October 2004     

Cowboy-up America

By Ronald J. White

November 2, 2004, may well define America's future. Why? Because the next president, who will be elected on that date, will likely appoint several supreme court judges; thus, influencing the legal course of events for a quarter century with ramifications to several upcoming generations. A quick review of recent U.S. Supreme Court (Court) actions reveals a judicial branch that is out of control and out of touch with the values and mainstream thinking of Americans.

In 1931, the Court declared, "We are a Christian people ...." But by 1947, an entirely different mentality gripped the court and for the next half century, it issued decisions that have turned American culture upside down. What in the world happened to cause such a shift in mentality? Is it just coincidence, or could secular beliefs be increasingly haunting us? During the four-decade period of 1947-87, only two Supreme Court Justices were active Christians, and they sat on the Court in 1987. Every other judge during that period was either an atheist or a non-Christian.

In 1947, the Court established a new direction for America. In Everson v. Board of Education, the Court established a radically new interpretation of the First Amendment with what is now called, "A wall of separation between church and state." The Court attributed the authority for the First Amendment and the separation language to Thomas Jefferson. However, Jefferson disqualified himself, both as a constitutional authority, and as an authority of the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights.

The Jefferson "separation of church and state" metaphor first appeared in a letter written by him on January 1, 1802, to the Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut. His comment on the separation of church and state was used out of context, by the 1947 Court to establish a new national judicial paradigm. Regardless of Jefferson's influence, neither the body of the Constitution nor the First Amendment contain the words used by Jefferson in his private letter. Regarding religion, the First Amendment simply states:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...."

This language guaranteed that Congress was prohibited from establishing a national religious denomination, and from giving preference to any particular denomination. Due to its frequent appearance in court proceedings since 1947, however, many people now believe the separation language is contained in the First Amendment - but it is not! Nevertheless, following the 1947 Court declaration, the Court began issuing a litany of liberal decisions that have eroded the foundation of America's Christian heritage. To wit:

Remove student prayer:

Engel v. Vitale, 1962.

Remove school Bible readings:

Abington v. Schempp, 1963.

Remove the Ten Commandments from view:

Stone v. Graham, 1980.

Remove benedictions and invocations from school activities:

Graham v. Central, 1985;

Kay v. Douglas, 1986;

Jager v. Douglas, 1989;

Lee v. Weisman, 1992.

The Supreme Court unethically redefined the First Amendment in 1947. Subsequently, numerous other Supreme Court and lower court rulings have eroded the First Amendment's original intent, and officially declared that America has expelled God from the courts, the education system, and national, state, and local governments. Perhaps, the removal of God from our national conscience cannot be blamed for all the nation's problems, but it fired the opening salvo in the battle for America's soul. This situation has not developed in a vacuum. We citizens have become complacent, and we have remained silent while secular and socialist idealists have been hard at work imposing their agendas on America. Their beliefs run contrary to mainstream American desires and the core values that this country is based on.

In America, 192 million people claimed to be Christians in 1996. Whether or not they are fervent Christians, most of them probably hold Christian values. In 1970, 82 percent of the nation wanted prayer back in school. The percentage had risen to 89 percent by 1991. Also in 1991, 83 percent wanted the Ten Commandments back on the walls, and 70 percent wanted creation by God classes taught in the classroom. With the high number of people with Christian values, and the high percentages of people stating they wanted prayer, the Ten Commandments, and creation classes back in the school room in 1991, why do we have the current situation? Why did the recent public outcry occur over the situation involving the removal of the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance? I submit it is because many Christians have not been voting.

In the 2000 presidential election year, about 200 million Americans could have qualified to vote. However, only 133,780,000, or 67 percent, of them registered to vote. A total of 105,399,313 (nearly 79 percent) of those who registered, voted, but that leaves nearly half of the 200 million who could have qualified to vote as nonvoters. These statistics indicate it does not take much thought to realize that many Christians are not participating in the political process. Improved participation could dramatically impact existing circumstances, although it will probably be a slow process.

We didn't get into this mess overnight, and it will take time to turn it around. A lot needs to be accomplished. A president with appropriate credentials can appoint judges who hold and reflect the American values and ideals that underlie our national culture. Many replacements will need to occur on local school boards and in local, county, state, and federal government positions. Voters should check out the credentials of all candidates, and ask them tough pertinent questions. It's time to cowboy-up America - GO VOTE!

Ronald J. White is the President of the Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties For Stable Economic Growth. He also conducts Freedom is Not Free - A seminar/forum to restore American liberty, with participants developing and implementing solutions for local and national issues. P.O. Box 115, Monticello, NM 87939.