SJC Hears Atheists’ Challenge to “Under God’ in Pledge of Allegiance
Laurel J. Sweet of The Boston Herald reports that on Wednesday the Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court heard an atheist couple’s argument asking for the words “under God” to be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance in the state’s public schools. They contend the words exclude their children from declaring their patriotism and unfairly promote the stereotype linking good patriots to God-fearing citizens. “The exercise itself still discriminates,” said plaintiff’s lawyer David Niose. “It defines patriotism a certain way. The reality is it’s invidious.”