John Hostettler: “in response to a discussion earlier about the notion of ``false advertising'' in relationship to this piece of…”

“in response to a discussion earlier about the notion of ``false advertising'' in relationship to this piece of legislation, I have developed some fairly thick skin over the last several years in this job, but I think that I should draw the line today with regard to suggesting that people such as the American Legion would engage in false advertising in their support of the Public Expression of Religion Act. In a booklet published by the American Legion entitled ``In the Footsteps of the Founders,'' the American Legion set out a course of action, a battle plan, if you will, in their desire to ``mobilize America to urge passage of the Public Expression of Religion Act, or PERA.'' They close in their mobilization in this regard: ``There simply is no reasonable basis to support the profiteering and attorney fees awards ordered by judges in these cases,'' meaning establishment clause cases. ``The very threat of such fees has made elected bodies, large and small, surrender to the ACLU's demands to secularly cleanse the public square.'' They go further to say this: ``The American Legion does not intend to surrender to the ACLU or anyone else in defense of veterans memorials, the Boy Scouts or the public display of American religious history and heritage. We are involved because we are veterans who served the Nation when our country called. But most of all, we are involved because we are Americans. `For God and country' is our credo, and both are imperiled today.…”