Ted Rall, Idiot at Large

The beauty of this country is that idiots are free to parade around in public and prove how silly they truly are. In this little piece, titled "American Jihad," Ted Rall continues this fine tradition. He is so full of it on so many levels, the mind boggles. Just a bit:

First came a U.S. 9th circuit Court of Appeals ruling on June 26th, overturning a California law that requires public schools to lead students in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance-which includes the phrase "one nation, under God." This law is plainly inappropriate in a country that prides itself on free speech and free will. Forcing anyone to say anything, much less making children pledge loyalty, would be far more appropriate under a totalitarian dictatorship. This is America. My right to say my country sucks when I think it does is what truly makes America great.

Now, this lovely column was reportedly written in Sacramento, California, and if so, I'm wondering if Ted is in the same Sacramento, California, I'm in. Why? Because the law does not require students to participate in the pledge. Yes, the teacher is supposed to lead the pledge, but the students and -- and do -- opt out. They can stand (or sit) in silence. They don't have to say a word; they are not compelled to say a thing. In short, no cheery little atheist is required to acknowledge that she's "under God."

I'm also confused by this entire notion that the word "God" = Christian-only faith, as if there were only one Christian faith, ha! Tell that to a Baptist while he stands next to a Mormon. Oh, duck!

That Jews and Muslims also worship "God" seems to escape the sensibilities of Ted.

In other words, "under God" can and does encompasses a variety of religions, and therefore does not represent a state endorsement or establishment of any single religion.

I have to give Ted some latitude, though. He refers to 9/11/01 as "The Thing That Happened Last Fall." He is right in saying that the war on terrorism is looking more like a war on Islam, though it's focused on that fanatical brand that longs for that clash between Islam and the rest of the world, so that Islam can just go ahead and take over. It was this very quest that led to the Crusades, the history of which is trotted out in an attempt to illustrate Christian and Western attempts to suppress the faiths of the Middle East. Never mind the Ottoman Empire and the Islamic invasions of much of Europe, that's just, er, inconvenient.