Catholic Leader Calls For Civil Disobedience On Pledge

Last week, a California federal district court, following precedent set by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, held that recitation in school classrooms of the Pledge of Allegiance, containing the phrase "under God", violates the Establishment Clause. (See prior posting.) While many religious leaders have been critical of the decision, William Donohue, President of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights has been particularly outspoken. In a release issued last Wednesday, he said:

Now that U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton has said he would sign a restraining order banning the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in some California school districts, the time has come for patriotic teachers in those schools to practice civil disobedience. They need to lead their students in the Pledge, bellowing the dreaded words "under God." But nothing should be done until the television cameras are in place—the sight of teachers being handcuffed by the police would be an invaluable teaching moment.

Settling this issue in court is fine, but it is inadequate: it’s time to shock the conscience of the nation by bringing this matter directly into their living rooms.