goodrum@unc.UUCP (Cloyd Goodrum) (10/18/85)
Expires: References: Sender: Keywords: Sheldon Vanauken (author of "A Severe Mercy" and "Under The Mercy") has come up with what Southern Partisan magazine calls "the best idea yet to restore prayer in the public schools." Vanauken suggests that every public school in the country begin the day with the words "God save the United States and this honorable school", just as the Supreme Court begins its day with the words "God save the United States and this honorable court". If the practice were challenged, the court could do one of three things: (a) Rule that the practice is constitutional, since it is nearly identical to the practice of the Supreme Court. (b) Admit that it had been mistakenly indulging in an unconstitutional practice for years. (c) Rule that substituting the word "school" for "court" transforms the invocation from a harmless piece of rhetoric into a prayer. (Which would take a lot of fancy judicial prestidigitation.) Cloyd Goodrum III
arnold@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (Kenneth C R C Arnold) (10/23/85)
In article <344@unc.unc.UUCP> goodrum@unc.UUCP (Cloyd Goodrum) writes: >[Sheldon] Vanauken suggests that every public school in the country begin the >day with the words "God save the United States and this honorable school", >just as the Supreme Court begins its day with the words "God save the United >States and this honorable court". > >The court could do one of three things: > >(a) Rule that the practice is constitutional, since it is nearly identical >to the practice of the Supreme Court. > >(b) Admit that it had been mistakenly indulging in an unconstitutional >practice for years. > >(c) Rule that substituting the word "school" for "court" transforms the >invocation from a harmless piece of rhetoric into a prayer. (Which would take >a lot of fancy judicial prestidigitation.) > > Cloyd Goodrum III Or (d) Do what it would do, which is rule that adults are more capable of choosing their own beliefs than children, and are therefore in substantially less need of protection than children. Which is what they have based all their rulings on school prayer on. Has Mr. V. read one? Maybe he should before advising people to do the ridiculous in the name of alleged constitutionality. Not that I think opening US Gov't procedings in the name of God is constitutional either. But that isn't what they've been saying over the years, as anyone who payed attention to their actual opinions (rather than their own) might be able to figure out. Ken Arnold
pmd@cbsck.UUCP (Paul M. Dubuc) (10/23/85)
> Sheldon Vanauken (author of "A Severe Mercy" and "Under The Mercy") >has come up with what Southern Partisan magazine calls "the best idea yet >to restore prayer in the public schools." > > Vanauken suggests that every public school in the country begin the >day with the words "God save the United States and this honorable school", >just as the Supreme Court begins its day with the words "God save the United >States and this honorable court". > > If the practice were challenged, the court could do one of three things: > >(a) Rule that the practice is constitutional, since it is nearly identical >to the practice of the Supreme Court. > >(b) Admit that it had been mistakenly indulging in an unconstitutional >practice for years. > >(c) Rule that substituting the word "school" for "court" transforms the >invocation from a harmless piece of rhetoric into a prayer. (Which would take >a lot of fancy judicial prestidigitation.) > > Cloyd Goodrum III (d) Invoke the words of Chief Justice Warren Burger: "We're the Supreme Court. We can do anything we want." (Similar to option 'a' above. If the Court does it it must be constitutional.) :-) -- Paul Dubuc cbsck!pmd