George,

I am not at all surprised by the overall reaction of the Congress, courage is a rare commodity among that breed. I am somewhat pleased they didn't shout "under God" when they reached that part of the pledge, as was the case when George W spoke to a gathering in West Virginia. There, it was more like a cheer at a football game; with an "in your face" feeling than a sacred recital.

Theodore Roosevelt opposed the coinage and currency of the US bearing the words, "In God We Trust", not for constitutional concerns but, as he
expressed, it debased the sacredness and importance of the God he understood and worshipped.

I think the motivation behind the 1954 insertion of "under God" in the pledge was based more on addressing McCarthy's "Godless Communism" than making the pledge of allegiance more effective or meaningful. A pure political pandering.

After all the pledge was written by a Baptist minister who felt, with it's simplicity, said all that was required. Incidentally, his granddaughter was outraged by the change to her grandfather's words.

It seems to me that school prayer and "under God" in the pledge of allegiance, carry the same hypocrisy. No person, of any faith, has their moral or religious underpinnings affected by the recitation of prayers or the pledge. No more than an individual being sworn in as a witness or officeholder, has any compunction about lying or deceiving simply by reciting, "so help me God", if that individual is so inclined.

A point of digression here, how many defendants who swear to tell the truth "so help me God", and are later found guilty, are further tried for perjury? Perhaps that rule only applied to our former president!

I share the opinion of our founders, who were wise men and true,who lived in an age when clerics interfered in all aspects of civic life and wanted none of it for America. They were familiar with state imposed religions, the Inquisition...of old...as our leaders of today should be familiar with the Ayatollahs, Taliban and all else who seek to ram their religious beliefs (or any other "beliefs") down the throats of the citizenry!

Our freedoms,as Americans and human beings,should not be erroded by an ill-informed Administration or cowardly politicians seeking to appeal to the dark side of human emotions.

Patriotism is a far cry from jingoism...prayers and flag waving, notwithstanding.

Again,I digress; jingoism, to quote Mailer, is four flags flying from a "gas guzzling" suv.

Finally, no child will succumb to wild and wicked ways (to quote Selah) because the Ten Commandments, school prayer, or "under God" are not part of their life! Religion should be a private, personal, spiritual and individual undertaking!

Harry Tenney (electronic mail, July 11, 2002)