From Weasel Zippers:
Via TWS:
John Brennan was sworn in today at the White House. He was confirmed as the new CIA director yesterday.
“Brennan was sworn in with his hand on an original draft of the Constitution, dating from 1787, which has George Washington’s personal handwriting and annotations on it,” according to the White House. He does not appear to have placed his hand on a Bible, a Torah, a Koran, or other sacred religious text as he said the oath.
Me: Should this not be considered another sign of this administration's embracing radical secularism and a continual distancing of itself from Christianity? Consider: free abortions, homosexual marriage, no conscience protection for those opposed to funding abortifacients, and now dissing the Bible in swearing-in ceremonies.
Update from Olivier Knox of Yahoo news:
Spokesman John Earnest said Brennan had asked for a document from the National Archives that would demonstrate the U.S. is a nation of laws."Director Brennan told the president that he made the request to the archives because he wanted to reaffirm his commitment to the rule of law as he took the oath of office as director of the CIA,” Earnest said.
The Constitution itself went into effect in 1789. But troublemaking blogger Marcy Wheeler points out that what was missing from the Constitution in 1787 is also quite symbolic: The Bill of Rights, which did not officially go into effect until December 1791 after ratification by states. (Caution: Marcy's post has some strong language.)
That means: No freedom of speech and of the press, no right to bear arms, no Fourth Amendment ban on “unreasonable searches and seizures,” and no right to a jury trial. [my bolding ]
How ... symbolic?