Happy Justice Sunday!

On June 14, 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill that added two words to the US Pledge of Allegiance: under God. Ever since, there has been a debate about adding those two words to what was designed to be a secular oath to the country. Today, however, I’m not concerned with those two words; I’m concerned about the other two words that are slowly being erased from the Pledge by those who are, in part, the architects of Justice Sunday. On Justice Sunday, I would like to remind those involved that when we pledge our alliance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, we are pledging to fight for liberty and justice for all.

Link:

Stopping the Filibuster Against People of Faith, a live nationwide television simulcast hosted by FRC Action, the legislative arm of Family Research Council, and Focus on the Family Action, will make its way into 61 million households in 44 states today.

We have had an amazing response because people of faith are realizing that actions in Washington have a direct impact on their lives in the heartland," said Tony Perkins President of FRC Action.

[…]

"This is not about faith, but a debate and fairness for people of faith, any faith."

Except, of course, people of faith, any faith, who believe in a strict separation of church and state, who believe that God endowed humans with free will and the right to choose one’s own path, who believe in the equality of all people, who believe that homosexuality is not wrong, who believe that even if homosexuality is wrong homosexuals still deserve equal protection and rights under the law, who believe that women have the right for final decisions over their bodies, who believe that sex can have other purposes aside from procreation, who believe that victims of rape and incest should have legal solutions to end pregnancies that may result, who believe that we live in a country that is meant to protect the religious freedom of people who practice all religious and people who choose not to practice religion at all, and who disagree with the limited, oppressive viewpoints espoused by Perkins and his ilk.

For all.

Faithful liberals and secular people of any political persuasion are not of concern to the perpetrators of a cynical maneuver like Justice Sunday, who have conveniently ignored the 95% of Bush’s judicial appointments already approved. The remaining 5% are not interested in championing justice for all, which is exactly why the dominionists behind Justice Sunday are so keen to create a furor over their blocked appointments.

For all means nothing to them, and nothing to their supporters, but it does mean something to me. To that end, here is my protest, and my solemn vow:

On Justice Sunday, I vow to passionately pursue true justice for all. I will fight for the rights of the oppressed and minorities. I will fight for people of every race, creed, color, ability, sexuality, gender, religion or lack thereof, class, and political affiliation to have a voice and a place in our democratic process, guided by the principle my rights end where yours begin. I will fight for an honest national discourse. And I will not be deterred by those who claim to have cornered the market on faith. I acknowledge the potential for goodness and wickedness in all people, and I will not bow to those who seek to harm any of my fellow Americans for any reason, even if they come carrying a cross and wrapped in a flag. The stars and stripes represent us all, and my voice will be heard. For all.

That flag, and all it stands for, represents a struggle for freedom, for equality, for the rights of all, and I’m taking it back. It’s my fucking flag, too, and it doesn’t belong in the hands of those who would ignore the two most important words in the oath which we use to pledge our allegiance to that for which it stands. Liberty and justice for all.

I believe in those words. To those who support Justice Sunday: do you?