Bowing heads in silence of free speech?

Do I think the recent changes to the City Council meetings regarding

the invocations limit free speech? Yes, I do.

If people would carefully look at the Constitution, they would see

that there is no clause that says separation of church and state.

Those words actually came from a court decision made in about the

1960s, when they decided to take prayer out of public school.

In fact, the only thing the Constitution says in the

establishment, really, is that government shall not establish a

church, such as how England chose to establish the Church of England.

The second thing is if our forefathers wanted a separation of

church and state, why did the Declaration of Independence have in it

that certain rights are given to us by our “Creator”?

The point being, yes, it’s a clear violation of free speech. And

it’s a clear violation and an attack on religious freedom as a whole.

BEN WALKER

Newport Beach

That respect for differences in religious observation is a

violation of freedom of speech gives evidence of convoluted thinking.

Ours is now a multicultural, multiethnic society. There is a change

in the balance. Anglo dominance is a thing of the past. Therefore, we

must respect the differences, for example, Buddhism, Muslim

observance, Judaism, etc. and even atheism.

The recommendation of the Rev. George Crisp of Christ Church by

the Sea for a “somewhat generic approach,” so that prayers are

inclusive of as many people as possible without offending anyone, is

gracious and most effective.

In making City Council decisions, we sometimes wish we could call

on the aid of a god. However, separation of church and state, as

mandated in our Constitution, requires that, instead, we study the

backup material that comes with the agenda, that we listen to public

testimony and then come to a wise decision based on humanity and

wisdom -- not divine power.

LUCILLE KUEHN

Corona del Mar

* LUCILLE KUEHN is former Newport Beach City Council member.