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(Washington, D.C.) U.S. Rep. Mike Ross (AR-04) Wednesday reacts
to a ruling by U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton of Sacramento which
states the Pledge of Allegiance’s reference to ‘one nation under God’ infringes
upon public school children’s right to be ‘free from a coercive requirement
to affirm God.’ The Judge’s ruling bans the Pledge of Allegiance
in the California public school districts attended by the children represented
in the case.
“In the aftermath of September 11th and Hurricane Katrina, at a time
of uncertainty when we are sending our sons and daughters, mothers and
fathers to Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world, the Pledge of Allegiance
resonates now more than ever,” said Ross. “We must be free to pledge
our allegiance under God and reaffirm the very principles of democracy
that we all hold so dearly. The Pledge of Allegiance has a profound
significance, and our school children have the right to learn and recite
it throughout America. Each day, we begin proceedings in the United
States House of Representatives with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer,
and our school children should not be treated any differently.”
In 1991, as a State Senator, Ross successfully passed a Senate rule
requiring the Arkansas State Senate to open each day with the Pledge of
Allegiance, a rule they continue to this day. |
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