Kagan Accuses Conservative Justices Of 'Blindness' To Secular Values
Justice Elena Kagan argued Monday that the Supreme Court went "far astray" from constitutional principles when narrowly ruling that a New York town may begin its public meetings with a prayer that tends to be Christian.
In her dissenting opinion against the 5-4 ruling, the Obama-appointed justice accused the court's conservatives of "blindness" to the secularism principles at stake, particularly the rights of religious minorities.
"I have no doubt that every member of this Court believes as firmly as I that our institutions of government belong equally to all, regardless of faith. Rather, the error reflects two kinds of blindness," Kagan wrote. "First, the majority misapprehends the facts of this case, as distinct from those characterizing traditional legislative prayer. And second, the majority misjudges the essential meaning of the religious worship in Greece's town hall, along with its capacity to exclude and divide."
In the controlling opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy decreed, "The town of Greece does not violate the First Amendment by opening its meetings with prayer that comports with our tradition and does not coerce participation by nonadherents." He argued that "nonbelievers" could "choose to exit the room during a prayer they find distasteful" and that they were in no way coerced into taking part in the prayer.
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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/elena-kagan-supreme-court-prayer-secularism
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In Jesus' name, amen."
I can see it now.
Kind of like the "end of racism" fantasy. It's like no one ever read 1984. 
--imm
