Rick Perry Calls For A Constitutional Amendment For School Prayer (VIDEO)
Rick Perry has ramped up his conservative rhetoric a lot lately. In what seems to be a hail mary attempt to capture the hearts and minds of hardcore right-wing voters, Perry has attacked President Obama, accusing him of waging war against religion, and has attacked gay rights as well. On Sunday, during an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox, Perry gave the Christian Right more red meat when he expressed his undying support for a constitutional amendment for prayer in schools. Here’s the transcript from Fox News Sunday:
WALLACE: You say that gays can serve openly while children can’t pray in school. It was the Supreme Court back in 1962 that decided and it’s been upheld since then that children couldn’t pray in school. Barack Obama had nothing to do with that. And after repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” are you saying that anyone who supports “don’t ask, don’t tell” is anti-religious?
PERRY: Well, let me back up and say that I would support a constitutional amendment that would allow our children to pray in school any time that they would like. Right now, those activist judges like Sotomayor and Kagan that he put on the Supreme Court, they would continue to say that that is a decision that the Supreme Court should make. I happen to believe that that would be a local decision and that’s not the Supreme Court’s business to be telling Americans when and how they should pray.
On the issue of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” it was working. And for the commander-in-chief to use your military as a political tool while we are in combat in two different locations — at least two different locations around the world, in Iraq and Afghanistan, I think is just irresponsible. I am commander-of-chief of 20,000 plus thousand men and women. I served in the United States Air Force. I understand the issue. And I don’t think it’s one that the president of the United States and Congress for that matter should be forcing upon the men and women of the military. I think it was bad public policy and I would change it.
WALLACE: The only point I’d make about prayer in school, is that has continued under — the ban under Republican presidents as well as Democrats, including Reagan and both of the Bushes.
PERRY: I understand that. I’m just — I’m telling you what I believe, Chris. And I happen to believe that Americans don’t agree with that decision that was made in 1962. And that if we have a constitutional amendment election in this country, allowing our children to pray in school, I would suggest to you, will pass overwhelming. And I’ll support that. I will go across this country, as I’m promoting a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution. I’ll work on a balanced — I should say, an amendment to allow our children to pray in school. I think Americans are greatly supportive of both of those issues.
Here’s the video:
Perry didn’t specify what such an amendment would actually mean. Would teachers have to lead their classes in prayer? Would classes be required to have a moment of silence? Perry didn’t give additional details so we really don’t know. What we do know is that the government ban on school prayer doesn’t keep students from praying in private or quietly to themselves. It simply bans state sponsored prayer and religion in public schools. Because America has freedom of religion, the Supreme Court ruled in 1962 that mandating prayer and Bible readings, which would alienate people who aren’t Christians, violated the First Amendment. But it doesn’t stop students from praying silently. It simply protects all students from having religion forced upon them. And frankly, religion doesn’t belong in schools at all. Religion is controversial and creates conflict. America is not just populated by Christians. Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Mormons, and atheists live in America too. Forcing the Christian religion upon students would only alienate kids that sometimes already feel left out. Public and state schools should be all-inclusive and they are, all thanks to the Supreme Court. Rick Perry only seeks to divide people and please his masters on the Christian Right. Rick Perry wants state sponsored religion. He supports a totally unconstitutional position and therefore is unqualified to be President.
10:56 am
Why is it that every time I hear the Republicans asking for an amendment, it’s to restrict the rights of anyone who isn’t toting the status quo?
5:52 pm
Matthew 6:5-8
King James Version (KJV).
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when yes pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not yes therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things yes have need of, before yes ask him.
PERRY IS A HYPOCRITE & A HEATHEN! He even ignores Jesus Christ, who outright refers to Rick Perry as a hypocrite and a heathen!
4:31 am
Perry reeks of desperation. It’s always the people who make the most noise about their ‘conservatism’ who are the most willing to play fast and loose with the constitution. Case in point.
6:30 pm
There is SO MUCH wrong with what Perry said (although he DID get Sotomayor’s name right this time), I simply don’t have the time to give more than a cursory review. I don’t know if Perry is just unbelievably ignorant or an inveterate liar.
The SCOTUS rulings on this issue DO NOT prevent strudents from praying at school. A student can pray any time s/he wishes. Especially since prayer is an individual, silent activity, s/he won’t even disturb the other students. The rule merely prohibits school officials (e.g., teacher, principal, etc.) from leading the students in a prayer, in other words directing them in religious activity. If someone doesn’t understand that this would constitute state sponsorship of religion (and obviously a particular religion – namely Christianity) and doesn’t understand why state sponsorship of religion is not permitted under the First Amendment (Christine O’Donnell), I don’t know how to make it clearer to them.
I don’t even understand the emphasis that right-wing Bible-thumpers keep placing on this. A school classroom is a place for learning that is shared by people of all different faiths, including those with no faith. It is utterly inappropriate to force one particular religious tradition upon them. There is plenty of other time and place for prayer – privately, even at school, at home, after school at a particular club or church. It is a matter of private choice, nobody is preventing anyone from making that choice. I see no problem here.
If the SCOTUS doctrine on this issue is wrong and “conservative” thinking or jurisprudence would be the cure, then I would ask Perry why that hasn’t happened? Since 1969 there have been 16 appointments to the SCOTUS, 12 of them by Republican presidents. Why hasn’t that doctrine been overturned.
Why does he blame Obama and his appointments. The current majority on the Court is made up of Reagan-Bush appointees. If only “activist” judges would agree with the original ruling, why don’t the “good” Reagan-Bush “originalists” overturn it. Has there even been a case in the last two years indicating the position the two Obama appointees have on this issue.
Perry seems gleefully ignorant of the fact that, starting already in 1925, the SCOTUS held in a long series of cases that, as a result of the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment, all of the rights in the Bill of Rights are binding on the states, hence this is not a local matter. Have any of Perry’s “good” judges argued otherwise? Also, I expect Perry would not argue that the Second Amendment rights are something that the SCOTUS should not be deciding, but that it should be left to local decision as to whether people have the right to bear arms.
The term, “nonsense on stilts” certainly applies to Gov. Perry’s “logic”.
1:45 pm
How ironic. Regarding his chances of becoming president, Rick Perry doesn’t have a prayer.
12:45 pm
As many have said previously: prayer most certainly is allowed in schools and in fact I have known some teachers who actually encourage it to great effect….
I know a few tests that I was given that encouraged me to pray right then and there.
That being said, this man truly seems to truly have no concept of anything embodied in the constitution and it frightens me a great deal that people actually believe the crap that he continually seems to spew.