In the United States separation of church and state is recognized as part of the Constitution. Article 6, Section 3 prohibits religious tests for office holders while giving no public support for religious institutions.

Many anti-Federalists were angry during this countriy’s early years because there was no requirement for men in power to be religious. Amos Singletary of Massachusetts states, “and though he hoped to see Christians, yet by the Constitution, a papist, or an infidel, was as eligible as they.”

An anti-Federalist in North Carolina wrote, “the exclusion of religious tests is by many thought dangerous and impolitic…they suppose…pagans, deists, and Mahometans might obtain offices among us.”

For one David Caldwell this religious prohibition of tests “constituted an invitation for Jews and pagans of every kind to come among us.” Since Christianity was the best religion for producing “good members of society…those gentlemen who formed this Constitution should not have given this invitation to Jews and Heathens.”

The aforementioned Article states:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Articles in addition to, and amendment of, the original U.S. Constitution stated:

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 people peaceably to assemble, and petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The world in the Middle East and so-called Democratic Iraq not only don’t recognize a separation of religion and government they seek out advice of clerics, allow religious leaders in parliament and give way to militias sponsored and funded by Muslim leaders.

We here the “civil war” in Iraq is “secular” but these militias operate at the behest of Muslim clergy. If Iraq wishes to establish a country of laws and sustainable peace it must find leadership capable of separating the Mosque from the State and demonstrate why success depends on it. Unfortunately, Iraq and the Middle East have learned nothing from history; they cling to tribal customs, lack objectivity and the ability to resolve differences.

There was a reason the Founding Father’s made religion a freedom and disallowed religious requirements of government. Iraq would do well to follow this example.

What is the significance of the “Butcher of Baghdad” dieing at the gallows. The 27/7- cable news can’t get enough. FoxNews blared “Breaking News” long after the execution was over with the lure of video and pictures.

During interviews of retired military a split screen showed street celebrations in Dearborn, Michigan. Several things caught my. Large Iraqi flags were being waved, some people holding tiny American flags also. I saw one American flag attached to its handheld pole upside down. Others had American and Iraqi flags draped around their shoulders.

Many Iraqi’s brought their families to America and especially Dearborn. Who’s to blame them? However, are they assimilating to American culture, the video only tells us they are glad Saddam Hussein is dead but what does it say about sectarian violence in the streets of Baghdad? Do these people care so much about their homeland Iraq and at times publicly diminish the symbol of America?

If these folks are so concerned with strife in Iraq they should begin shifting their energy and return home to fight, reminiscent of Minutemen, to recover their country by joining the fledgling Iraqi army and fight the good fight. They should publicly denounce the clerics who support militias and the Iraqi Prime Minister for his feckless adherence to religious dictates while ignoring the new Iraqi constitution and rule of law.

Americans have given Iraqi and other Middle Eastern people the opportunity to live free in America through immigration and citizenship as well as establish Democracy in their home country. What has changed in Iraq, there are mass killings, bombings, torture and abductions. American military are targets of Saddam sympathizers and Shite militias. In central Iraq and new government there seems little respect or gratitude for American sacrifice in blood and billion upon billions of U.S. dollars.

It’s easy to dance in the streets, not so easy to return to the country whose flag you wave and fight for Democracy. A new government is hard pressed when they are afraid to enforce the law and a society that won’t fight against murderers while accepting our spilled blood and money is cowardice at best.

The political climate is changing in the United States but Iraqi’s have an obligation to stand up, once and for all, to the militias or they will find themselves ruled by Mullahs and dictators and no one to blame but themselves.

As written in the post directly below, Durham, North Carolina D.A., Mike Nifong is beginning to receive ethics protests from the legal community.

The Associated Press reports:

The North Carolina bar filed ethics charges Thursday against the prosecutor in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case, accusing him of saying misleading and inflammatory things to the media about the athletes under suspicion.

The punishment for ethics violations can range from admonishment to disbarment. The complaint could also force District Attorney Mike Nifong off the case by creating a conflict of interest.

Among the four rules of professional conduct that Nifong was accused of violating was a prohibition against making comments “that have a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of the accused.”

The bar cited 41 quotations and eight paraphrased statements made to newspaper and TV reporters, saying many of them amounted to “improper commentary about the character, credibility and reputation of the accused” or their alleged unwillingness to cooperate. Most of the comments were in March and April, in the early days of the case.

Among them:

- Nifong referred to the lacrosse players as “a bunch of hooligans.”

- He declared: “I am convinced there was a rape, yes, sir.”

- He told ESPN: “One would wonder why one needs an attorney if one was not charged and had not done anything wrong.”

- He told The New York Times: “I’m disappointed that no one has been enough of a man to come forward. And if they would have spoken up at the time, this may never have happened.”

Nifong was also charged with breaking a rule against “dishonesty, fraud, deceit and misrepresentation.” The bar said that when DNA testing failed to find any evidence a lacrosse player raped the accuser, Nifong told a reporter the players might have used a condom.

According to the bar, Nifong knew that assertion was misleading, because he had received a report from an emergency room nurse in which the accuser said her attackers did not use a condom.

This case is going south fast and will probably never come to trial. It’s time for the legal community to police it’s back yard and rid itself of a lawyer who believes he is above the law and his self-interest is more important than following correct judicial conduct.