PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION REQUESTED TO COMMEMORATE FIFTY YEARS “UNDER GOD”

President Considers Proposal to Mark the 50th Anniversary of the Pledge

Washington, DC – Today, on behalf of more than 600,000 citizens who have stood with Grassfire.org in support of keeping the phrase “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, Grassfire.org, an online conservative issues advocacy organization, filed an official proposal for a Presidential proclamation to make June 15, 2004 “National Pledge Reaffirmation Day.” The date marks the fiftieth anniversary of the day Congress unanimously passed and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law a statute amending the Pledge of Allegiance to include the words “under God.”

“Given the current controversy regarding the Pledge and the pending Supreme Court decision, the proclamation would provide a good opportunity for the President to make a strong statement in support of the Pledge,” said Steve Elliott, president of Grassfire.org Alliance.

Grassfire.org submitted the proposal in conjunction with its current commemorative campaign honoring the fiftieth anniversary of the Pledge and recognizing the importance of maintaining the current language. Since the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional, Grassfire.org has been at the forefront of the issue—raising awareness and concern through national petition drives and an Amicus Brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court.

“A National Pledge re-affirmation day is wonderful irony considering the U.S. Supreme Court is about to decide whether or not our children can even legally say the Pledge as ‘one nation under God,’” said Elliott. “Our grassroots efforts have raised more than 600,000 citizens who support the Pledge and who are eager to learn how the court will rule. Should the High Court rule against the constitutionality of the Pledge, I truly believe there will be a fallout the likes of which our nation has never seen.”

Additional Grassfire.org efforts in support of the Pledge included progressive letter-writing campaigns that resulted in more than 40,000 letters reaching each of the nine justices on the Supreme Court; petition presentations to the Courts and to elected officials; and the mobilization of more than 600,000 Pledge supporters resulting in a flood of phone calls, emails and faxes in reaction to Rep. Jim McDermott’s (D-WA) intentional omission of “Under God” from the House’s daily recital of the Pledge.

Grassfire.org is an online grassroots organization that provides tools to individuals and organizations seeking to expand their impact on many of today's most important issues. By providing services to more than 1.5 million citizens and dozens of organizations, Grassfire.org is one of the largest online grassroots networks in the nation.

For more information about Grassfire.org, or to schedule an interview with Grassfire President Steve Elliott, contact Max Pulsinelli at 703-739-5920 or email pulsinelli@sbpublicaffairs.com.