MY OPINION IS THAT HE SHOULD OF PLACED HIS HAND OVER HIS HEART AS A SYMBOL OF RESPECT, PRIDE AND LOYALTY BUT, WAS IT HIS FAULT? SHOULD HE BE BLAMED? WHO ALLOWED HIM TO BE SWORN IN ON THE KORAN? THE FOUNDATION OF THIS COUNTRY WAS BASED ON "GOD" FROM THE HOLY BIBLE WHICH AMERICA SWEARS BY!!!! SO IF YOU TAKE THE ONE TRUE MEANING OF THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGENCE AND THE NATIONS HIMN AND LET IT BE REPLACED BY A KORAN---- WHY DOES HE HAVE TO PLACE HIS HAND OVER HIS HEART? YOU ALLOWED HIM THAT DISRESPECTFUL ACTION. NOW U WANT TO CRITIZE HIM. AMERICA HAS LOST THE TRUE MEANING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, THE PLEDGE OF ALIGENCE AND NATIONAL ANTHEM. THIS COUNTRY WAS BASED ON GOD AND NOW HE IS THE LAST PERSON INVOLVED, SO ARE U NOT TO EXPECT DESTRUCTION AND UNORGANIZATION ON BEHALF OF MAN?!

Obama wasn't sworn in on the Koran, a congressman from Minnesota was. He was the first Muslim in Congress. Obama is a Christian and was sworn in with the Bible.

The Congressman from Minnesota was sworn in with a Koran that had belonged to Thomas Jefferson. No lie, so there's the signer of the Declaration of Independence, third president, who OWNED a KORAN!

THANK YOU FOR THE CORRECTION, BUT EVEN STILL THIS IS MY POINT IF I MAY. WHEN SOME ONE COMES TO YOUR HOUSE TO VISIT AND MAYBE EVENTUALLY LIVE WITH YOU, THIS PERSON NEEDS TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RULES AND CONDITIONS OF THE HOUSE ARE. THAT PERSON DECIDES TO EITHER LIVE BY THOSE RULES OR IS NOT TO STAY. WHEN THE RULES ARE KEPT AND REINFORCED YOUR HOME IS ONE THAT IS IN ORDER AND STABLE. HOWEVER, WHEN SUCH RULES START TO CHANGE OR AMENDED THEN THINGS START TO GET OUT OF ORDER. THAT IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO OUR COUNTRY. EVERYBODY COMES IN WITH A WHOLE LOT OF CRAP AND DOES WHAT THEY WANT AND THE "HOME OWNER" IS LETTING EVERYONE AND ANYONE COME INTO HIS HOME AND BE DISRESPETED WITHOUT STANDING FIRM AND CORRECTING THE PROBLEMS. I AM A CHRISTIAN BELIEVER AND FOLLOWER OF CHRIST AND MY HOME IS BASED ON THE LAW OF GOD AND ANYONE WHO COMES TO MY HOME MUST RESPECT MY RULES OTHERWISE THEY MAY NOT COME IN. AS PLAIN AND SIMPLE AS THAT. OUR COUNTRY HAS LET EVERY TOM DICK AND HARRY DO WHAT THEY WANT IN THIER HOME WITHOUT ANY KIND OF REBUKE. AND THIS GOES ON AND ON BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER 20, EVERYONE THINKS THAT THIS COUNTRY BELONGS TO THIS PERSON OR THAT PERSON. IT'S A MESS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CORRECTION, THAT GOES TO SHOW YOU THAT WHEN THAT SHOULD OF BEEN NIPPED IN THE BUT, IT WAS ALLOWED. IT'S LIKE YOU CAN'T TELL YOUR CHILD NOT TO DRINK IF HE SEES YOU GUZZLING ON A BOTTLE OF WHISKEY. IT IS A SHAME.

It's interesting that the same people who get so offended when the government "oversteps its bounds" by requiring seat-belts, are those who demand that there ought to be regulation about wearing a flag pin or putting one's hand over one's heart for the anthem.

I don't really understand the whole Koran thing. Obama is Christian. Additionally, this country was founded on religious freedom and freedom of speach--so how is it "anti-American" if Americans did allow a Muslim to be sworn in?

This whole "hand over hear thing" is just another way of avoiding real issues (health care reform, tax reform, environmental reform, foreign policy reform, etc.), and writing Obama off for no good reason.

I think it's a nice ritual. It really doesn't take much to do. And though Mr. Obama might have his reasons, whatever they are his not doing it made him look like an Oaf, at best; and a Punk at worst. And it may be true that most Americans (for a time I would include myself) don't know the words to the our Anthem, but that is bad too. Though not near as bad as a very Public figure refusing to comply with a simple ceremony. I am not a man of the Right or Left, but there's no question in my mind that this episode is just one more symptom of the disease that's been eating away at America for 40 years; the disease most of us are finally waking up to, and beginning to do something about. The disease of Cultural Marxism.

ccaballero,

"I AM A CHRISTIAN BELIEVER AND FOLLOWER OF CHRIST AND MY HOME IS BASED ON THE LAW OF GOD AND ANYONE WHO COMES TO MY HOME MUST RESPECT MY RULES OTHERWISE THEY MAY NOT COME IN."

That does not sound very Christian..."And as Jesus sat at the table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with him and his disciples" (Mark 2:15). Jesus seemed to be more open to the so called "law breakers"--he even dined with them.

There are a lot of people that don't place their hands over their hearts. As long as he was standing and remainded quiet that should be enough for people. Go to most sporting events that is where you will find the people with NO respect at all for the National Anthem. They will race to the beer booth, talk, walk around or eat while the Anthem is being sung. Some of them can't even be bothered to stand.

BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD ONE BIBLE ANYTHING ELSE IS IDOLATRY OR DOES GOD SHARE HIS GLORY WITH ANYONE ELSE? THE RELIGOUS FREEDOM AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS AND SHOULD BE FOR THE NON BELIEVERS OF GOD AND GOD ONLY NOT TO ALLOW EVERY OTHER BELIEF AS TO TWIST THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THE THE AMMENDMENT. I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST MUSLIMS, PLEASE LET THAT BE KNOWN.

Jefferson owned a copy of the Koran, because he felt it the best way to learn about the "Muslim terrorists" of the day - Barbary Pirates. They, too, were Wahhabi-type (radical) Muslims.

Jefferson used his copy of the Koran much like a textbook. It gave him insight into their political and social agendas, as well as their social hierarchy. It is from that book, that he gleaned the information he found necessary to deal with the Pirates.

As for Keith Ellison, yes, he's Muslim. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, so please get off your pious high horse.

Just as some Christians did and still do wrong or bring harm to others in the name of their radical religious beliefs (oh..how about those Crusades?) you find peoples of all religions doing what they feel is right, based upon their religion. Where we have a problem, is when people take 'The Word' too literally and bring harm to others.

Now...I'm going to do my best to not go into the religious debate here. But I will say that there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with being Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Taoist...or any other religion in this country. It's important that YOUR religious beliefs work for YOU. People have no place in inflicting their religious beliefs on others. It's all about FREEDOM OF RELIGION here, folks. (Not to mention, freedom FROM religion.)

PLEASE DO NOT MISINTERPRET ME. I WILL UPHOLD THE LAW OF GOD IN MY HOME. I WILL ALWAYS HELP THE HOMELESS, THE GANGSTER, THE NEEDY THE SINNER FOR I WAS IN THE SAME PLACE AND I NEED TO SHOW THEM THAT THE LOVE OF GOD LIVES IN ME. BUT, AS FAR AS PEOPLE COMING IN MY HOUSE AND BRING ALCOHOL, DRUGS OR CURSING ----- SORRY NOT ALLOWED. THAT IS WHAT I MEANT.

ccaballero,

The writers of the constitution were mostly Deists. They believed God was a detached clock maker who simply wound the earth and let it go. Jesus was not the "Christ" but a very good man to them. The Bible was not an "enlightened" book to them (just look at the Jefferson Bible).

People do not have to be what the writers of the constitution were in order to be American. Otherwise we would all hate England, we would still be slave holders, women would not be able to vote, etc. You are speaking from your own bias as a conservative Christian and making that position universal. The first Ammendment calls for no laws of religious persecution--how is it not a marginalizing persecution of Islam if one argues that a Muslim cannot be president simply because of his or her religion?

IT'S NOT INFLICTING THE BELIEF, LIKE I STARTED SAYING FROM THE BEGINNING ----- THE FOUNDATION OF AMERICA WAS ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE. ANYTHING ELSE IS ANTI-GOD, THEREFORE SHOULD BE ANTI-AMERICAN. PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE HATED, HURT OR LABELED FOR THIER BELIEFS, HOWEVER LETS KEEP IT ORIGINAL. IF YOU TAKE GOD OUT OF AMERICA WHAT WILL HAPPEN? WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW!

"PLEASE DO NOT MISINTERPRET ME. I WILL UPHOLD THE LAW OF GOD IN MY HOME. I WILL ALWAYS HELP THE HOMELESS, THE GANGSTER, THE NEEDY THE SINNER FOR I WAS IN THE SAME PLACE AND I NEED TO SHOW THEM THAT THE LOVE OF GOD LIVES IN ME. BUT, AS FAR AS PEOPLE COMING IN MY HOUSE AND BRING ALCOHOL, DRUGS OR CURSING ----- SORRY NOT ALLOWED. THAT IS WHAT I MEANT. "

Fair enough, but are you saying that allowing Obama to not put his hand over his heart he is equivallent to a gangster or an alcholic or a drug lord?