ent entanglement with religion but it puts himself above the Constitution (Americans United for Separation of Church and State). His proposal includes government funding to churches and encourages faith-oriented schools, clubs, and programs. On Sept. 21, 2000, Bush wrote in USA Today that he would allocate $80 billion over 10 years in tax incentives to help churches provide services (USA Today). Although the nations fiscal situation has changed since then it is obvious that Bush’s strong feelings about integrating religion and government has not. These feelings will undoubtedly overflow onto future educational plans. The President of the United States of America himself subjectively helps promote his religion when he talks of his Christian beliefs on public TV and leads prayers in schools (USA Today). It is unethical, and it is embarrassing to see the man who represents our nation smash its ideals by constantly violating the First Amendment (Americans United for Separation of Church and State).As Thomas Jefferson put it, there needs to be a “wall of separation” between church and state (Cooke 119). It is imperative that we have this wall not only to preserve our beliefs, values, and rituals, but also to respect those characteristics of our fellow citizens. The separation of church and state allows the government to remain impartial by sponsoring no single religion. This policy keeps all religious citizens from feeling denounced or diminished by their government. It is time that Americans become the culturally tolerant and secular people that our predecessors envisioned us to be. It is our duty as Americans to uphold the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights and reinforce the “wall of separation”. If they are allowed to pass, the government’s new religious school policies will be the bulldozers that demolish this sacred wall. When this wall falls, the American ideal of a religiously free land falls wit...
