Rep. Stahl offered the following concurrent resolution:

House Concurrent Resolution No. 21.

            A concurrent resolution to express our support for keeping "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag.

            Whereas, Our nation is a diverse collection of people whose origins span the globe. Our nation is not one of blood, ethnicity, or race; but is one of shared ideals. America is based on the belief that freedom, democracy, and opportunity are indispensable to our well being and will build a better tomorrow for the next generation. Our Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag is a vital component of forging unity from such a diverse citizenry; and

            Whereas, A federal District Court judge has ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional based on the longstanding use of the expression "under God" in the pledge. Arguing that these two words unlawfully impose a religious belief on the schoolchildren who recite this pledge daily is absurd. This ruling requires the assumption that a simple affirmation of faith is equivalent to establishing a state religion as our Constitution forbids. This ruling requires us to believe that using "under God" in our pledge has somehow created a theocracy in our republic when common sense and history show that our democracy has prospered since 1954, when "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance. No, our pledge as written is an affirmation of our unity that must not be weakened; and

            Whereas, It is our fervent hope that common sense and respect for our history and diversity will lead our federal courts to reverse this federal District Court ruling. The federal District Court is but the first rung in our federal court system, so there is ample opportunity for rational thought to be brought to bear on this issue. Nor are our courts the last word in this battle. Should the judicial branch fail us, the United States Congress has the authority to recover what might be lost due to the actions of a few in defiance of the heartfelt views of our citizens; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we express our support for keeping "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Justices of the United States Supreme Court, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.

R 0269 '05