Post Scripts: ‘Under God’

As if we didn’t have enough trouble right now with terrorism and the president’s pet project in taking out Saddam Hussein, a federal court may rule that the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional because of the phrase "under God." Who is left out there to stand up for the rights of everyday Americans?

The reason this wonderful land of ours was founded was because our forefathers wanted to worship God as they wished, and not how their government wanted them to. So here we go again. Another government trying to tell us where and when we can say the word "God." I thought by this time we had earned the right to practice our religion no matter if it were Buddhist or Methodism. It seems it’s okay for television to spew out sex scenes into our living rooms, portray drinking as "the thing" and making violence and vulgar language as common as apple pie.

Free speech is wonderful if used for the good of humanity.

How long will it be before we see "In God We Trust" removed from our coins and currency? Will it be long before we prohibit witnesses from promising to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God? Will we continue to allow the president of the United States to place his hands on the Bible as he is sworn in to office and, after the oath is given, to say "So Help Me God?"

All of us recall the most popular song following the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center. It sent chills through many Americans as they witnessed elected officials on the Capitol steps spontaneously singing "God Bless America." Our Founding Fathers universally understood that unalienable rights can only come from God. Nowhere in the Constitution does it suggest, or even imply, anything about a separation of church and state.

I am disgusted with the remarks of some politicians over this issue. Where was their concern, outrage and posturing when Enron, WorldCom, Global Crossing, Dynergy and other major corporations literally robbed the bank, absconding with pension funds, cooked the books, laid off thousands of employees, transferred accounts off-shore to avoid their fair share of our tax burden, and lied about profits and losses.?

Where was their concern when too many seniors have to choose between rent, food and medicine? Where is their concern over a health care system that under-insures or doesn’t insure a majority of our population?

Our nation was founded on religious values and our fledgling government wrote the Constitution with that in mind. Others claim the words "under God" is an endorsement of religion which has no place in the schools of a nation that believes in separation of church and state. Bull! I’m going to start reciting the Pledge of Allegiance every day. I now recall how proud I was to say it each day when a youngster in school – and in war!