It’s SCOTUS decision time. So, naturally, Sports Illustrated is there to break it down for us.
They’re specifically interested in the case of public high school football coach Joe Kennedy, who walked out onto the field at a game one night and dropped to his knees in prayer, by himself. According to Sports Illustrated, a ruling in his favor could singlehandedly erode a bedrock of American democracy:
SCOTUS will soon rule on the case of a public school football coach who wants to pray on-field after games.@GregBishopSI on Joe Kennedy, the machine backing him and the expected result: a win for Kennedy and an erosion of a bedrock of American democracy: https://t.co/H8tEoQauZh pic.twitter.com/XCmjK0qQsO
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 13, 2022
Kennedy insisted then and maintains now that he didn’t want any attention. That he desired only to pray, by himself, briefly, right there, as he had done after every game for eight seasons until the school told him that fall he had to stop. And that, despite his leadership role overseeing impressionable teenagers, his actions weren’t intended to coerce anyone.
His opponents say his intentions don’t matter, and, if they did, this scene was his creation, anyway. Kennedy had spent those previous six weeks conducting multiple interviews that exacerbated his conflict with the school. Two weeks before the game, he had retained First Liberty, the powerful Christian conservative law firm, in his burgeoning legal battle against the district. And he intensified the spotlight’s glare before kickoff with a pregame Facebook post, announcing a big night upcoming. In signing off, he asked for prayers.
He asked for prayers? Why wasn’t he locked up right then and there?
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Regardless, the coach makes for an unlikely figurehead in these legal theatrics. He was aimless for most of his 53 years. For decades, he wasn’t religious at all, and he isn’t overtly so now. He never followed football all that closely. And yet, he is now at the center of a seven-year legal conflict that started with that covenant—to pray after every game. That morphed into a controversy, then a circus, then a lawsuit centered on the First Amendment and its clauses. That broadened into a political brawl. That widened into a culture-war cudgel. And that wound through the court system, until case No. 21-418 landed on the docket for the Supreme Court of the United States.
Kennedy’s life is now part of the public domain, an emblem to be viewed, utilized and manipulated for others’ aims. He’s a human embodiment of a country that’s deeply divided; a religious movement that’s surging with momentum, even as organized religion becomes increasingly less popular; and, most of all, a powerful right-wing machine many say is employing a timeless division tactic: us vs. them. All morphed a man’s unremarkable existence into an extraordinary one and imbued Kennedy with elusive, far-reaching purpose. He’s no longer just a man. He’s now a symbol, for what his supporters term “religious freedom.”
“What his supporters term ‘religious freedom.'” So … religious freedom, then.
American democracy is predicated on stopping people from practicing their religion https://t.co/F1yv3AQ3FE
— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) June 13, 2022
That is effectively what Sports Illustrated is attempting to argue.
What does “American democracy” mean in this sentence https://t.co/98KbSmOgRa
— Jake Bequette (@JakeBequette91) June 13, 2022
It means whatever the hell Sports Illustrated wants it to mean.
But we do not think it means what Sports Illustrated thinks it means.
This is a helluva take, when you read the article.
Coach was praying by himself on the field, and the school told him to stop.
How is this NOT a violation of the “free exercise” clause of the first amendment? https://t.co/Uqzc6zT3B0
— The H2 (@TheH2) June 13, 2022
“an erosion for the bedrock of american democracy” is a coach praying on-field after a football game? without forcing players to do it? https://t.co/39tZ7gkK6m
— kaitlin, by definition, a woman (@thefactualprep) June 13, 2022
We’d be embarrassed for Sports Illustrated if this were a one-off for them, but they’ve been playing around in the political kiddie pool for several years now and clearly haven’t learned their lesson. So that’s on them.
“The first amendment erodes American democracy” is a hell of a take, even for Sports Illustrated https://t.co/sxrpwamnTW
— Nick (@Nickster0188) June 13, 2022
"The expected result is a win for the coach—and the further erosion of the separation between church and state."
Total nonsense. https://t.co/1Eu4D8zEXa
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) June 13, 2022
Actually, no. It is not an erosion of a bedrock of democracy if the government can't punish people for praying. This is a bad take.
— Casey Mattox (@CaseyMattox_) June 13, 2022
"Freedom of religion is both the thing on which the country is founded upon and a threat to democracy" is sure a take.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) June 13, 2022
🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
The 1st Amendment was written to protect religious observance from government, not to protect the government from religious observance.
— Matthew Hamilton (@MatthewDavidHa4) June 13, 2022
The First Amendment even extends to Sports Illustrated. They have the right to make complete asses of themselves as often as they like. Which seems to be pretty often these days.
Looks like sports illustrated has never watched a single sports game or they would have known that Democracy will survive it. https://t.co/a9TaSj44z1 pic.twitter.com/6iE2WF2WP4
— Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) June 13, 2022
Maybe someone should pray for Sports Illustrated.
“Prayer is an erosion of the bedrock of democracy”
“Half naked men should be able to lap dance on your kindergarteners”
Same people https://t.co/Y8oDDSBZbx
— The Dank Knight 🦇 (@capeandcowell) June 13, 2022
Pray that they get their priorities straight.
I have no words for this article. It lurches between mean-spiritedness, gross misrepresentation of law and fact, sneering directed at all religious people, and downright evil desperation to punish and demean a powerless man. I hope but doubt @GregBishopSI is thoroughly ashamed. https://t.co/3op5OfaEP5
— Nicolás (@ApellidoNicolas) June 13, 2022
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