And a nation rises up as one

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Thu Jun 27, 2002 2:21 am

SAN FRANCISCO â€¦ Provoking a nation's patriotic
fury, a San Francisco federal appeals court on Wednesday banned the pledge of allegiance from
public schools in California and eight other Western states, saying one of the country's most treasured classroom rituals is unconstitutional
because it includes the words "under God." (Knight Ridder)***That's telling them."

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Thu Jun 27, 2002 5:26 pm

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)--A day after he flabbergasted the nation by declaring the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional, a federal appeals
court judge put his ruling on hold indefinitely Thursday.***OK, let's knock it off. "Flabbergasted," my ass.***

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Fri Jun 28, 2002 2:11 am

It should go without saying, but the appeals court panel did not say the Pledge of Allegiance was "unconstitutional."

pampellfw · **Joined:** Thu Apr 25, 2002 12:01 am **Posts:** 38

Are you objecting to "flabbergasted" because you don't like the word or because you think it's too extreme? Trust me, out here in the heartland, we're flabbergasted. (My Webster's says it means "overwhelmed with astonishment.") :confused:

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Tue Jul 02, 2002 8:00 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by pampellfw:
Are you objecting to "flabbergasted" because you don't like the word or because you think it's too extreme? Trust me, out here in the heartland, we're flabbergasted. (My Webster's says it means "overwhelmed with astonishment.")
<hr></blockquote>***I think that a nation that has seen airliners crash into the World Trade Center needs more than a 9th Circuit appeals court ruling to overwhelm it with astonishment.***

ssreyn · **Posted:** Wed Jul 03, 2002 3:01 am

It was common to drop the words '"under God'' during the daily recitation way back in the '70s. And I went to Catholic school ...

ssreyn · **Posted:** Wed Jul 03, 2002 3:05 am

"one of the country's most treasured classroom rituals"???

ADKbrown · **Posted:** Wed Jul 03, 2002 8:26 pm

I don't doubt that some people are flabbergasted by this ruling, but my guess is that the country is not as worked up over this as the media is. Whether you agree with it or not, this decision was not illogical. We fanned the flames rather than provide dispassionate discourse.

Finn DeSiecle · **Posted:** Thu Jul 04, 2002 2:54 am

I don't know that many people are really worked up about it in the sense that it's dominating anyone's conversations, but just judging from nonjournalism bulletin boards I visit, everybody seems to have strong opinions — almost solidly negative — about the ruling. As with the flag burning rulings, it's a court decision that makes constitutional sense but arouses such an emotional response that the reasoning gets rejected.[ July 04, 2002: Message edited by: Finn DeSiecle ]

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