On December 9, SB 144 passed through the Michigan House of Representatives. The bill had already passed through the Senate.
Originally, the legislation would have required schools to offer only the Pledge of Allegiance for recitation during the school day. Now, schools may offer one or more of the following, according to the updated bill:
The bill also requires that the Pledge of Allegiance (US), the national anthem, or both, are offered at high school interscholastic events, including athletic events.
Though there is a provision in the bill that prohibits a school from forcing students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, there are no provisions for the alternatives.
It appears that Michigan's legislators have attempted to circumvent the controversy surrounding the phrase, "under God", in the Pledge of Allegiance by presenting several historical alternatives. Two problems arise from the bill's new wording.
The first problem is that any recitation required by a school without an educational purpose is a violation of a student's freedom of speech, according to West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnett, a U.S. Supreme Court case decided in 1943. The wording of the bill suggests that although a student may not be forced to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, one of the alternatives may be required. Will students be made aware of their choices? Do they have the choice to remain silent, reciting none of the alternatives cited in the bill? If students are made aware of their choices, will they be reciting different ones all at once? In addition, if the Pledge of Allegiance to the US flag is offered exclusively, there is the issue of having students perceive the offering as compulsory, making its inclusion of the phrase "under God" a violation of the First Amendment Establishment Clause, in addition to the violation of free speech under the 1943 decision.
The second problem with the legislation is its complete absence of an educational purpose. Simple recitation of anything out of context has little value, other than as a memorization exercise. It seems that Michigan's legislature is more interested in indoctrinating students into certain ways of thinking than teaching them anything or giving them reasons to love their state or country.
The original version of Senate Bill 144 was objectionable; the bill as passed by the House borders on the ridiculous. In a short time, if the Senate concurs with the House's changes, the bill will be on Governor Granholm's desk. Please let her know what you think. Write Governor Granholm at:
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909
You may also call or fax the Governor's office at the following numbers:
PHONE (517) 373-3400
FAX (517) 335-6863
To read the bill in its entirety, go to:
http://www.mileg.org/mileg.asp?page=getObject&objName=2003-SB-0144
Senate Bill 727, which has passed both Michigan Houses and will be sent to the Governor, includes a provision for courts to decide the "moral fitness" of the grandparents in question. The bill does not include a definition for this phrase, leaving it open to the subjective perception of judges.
Court-mandated grandparent visitation has generated controversy in the past, but with the addition of this vague language, the bill opens grandparent visitation cases to discrimination. A religious conservative judge may discriminate against Atheists, homosexuals, or people whose religious identity differs from the judge's, even when the grandparents are attempting to remove their grandchildren from abusive situations. The same conservative judge may base value in corporal punishment on the Bible, rather than seeing certain punishments as abusive; grandparents who disagree may be judged immoral.
Please let Governor Granholm know what you think about this legislation. You will find it at:
http://www.mileg.org/mileg.asp?page=getObject&objName=2003-SB-0727
Senate Bill 959 places clergy on the same level as professional marriage counselors, provided they meet certain criteria--but not the same criteria required for the professionals.
The bill allows clergy to qualify as pre-marriage counselors if they have officiated a certain number of weddings or have a certain number of years of experience. There are a few issues with this bill, but the overriding issue is the lack of evidence that religious pre-marital counseling is effective at making marriages last--making the apparent problem of divorce that this series of bills is supposed to address moot.
According to a study by the Barna Research Group that included 3,854 adults, stability of marriage has an inverse relationship to a couple's religiosity. The study shows that the most conservative religious people have the highest divorce rate; Atheists and agnostics have the lowest. Among religious people, the more liberal the religion, the less divorce occurs. This relationship between divorce rates and religiosity should call into question why the State of Michigan would include clergy among the list of professionals who are supposed to ensure the stability of marriages from the beginning.
Senate Bill 959 has passed the Senate, has been modified by the House, and is back in the Senate for review. If the Senate concurs, the bill will soon be coming to the Governor. In order to take effect, a series of bills concerning pre-marriage counseling and marriage license requirements must also pass. These bills are House Bills 5467, 5468, 5469, 5470, 5471, 5473, 5474, and Senate Bills 961, 963, 964, and 966.
As always, your letters to your elected officials are important. Please let them know what you think of this legislation.
TopOn Sunday, December 19, Michigan Atheists will be holding their annual Winter Solstice Celebration and Fundraising Auction at China Star Palace in Westland.
The cost of the buffet is $13.00. It includes Sweet & Sour Chicken, Almond Chicken, Pepper Steak, Stir Fried Vegetables, Rice, Tea, Coffee, and Tomato Juice. There is also a cash bar available.
Dinner will be served at 4:00pm, with the auction to follow. The auction is our only annual fundraising event. This year's auctioneer will be Greg Reich. We rely on people who attend the dinner and auction for items to sell. Please bring your items, and we'll see if Greg can sell them.
China Star Palace is located at 270 S. Wayne Rd, between Palmer and Cherry Hill, in Westland. Please park in the bank parking lot next door. Their phone number is 734-326-1310. Hope to see you there!
Please let Arlene-Marie know that you're coming. E-mail her at amarie@atheists.org, or call her at 313-388-9594.
TopThe Michigan Atheists Newsletter is an electronic publication containing news about separation of state and church, the events of Michigan Atheists, and the civil rights of Michigan's godless citizens. All content of the newsletter is the intellectual property of Greg Reich and Michigan Atheists, unless otherwise credited.
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