Don't be naive, Bush doesn't have to personally go over the list, he has hundreds of like-thinking cronies to do his dirty work. I know about the Wiccan soldiers who died in Iraq, their families weren't allowed to place Wiccan religious symbols on their tombstones. I know Bush stated to ABC that he doesn't think Wicca is a religion. I know his buddy Strom Thurman said it should be banned in the military and compared it to Satanism and cults. I doubt Bush has the slightest idea what Wicca or Witchcraft if you prefer is all about, what we believe etc.

Naivete aside...you gotta fill out the paperwork before you get the goods!:cool:

they have changed their stance, and the wiccan symbols have been allowed.

Don't confuse him with the facts!

well, just wasn't sure if somer saw that the wiccan religion has been added to the DoD list of recognized religions. symbols were placed on the tombstones of the deceased soldiers.

the supreme court chooses which cases to hear, so they evidently felt it was worth their time.

no, it may not be the best example of rights being trampled--but it's one of several rulings lately that gives me and others pause. and of course many feel that any chipping away of rights weakens the constitution. i agree. altho most would say that what the boy did was silly, or inane, or somehow promoted drug use ( i wouldn't go that far, i think he did it to get attention, and it worked), and that they found it offensive (have to wonder, what if it had said bong hits for bozo the clown?) it is his right to express himself--whether his stance is popular or not. and the constitution is designed to protect the unpopular view.
it kills me whenever people say majority rules. it does NOT rule. the constitution was written to protect the minority, as majority rule can quickly become mob rule.

Danzig: Somer knows this, but it makes for a better story if we're still hunting Wiccans. Somer: if this is that important to you,please get the leaders on board so they can benefit from the program!

but he does have a point--so many want to judge others--a non-mainstream religion seems a good target for many. look at al sharptons comments about mitt romney for instance. it shows ignorance on behalf of the speaker when they denigrate a religion that they really know nothing about. it's different, therefore dangerous. i also felt that the wiccans should be able to put their symbol on their tombstone--those guys fought and died for everyone, not just those of the 'correct' faith. thankfully the error was corrected.

Thanks Mrs Z, I'm glad someone sees my point. Yes, after a considerable effort, the symbols were finally allowed...as I originally stated, "the families weren't allowed to place Wiccan religious symbols on their tombstones"...past tense. The courts will correct many abuses of the Constitution...DoD has recognized Wicca for some time but folks like Bush and Thurman have publically questioned this policy and called for it to be changed.

the way I read it, he was told to take the banner down and didn't. then
he was suspended.

whatever his message is, in fact he admits he doesn't have one, I wonder how many other avenues he has used in order to express himself and his ideas?, has he passed out leaflets, gone door to door, taken out ads in the paper, written letters to the editor, stood on the corner preaching his ideas, created a website or blog, written a book, gone on local TV, etc. It would seem that all of those are freely available to him and others, and could be used to exercise his free speech. However just because a principle thought a single banner was perhaps not appropriate for a particular school sponsored event we need to be concerned about living in a totalitarian state?

I think people sometimes go way out of there way to be offended or in claiming to be disenfranchised.

As I said previously, the student was not on school property. The "banner" that he made was his own "property" and it was confiscated.
The event, the running of the Olympic torch, was not initated by the school.
Though I disagree with the "bong hits" part of the message, I don't agree with the Supreme Court's decision, nor did four justices.
On a side note, the T shirts are already being made. It wouldn't surprise me to see many students wearing them to their schools in the future.

And those kids who will wear the bong hits shirts are what makes America great.

no

but in the past the court ruled that free speech was disallowed if it was felt to be disruptive in class. he didn't yell anything, disrupt anything, and wasn't in class.

by the same token, we went on a field trip to d.c....those beer vendors on the mall didn't believe in carding. best school lunch i ever had.

Danzig,
I'll try to find Justice Steven's dissent in its entirety.
This makes mention of it, and I agree with his stand, and not Justice Thomas.
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2007...h-takes-a-hit/

If anybody is really interested in reading this stuff, here's the full opinion:
http://www.scotusblog.com/movabletyp...06-278_All.pdf

The way things go today , if the school hadnt done something about it Im sure some person would have freaked out and said "OMFG look at that , at a school function, is this where my tax dollars are going ? is this school district condoning this? my child has been adversley affected by this and he/ she may never be right again ." LOL

i know it's been their first free speech case in years, i just disagree with any further erosion of rights, and to say a child has less rights, or less rights in school--well, i disagree with that.

but then again.....don imus was fired, which some said took away his rights--no, he still has the right to say what he said, they just took his forum away. is that what the school was doing?

i just don't like it when they seem to be willing to erode the rights of minors, in public school, and i think this is one more example of that...i still think tho that had he not said bong hits FOR JESUS, this may not have gone so far.