Otterblog

It’s not quite the Million Man March, but getting 2,500 people to march in Yadkinville on a beautiful Saturday in late April is still an amazing feat. The occasion was a rally to get the Yadkin County Commissioners to change their position and allow sectarian prayer before their meetings.

I find this debate really interesting. For all the talk about liberals vs. conservatives and godlessness vs. god-fearing, it’s really about how we as a country and as individuals interpret the constitution and set values. And civil debates about the constitution should be encouraged. Again, the First Amendment is a mighty, mighty bit of writing, and I don’t think it’s a sign of weakness or vagueness that we’re still trying to figure out what our framers meant in those 45 words. I’d like to think that James Madison and Co. are getting a chuckle and nodding approvingly somewhere.

Our principal reporter on this issue says she gets called frequently and asked to help out. And she politely tells people that’s not her job—to advocate for either side. What we can do and try to do is to explain each side’s position as well as the legal history of this issue to date and the political and policy implications. 

As a backgrounder, I’ve included a link to Marsh v. Chambers, which is cited by both sides as supportive of their positions.