The First Amendment slides downward another notch

[neadods]

I could work up a good rant someday about how the First Amendment died when "under God" was added to the Pledge and "In God We Trust" replaced "E Pluribus Unum" on the money. If it didn't croak right there, it at least got a serious case of the flu; no, "God" does NOT mean generic deity!

A law signed in Mississippi today chisels away another piece. It's about the municipal budget for government building and supplies. Look down on page 35, lines 1149-1153. (Note: it's a .pdf.)

That, ladies and gentlemen, is called "establishment of religion" and it's not legal. It goes beyond generics to specify writings from one specific religious book and no others.

Comments

[lagilman]

So, who's going to issue the first challenge? There's got to be someone with citizenship in Mississippi who takes offense enough to bring in the pro bono watchdogs...

(if not, we can probably arrange to cover the moving costs for someone...)

[lagilman]

residency! meant residency! Although it was an interesting freudian slip...

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

I got nobody. Which sucks.

Too bad it's not Alabama. It's fun to watch cleolinda go to town...

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

< drippingcorrosivesarcasm >

But the Ten Commandments are just BASIC MORAL PRINCIPLES! They're NOT religion-specific! People say so in news interviews ALL THE TIME! It MUST be true!

Obviously it means the first one got repealed when I wasn't looking, of course...

< drippingcorrosivesarcasm >

[neadods.livejournal.com]

But the Ten Commandments are just BASIC MORAL PRINCIPLES! They're NOT religion-specific!

What about the Beatitudes? (Not that I'd mind seeing "Blessed are the peacemakers" hanging in the Oval Office right about now.)

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

I'd have to look them up. *wry g* I'm pretty sure some of the for-they-shalls are rather specific.

Not that it matters, because even if they were general principles, expressing them in that particular recognizable form makes them specific to a religion. Even if they were NAMING the particular recognizable forms (and only them) in the legislation. Which just, please.

[maryannegruen.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid these Pharisee types don't pay attention to most of the actual teachings of Jesus. They're just interested in power.

[lagilman]

Personally, and apropos of nothing, I'd have nothing against having the Ten Commandments graven over a judge's quarters, for example. So long as we were also guaranteed that any judge who did not hew to said commandments would be struck by a couple of bolts of wrath-of-deity lightning...

Considering

[tacnukesoul.livejournal.com]

that MS is at the bottom in things like support to the citizens, schools and basic justice, prayers might be all they have left.