Problems With the Pledge
Fri., July 5, 12:39 PM
The Pledge of Allegiance
[Once again I am grateful to my local newspaper for its willingness to publish my opinions.]
I recited the Pledge of Allegiance for about eight years before President Eisenhower persuaded Congress to add “under God.” I have had no problems with the addition. It made sense to me.
I’ve never felt it to be pro-Christian or pro-anything else. (Deist, maybe?) If you want to use another name because of your style of worship, I have no problems with that either. I always felt that God was one, whatever you called Her. If someone would rather stay silent while the rest of us say “under God,” I have no problems with that either. However, it strikes me that, if the atheists were right and there were no God at all, it wouldn’t matter what you said anyway.
On the other hand, I have a big problem with the people who will use this for racial epithets and other hateful remarks. Just because I don’t agree with you does not give either of us the right to spit on one another. The Pledge doesn’t describe the way America is today. Rather, it describes what we aspire to become.
Oh, yes, one other matter. If anyone finds fault with the money marked “In God We Trust,” you can send it to me. I’ll be happy to make use of it for you.
