Con: People shouldn’t be forced to pledge allegiance to a god they may not believe in.
By Michael Travis
Editor in Chief
Earlier this year, President George W. Bush labeled Democrats who were attempting to block war with Iraq as “un-American.”
The label stuck and now many anti-war protests, whether run by Republicans or Democrats, are referred to as having an “anti-American” sentiment, especially those led by Hollywood stars.
And now, as evidenced by several letters to the editor in the Los Angeles Times, if you don’t think the words “under God” should be in the pledge, you are also “un-American.”
How is that possible?
The very essence of forcing people to pledge allegiance to a god which they may or may not believe in flies in the face of every value outlined in the document that formed the government of this nation.
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof …”
How can these words be misconstrued? Are they unclear? The government cannot, and should not, make any laws having to do with the establishment or advocacy of a religion.
Yet in 1954, that’s exactly what our government did. It passed a law adding the words “under God” to the national pledge of allegiance.
This law passed through Congress with little dispute because of the political atmosphere at the time.
The “red scare” of the mid-1950s involved acute and often needless fear of communism. According to those who worked to add “under God” to the pledge, the words distinguished the United States from “godless communists.”
Clearly then, the words reflect a relic of the past, a representation of needless fear that should be removed.
The argument that the United States is a “Christian nation” is also a fallacy. Many of the Founding Fathers – including Thomas Jefferson – were deists.
Furthermore, the word “god” may very well be a generic term that does not specifically refer to any religion, but it does refer to some kind of monotheistic faith. Are there no Buddhists in this country? Atheists? Taoists?
Since the Declaration of Independence, which is the most American document in the world, states “All men are created equal,” we cannot say, “Oh too bad for them. Their values don’t matter.”
The rights of every person in this country must be accounted for — and respected.
The question, then, comes down to what the definition of “American” really means.
Who are Americans?
They are people of all races and nations, ages and sexes. They are Nigerian, English, Mexican, Chinese, Australian, Bolivian, French, German, Korean, Saudi Arabian, Israeli or Pakistani.
They are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, athiest or agnostic. They are young, old, male and female. And they all have different values and different cultures.
Our society should reflect this diversity. It is this country’s strength.
Society should not reflect the values of a group that desires to force its beliefs on others simply because it is the group that is in power.
It is our responsibility, our duty, to ensure that the principles that made this grand experiment of democracy possible remain intact and unchanged.
March 13, 2003