Courage

We watched a great documentary last  night on PBS about Vashti McCollum who brought suit in 1945 challenging the teaching of religion in public schools.  Over three years she and her family were treated like scum by the good citizens of Champaign, Illinois and all 'god' fearing people in the U.S.  But when the case finally reached the U.S. Supreme court they voted 8-1 to support her assertion.  She was such a courageous person and I had never heard of her before.  She had to the good fortune to live in an era in this nation's history where the Supreme Court put the constitution above politics and populism.  The Supreme Court at the time was comprised of nine white men.  Some democrat and some republican who were men of law and revered the constitution.

Can you think what might happen if we were to put the current majority of the Supreme Court in a time machine and sent them back to decide this case?  I have a feeling that all of our kids in public schools would be forced to wear a cross and attend daily religious indoctrination classes.  Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Rastafarians, Pastafarians and the rest would be put into work houses until they converted.  Or maybe just windowless basement classrooms.