The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.
Florida has had its problems forcing school children to publicly swear allegiance to a 'Nation
Under God' every day of the school year, but that abomination isn't enough for the State of Arizona, or at least for their State Legislature. A bill has been introduced requiring that before high school students can be given a diploma, they must swear to God.
"I, _________, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge these duties; So help me God."
Does this bypass the religious test prohibition? Well of course this is a requirement to graduate, or would be if it's passed and not a requirement for office, but is the granting of a diploma the granting of public trust? As it is a requirement for employment in many cases, I would argue that it is and the oath is therefore unconstitutional, but we're talking about Arizona, a place where many Republican citizens are unhappy with that constitution and the Nation it defines, except of course for the guarantees it may make which further their attempts to persecute the freedoms of others and back up their threats with God and Guns.
It makes no provision for non believing people such as I am or for anti-believing people or for Quakers or Mennonites and others whose creeds forbid oaths, to "solemnly affirm" rather than swear, but even if it were amended to that purpose, is an oath taken under duress valid and can one force someone to swear "without any mental reservation?" But we're talking about Arizona where there is a test for looking American and penalties for failing it.
Actually I'm tired as hell of talking about Arizona and its cynical attempts to exclude and persecute all in the name of a Constitution they delight in selectively ignoring. The hell with their nonsense about secession, their legislators have all sworn to uphold the constitution and if they can't do that, revoke their citizenship and deport them.
Now I may be a simple dinosaur who couldn't get through Kindergarten even if all the other kids pitched in and helped me, but I think it's clearly unconstitutional for a public school to require someone TO BE RELIGIOUS before that school gives the young'un his or her diploma. A state institution cannot possibly have any business doing that.
ReplyDeleteThere are also those who are religious and don't subscribe to the God and maybe have a bunch of Gods. What ever happened to Jefferson's "I don't care if a man has one God or a hundred" idea?
ReplyDeleteAnd what if the graduate is not a US citizen, but has a visa? He could be violating his citizenship.
For all their simultaneous flag waving, God bothering, nitwit nationalism, race baiting and Government bashing, I think these folks need to go back to kindergarten themselves before we let them be a full fledged member of the USA. Or maybe give them back to the rightful owner as we did with the Panama Canal.
So help me Gödel !!! It seems good ole Kurt discovered an inconsistency in the U.S. Constitution, one that would allow the U.S. to become a dictatorship. Shhh, don't tell anyone, especially anyone in Arizona.
ReplyDeleteWhat a trouble maker he was. Axioms are here to be believed in, not questioned or tested -- inconsistencies, contradictions and singularities be damned. God, Guns and the GOP made America great and we don't need no Commies around here.
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