Letter to the Editor

First Things, Jan 2005

Sent 27 Dec 2004 in response to Jan 2005 issue, published in Feb 2005 issue

Bypassing the Supremes

Dear FT editor,

Thanks for consistently capturing the 'heart of the matter' of issues under discussion in your excellent magazine. In "Saving the Pledge" (Jan 2005), Vincent Phillip Munoz laments the Pledge Protection Act (which removes this issue from Supreme Court jurisdiction, passed House 9/04) and recommends that conservatives instead pursue a Supreme Court decision favoring the "under God" language of the Pledge (he's worried state courts will reject it otherwise). But, given that Congress has "plenary authority" and that the Supreme Court cannot be trusted (yet) on this issue, why not leave it to Congress (with Executive branch help if necessary) to state plainly the position of the federal government in favor of "under God?" Not being a legal scholar, I don't know if this means pursuing a Constitutional Amendment or can be done by some simpler tactic, but it makes sense to bypass the high Court if possible.

Keep up the great work!

Steven P. Sawyer