Jordan River Forum

'God' in Allegiance bastardizes pledge On the surface, the U.S. circuit court's ruling regarding the Pledge of Allegiance (July 8, "Allegiance to the Pledge") seems absurd. But, upon closer inspection, it is the just thing to do. We must remember that, like prayer in school, saying the pledge is not outlawed with students being punished for stating it or praying for that matter. This is what the media and the religious right would want us to believe, and it is simply not true. The pledge is merely banned from being compulsory and led by school teachers and administrators. But this is not the crux of the issue. The real issue is the term "one nation under God," which is what caused the ruling. That phrase is not a part of the original pledge. It was added in 1954 to appease red-baiters and McCarthyists. Many Americans, old enough to have been in school prior, remember the outrage from teachers and others when the phrase was added, and some still will not include it when they recite the pledge. Contrary to what President Bush and others may tell us, "tradition" in this country did not start 48 years ago, but 226. The pledge of allegiance -- the true pledge -- will never be unconstitutional. We've been saying the bastardized version for nearly 50 years. Scott Six
Graduate student Boy Scouts encourage close-mindedness, hatred I am a PhD student in the departments of psychology and cognitive science. IU agreed to host the national convention for the Boy Scouts of America. The convention is going to bring many visitors and a great deal of income to both IU and the City of Bloomington. But I am deeply saddened and frankly appalled that a university and city that have long stood for tolerance and diversity are hosting a group that clearly endorses views of bigotry, hatred and closed-mindedness. Hosting this convention clearly sends the wrong message about our wonderful town and school. I represent the views of many other students and citizens in saying that, for the first time, I am ashamed to call myself a student here. This action is an offensive example of money first, people last. Heather Wild
Graduate student IDS printing material of questionable value It seems that, with increasing frequency, the IDS is willing to print articles of questionable value. The headline (July 25, "Fire threatens giant") is so blatantly wrong that it appears to be deliberately misleading. Fire is vital to the ecology of the Giant Sequoias. Their bark is essentially fireproof and they release seeds only when subjected to extreme heat. Furthermore, fire clears the understory so that the newly released seeds can become established. Perhaps a more intriguing story would be to ask why the Forest Service is so concerned with fire suppression when it so obviously benefits the species they are trying to protect. The IDS might do well to consider other sources of news that take an informed and critical approach to their reporting. Gabriel Harp
Graduate Student Lowriders appreciative of media acknowledgement We would like to thank you for publishing the article (July 22, "All my friends drive a...low rider") about our show. Everyone was extremely happy with the turnout, and having you guys write an article about it was just the topping on this cake. In the future, we will be sure to let the IDS have the exclusive inside track on what's going on in the custom car world because as you know, it's a hobby that is sweeping the nation, and we are at the forefront. You'd be surprised at how much e-mail I've received from people that heard about the show after it happened and wished they had been there. Thanks for keeping the students, faculty and community updated on what's going on in the city. Marc Brazeal
Westland, MI