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Politics : Liberalism: Do You Agree We've Had Enough of It? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Hope Praytochange who wrote (13380)	8/16/2007 8:54:37 PM
From: Ann Corrigan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 224749

Giuliani favors graduation prayer -A balance of constitutional protections is needed, the former mayor says. BY JONATHAN ROOS AND MEGAN HAWKINS REGISTER STAFF WRITERS August 16, 2007 Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani voiced support Wednesday for the inclusion of prayer at school graduation ceremonies - an issue that has been the subject of a number of court battles. Giuliani, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, discussed the issue with a supporter during a campaign stop in the southwestern Iowa town of Carson. "Why have we taken God so much out of the country? I think that's kind of a core issue. I would like to see God brought back into it," said Marsha Sternberg of Carson, a chiropractic office receptionist who was among about 40 people at the Wander In Cafe. Giuliani said there needs to be a balance between constitutional protections against the government establishment of religion and people's right of religious freedom. Sternberg turned the discussion to the offering of prayers at commencement exercises. Giuliani, a Roman Catholic, said he's given a lot of commencement speeches, although he made no distinction between high school and college ceremonies. "In most of them there's a prayer - usually a minister or a priest or a rabbi, or sometimes a professor gets up and says a prayer at the beginning of it," he said. "So I wouldn't think that's prohibited." Prayer at public school events has generally been outlawed because it violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment, said Carol Greta, legal counsel for the Iowa Department of Education. "The basic guidelines are that if the prayer is either at the urging of, or with consent and knowledge of public school officials, it's not legal," Greta said. "The only time it's OK is if it's initiated by a student and the school has no idea the student is planning to do it." The U.S. Supreme Court in 2000 ruled against prayer before football games in a case out of El Paso, Texas. And in 2002, a federal judge ruled against the Woodbine, Ia., school district for planning to sing the Lord's Prayer at commencement ceremonies. School districts these days keep religion out of graduation ceremonies but can hold optional religious baccalaureate ceremonies, Greta said. Giuliani was making his first trip to Iowa since Saturday's GOP straw poll, which he did not attend. He campaigned in western Iowa and attended the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. It was Giuliani's first visit to the Iowa State Fair. He ordered - to go - two turkey legs as well as a pair of brats. He shook hands with everyone in sight, including the weather service's robot, called Terri. He kissed babies and autographed Yankees baseball caps and numerous colors and styles of shirts. But he told one teenage girl's mother, "I won't sign a kid's shirt. I want to make sure their moms know." While Giuliani has not made a point of addressing issues regarding his views on religion, Iowans continue to bring up the subject on the campaign trail. Last week, at an appearance in Bettendorf, he said there should not be a religious test for people seeking public office. He has emphasized that as president he would choose justices for the high court who narrowly interpret the Constitution.