Current Events vs. Founding Documents

Entry 8                                           Submitted by: Mark Musselman

Current Event

The following excerpts are from an article by the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Sept 30 regarding Bible verses which were displayed during a high school football game by the cheerleaders:

“The controversy started after Catoosa County Schools Superintendent Denia Reese took a complaint last week that the signs violated federal law by promoting religion at a school function. Mrs. Reese decided to move the banners off the football field.

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School-sponsored groups, those that are initiated or formed by a school, cannot promote a religious message, said Senior Scholar Charles Haynes, at the First Amendment Center in Washington, D.C. Cheerleaders, sports teams or groups such as a student government organization are extensions of the school, he said. Clubs or other groups formed at schools by students, or student-sponsored groups, can display any message they like. A group’s relationship to the school is a deciding factor in whether they can deliver a public religious message, he said.”

VS

Also according to the Chattanooga Times; Senior Scholar Charles Haynes with the First Amendment Center in Washington, D.C., said this is an old First Amendment fight. “The whole thing goes back to the dividing line the Supreme Court has drawn for many years now between school-sponsored religious speech — which is prohibited by the Establishment Clause — and student-sponsored religious speech, which may be protected by the free speech and free exercise clauses,” Mr. Haynes said.

Founding Document

The Constitution, First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

We the People:

According to the Associated Press on October 2: – The Warriors of Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High took the field on Friday night without any Bible verses written on the cheerleaders’ banner.

The move has galvanized the community. Hundreds of people attended a rally this week supporting the signs, which included messages such as: “Commit to the Lord, whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” Many students attended class Friday wearing shirts with Bible verses and painted their cars with messages that read: “Warriors for Christ.”
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During the game, several other messages were visible in the packed stadium. Some people stood with signs that read “You Can’t Silence Us” and some young men had Bible verses painted on their chests.

“When you get a whole bunch of teenagers mad, this is what happens. We stand up for what believe in,” 16-year-old Shelby Rouse said over the roar of a pre-game pep rally.

There is nothing in that clause of the first amendment which allows government to stop those cheerleaders. The Superintendent either is ignorant of that or intimidated by the wrong side.

The people of Catoosa County took action – a good first step. If government officials will not abide by the limits placed on them by the constitution, who will? The people! We can replace them and we must start demonstrating that we will do so.