Pruitt deserves our thanks for his courageous stand

defending the First Amendment against the Christian right ...

... because if Jews don't speak out, they'll think we don't mind

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Pruitt deserves our thanks for his courageous stand

By State Senator JD Alexander, Scrips Treasure Coast Newspaper (Marin County, Florida), February 28, 2006

All because he wrote a letter to his party's strongest conservatives challenging them to put their wallets where their hearts are and get involved in conservative issues.

All of a sudden, state Sen. Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, one of the most effective people in all of Florida government, finds himself in the middle of an ambush, looking up at a forest of snipers.

Instead of expressing outrage, we should be saying "thanks." Thanks for standing up to liberal judges who want to legislate from the bench, such as the California judge who ruled that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools is unconstitutional. Thanks for speaking up when the only voices the media want to cite carry letters of liberalism like the ACLU. Thanks for caring enough to call it as you see it — and, fortunately, as do millions of Floridians.

Certainly, Sen. Pruitt's letter was very direct in asking conservatives to fight "liberal judges, the radical ACLU and the anti-God left." The letter itself contained few surprises — no real change in Sen. Pruitt's convictions or intentions. Yet at a time when too many elected officials are full of speech but lack directness, I applaud Ken Pruitt for the courage to let people know where he stands.

Like it or not, Sen. Pruitt's critics have to understand that the public — and I'm talking about Republicans, Democrats, members of all parties — overwhelmingly supports saying "under God" in the Pledge. Nearly nine of 10 Americans support acknowledging God as our source of rights and freedoms. Sen. Pruitt hardly went out on a limb when he said activist judges should not be allowed to construe our Constitution in ways that abolish acknowledging that fact.

According to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the Pledge is one of several expressions of national identity and patriotism that mention God but don't violate the Constitution's ban on state-sponsored religion. The U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed time and again that such official acknowledgement of our nation's religious heritage, foundation and character are indeed constitutional.

The American people understand that. Sen. Pruitt understands that, too.

As the incoming Senate president, Sen. Pruitt has an obligation to raise money to fund party operations. He does that very well. What a pity his letter was construed by some as divisive. He was appealing specifically to members of his own party who have made the destructive decisions of activist judges their top rallying cries. The ones who know Ken Pruitt best call him "a class act." And so they should.

Personally, I have known and observed Sen. Pruitt for nearly eight years. This is a man who loves and understands both Florida and Floridians, and always displays consummate integrity. He's also a straight-shooter, a tireless worker, a leader and a statesman capable of bringing real distinction to the Senate chamber — and to the state he loves.

For that, he's earned our admiration, and commands our respect.

What Letter?
In January, state Sen. Ken Pruitt sent a four-page letter to influential Republican conservatives — and not directed at the general public — in which he sought contributions to finance a constitutional amendment drive he said will prevent the Boy Scouts of America and the Pledge of Allegiance from being banned from public schools.

The letter was criticized by state Democratic leaders, who said Pruitt was using his position as Senate President Designate to pressure contributors for money, but Senate General Counsel Steve Kahn ruled the letter broke no rules.

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