Well, well … we certainly have a lot of work to do
– removing
”
under God
”
from the Pledge of Allegiance is just the tip of the
iceberg.
Well, well … we certainly have a lot of work to do – removing “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance is just the tip of the iceberg. Heaven forbid (ooops, mea culpa) the United States of America should offend the atheist father of a school-age daughter who doesn’t like the idea that students recite the pledge daily.
Michael Newdow, a Sacramento atheist, sued – and so far has prevailed – alleging that his daughter shouldn’t be subjected to the voluntary, but collective recitations of the pledge.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that use of the pledge in public schools violates the Constitution because it includes the words “under God,” which amounts to a government endorsement of religion.
Where does this stop?
Does Mr. Newdow feel strongly enough to refrain from accepting and passing U.S. currency which carries the words “In God We Trust?”
Shall we pile up our paper cash and spend millions to mint new money?
What about the time-honored tradition of swearing an oath on the Bible – whether as a witness or a U.S. president? Should that be unconstitutional?
And what about the references to the Creator in the Declaration of Independence?:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Shall we purge this obviously misguided reference from the historical record?
Stripping the pledge seems particularly painful at this point in our history. America stands on the brink of war facing a despot and heated criticism from inside the country and abroad.
Spending time and energy on such an issue seems trivial in comparison. If the courts rule to strike “under God” from the pledge, it’s intellectually understandable, but it gnaws at our common sensibilities.
We take comfort in this fact, however: removing “under God” from our pledge will not diminish our spirit or resolve. The words were added in 1954 when Congress passed a law making the addition. Before that, the United States prevailed in two world wars. Our nation’s great spirit flourished before “under God” and will do so after, nourished by the deeds of brave men and women.
Reciting the pledge is an honorable tradition that Gilroy schoolchildren will, one way or another, continue to observe. Our nation will weather this latest storm of controversy.
Our pledge, after all, guarantees “liberty and justice for all” – including atheists who should have better things to do.
In that lies our true strength.
