Tuesday, February 27, 2007

High Court hears challenge to flawed Bush analysis

Tomorrow morning the US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation. Many of us will be outside the court at a rally.

The case being argued is not just about whether the White House can spend money to promote religion through its ‘faith-based’ initiatives. The question before the Court is actually whether or not we will continue to be able to make sure that the government respects our Constitutional rights.

Separation of church and state is the first freedom outlined in the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights is meant to ensure that all Americans, regardless of their race, religion or gender, are afforded certain “inalienable rights”. In other words, the Bill of Rights is a promise of protection for you and me against governmental abuse.

The Constitution and the Bill of Rights were written to protect us NOT the administration. Therefore, we MUST have the power to make sure they are upheld.

Who better understands when a right is being violated than the people directly affected? Who is most likely to sound the alarm? The answer is obvious.

In Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Bush administration is urging the Supreme Court to overrule the 7th U.S. Circuit of Appeals and other federal courts that have upheld taxpayer challenges to government expenditures on religion.

This wouldn't be the first time the Bush administration’s analysis is flawed … it's definitely an attempt to block us from fighting for our constitutional rights.

We not only have a right, we have a duty to insure that our Constitutional rights are protected

The Justices simply must uphold precedent that allows taxpayers to sue when the government uses tax dollars for religious purposes -- if there is any justice at all. Government funding of religion is not only improper, but unconstitutional.

The courthouse door must never be slammed in the face of Americans who are merely trying to maintain their … OUR … constitutional rights.

1 comment:

P M Prescott said...

I'll be there with you in spirit, and holding my breath. With the mental midgets Bush has placed on the SC this is a real toss up, and I'm afraid it will only get worse as time goes on.