, and how much of it is wishful thinking on the part of the media?
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Old 06-27-2002, 09:54 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally posted by Crazeegirly:
<strong>I don't know if this is true, but someone on one of my email lists said that Newdow made a statement to the effect that he would have to "pray" that his daughter would be safe at school! (of course I don't blame him for being scared witless!!) I think Connie Chung was interviewing him when he said this. When she asked him about that comment he ended the interview. This is not good. Did anyone see this interview to corroborate what I heard?

Crazeegirly</strong>
Newdow said the remark about how he would be praying for his famililies safety yesterday afternoon while on the phone with FOX.
It was about an hour after the ruling was made public.

I was glued to my TV during the phone interview and the praying reference was said almost under his breath as a slam against all the prayer hysteria in this country. Newdow immediately laughed after saying it and then quietly apologized for the comment.

The praying comment has been taken out of context and used against him by a variety of morons to try and label him a hypocrite.

[ June 27, 2002: Message edited by: Anunnaki ]</p>
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