Rewriting the First Amendment by the ACLU (drops religion from 1st amendment on its website)
GoGov.com  | January 15, 2004 | R. Betts
 

Rewriting the First Amendment
by the ACLU

The ACLU's crusade against religion should be no secret to anyone. The organization is well know for its stand against any signs of religion in government buildings or practices.

But it seems when it comes the U.S. constitution, the ACLU has taken matters into it own hands, well, at least as it sites the first amendment on its web page section dealing with free speech.

Here is how the first amendment appears to the ACLU on its web site. (link Here)

"Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."- as quoted by the ACLU

Something in the passage above is amiss, has been omitted, replaced with ( "...") in the ACLU's recitation of this important amendment. Have a look at the original wording of the first amendment below and see if you can see what the ACLU left out.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The ACLU has taken it upon itself to edit out all reference to religion in the first amendment, which by the way comes ahead of free speech.

We understand ACLU has its views on what the first amendment means and respect its free speech rights to debate it. That debate, however, ought to be legitimate. Altering the text of the first amendment to suits it ends is anything but legitimate. It's downright deceptive. Shame.