George,

[Adding 'Under God' to the pledge] was revolting in 1954, and it's revolting now. But what are you going to do? It's as much as a pol's reelection is worth, to vote against knee-jerk "godliness."

They're not entirely gutless; they're not dumb; they're not suicidal. If there'd been anybody who was not standing for reelection and envisioned no further political life, that person could have summoned the "guts" to vote no.

What's the solution? Teach our kiddies it's OK to cross their fingers in their pockets while we go on cynically living with public hypocrisy?

Love,

Carolyn Silver (electronic mail, July 11, 2002)