Civil Commotion � Michael Reagan: No chip off the old block

Civil Commotion � Michael Reagan: No chip off the old block

It turns out that Michael Reagan, radio talk-show host and son of former President Ronald Reagan, is just as dumb as critics thought his dad was.


If you are wondering where the American Civil Liberties Union is standing in the war on terror, contemplate the following: The ACLU wants U.S. courts to allow the Quran to be used instead of the Bible when administering the oath to Muslims in court.

According to The Associated Press, denying the use of other religious texts would violate the Constitution by favoring Christianity over other religions, the ACLU of North Carolina said in a lawsuit. State law currently allows witnesses preparing to testify in court to take their oath either by laying a hand over a “Holy Scripture,” by saying “so help me God” without the use of a religious book, or by using no religious symbols.

[ … ]

I can’t reach any other conclusion but that the ACLU feels the only way for this war in Iraq to end is to have more Americans die so that the backbones of the American people will weaken, as happened in Vietnam, and will finally demand that Washington stop fighting the terrorists there and pull out. I’m convinced that the ACLU has reached the conclusion that the only way they can accomplish this is to pour more fuel on the fire and allow the enemy to recruit more terrorists to kill more Americans.

I firmly believe that the ACLU wants more Americans to die so that the war will end.

[ … ]

I don’t know how much longer the American people are going to put up with this sorry ACLU bunch. They are the ones who caused prayer to be banned in our schools …

Ahhh … nuts.

As it happens, I share the view that the ACLU’s argument that “Holy Scriptures” comprehends texts other the the Bible is pretty feeble, but — unlike Reagan — it seems entirely reasonable to me that a Muslim should wish to affirm the oath using the Quran, and I can’t think of a reason in the world why I, or Reagan, should suppose that extending such an ordinary courtesy evidences a desire to see Americans die. Nor can I think of any reason why that courtesy should not be extended as a matter of course.

Reagan is half-baked on the school prayer matter, too. The Supreme Court combined two cases, Abington Township v. Schempp and Murray v. Curlett, issuing a single decision. The ACLU assisted Schempp, but refused to assist Murray. More importantly, the resulting decision did not outlaw school prayer. School prayer has never been outlawed, and no American court has ever held otherwise.

Compulsory school prayer was outlawed, and if Reagan knew anything more about the subject than the demagoguic applause-line he’d know that. What is more, he’d be grateful. If compulsory school prayer was legal, the children who attend Dearborn, Michigan’s public schools would be prostrating themselves and reciting prayers from the Quran 5-times daily.

Reagan is just another example of the trivial, cliche-howling belligerants (see here, and here) on the Right who exploit the Ignorami for personal gain.