RELIGION/POLITICS -11 O’CLOCK BLUES:

I just finished watching the local news – I have no idea why I watched it to begin with – and had an extremely important conversation with my wife. We are often of a single mind, and when we share a very passionate opinion on something it makes me feel like the luckiest man every to walk this crusted chunk of chaos. Tonight’s issue - and the issue of two separate DPB entries (see below) - was the 9th District Court’s ruling striking down the pledge of allegiance. But the subject of our conversation was much broader than the two offending words (“Under God” - which were added to the pledge in 1954).

I listened to President Bush tell me what the “American People” value (one nation under God), yet with little regard to who the American people truly are: a diverse collection of opinions and beliefs. The last time I checked my birth certificate, I was an American. Perhaps the Bush administration has been fiddling with my files because I’m beginning to question the validity of my passport. The fact is, I do not in any way, shape or form identify with Bush’s America. According to my state-sponsored education, the Constitution of the United States of America was the founding document protecting our rights and freedoms, as well as granting us the right to change the face of the country with the times. Specific to this issue, American citizens are granted freedom of religion (or should that be freedom from religion?). Unfortunately, that is easily interpreted by the Bush administration (and much of America) as “freedom of religion - as long as it doesn’t challenge our Christian ethics.” What if you’re not Christian?

The fact is, the Constitution of the United States of America grants us the right to make changes as we see fit, based upon the freedoms and rights laid out in that very same document. Keeping those two antiquated, Cold War artifacts in the pledge of allegiance is an injustice to the freedoms that have been preserved for more than 200 years. I hope the 9th District Court’s ruling stands - and if it doesn’t, then I will lose a great deal of faith in the true meaning of this great country. If it does pass, then it’s on to the next battle: In God We Trust.

Cheers