Constitution misinterpreted

In response to the Sept. 20 article regarding the removal of the song, "God Bless America" at Buffalo Grove High School, I am saddened that this school chose to capitulate to Dawn Sherman's demands. We were informed she is the daughter of Rob Sherman, the atheist famous for fighting the battle to keep church and state separate.

Herein lies the misconception so prevalent in our public schools: There simply is no such thing in the Constitution as "separation of church and state." The establishment clause of the First Amendment simply states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an Establishment of Religion . . . ."

Nothing about the singing of this well-known patriotic song at a school-sponsored event accomplishes such an establishment of religion and certainly does not violate the Constitution. In addition, one cannot even find any legal precedent to suggest such a thing. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly determined that the First Amendment is there to protect religious speech.

U.S. history cannot be studied without noticing many references to religious beliefs and practices that were present from the very beginning. Belief in the divine is still apparent today in many of our symbols, songs, oaths and mottoes. As Justice Sandra Day O'Connor once expressed, "Certain ceremonial references to God and religion in our nation are the inevitable consequence of religious history that gave birth to our founding principles of liberty. It would be ironic that this Court were to wield our constitutional commitment to religious freedom so as to sever our ties to the traditions developed to honor it."

In the same way, removing the voluntary singing of "God Bless America" when our schools should be encouraging patriotic loyalty to our country currently embroiled in a war, is a travesty.

Betsy Haraf

Arlington Heights