Pledge brouhaha should spark debate of ‘God’ reference in Pledge

 Pledge brouhaha should spark debate of ‘God’ reference in Pledge

We have big problems on Mother Earth, the U.S., Illinois and DuPage. Yet, the lead story in the local suburban paper today was the uproar over Glenbard South Principal Sandra Coughlin omitting the words ‘United States of America’ and ‘Under God’ from the pledge at last weekend’s graduation.

Tho ignored at the time, a conservative group posted video of the criticized omission on line, prompting profuse apologies from Coughlin and District Superintendent David Larson. Coughlin call her admittedly inadvertent mistake “horrific”. Larson called it a “grave mistake.”

Most don’t realize Coughlin was merely reciting the Pledge as originally written in 1892 by socialist minister Francis Bellamy. He intended it as a generic pledge that could be used by all nations. He also added a military salute with the right hand over the heart and left extended upward palm down. The latter was jettisoned during WWII as too close to the Nazi salute.

A non-theist, I don’t delete the word ‘God’ when reciting the Pledge. I proudly add the word ‘no’ before it to register my objection of Congress adding the offensive word to the Pledge in 1954 in the midst of hysteria over ‘godless communism.’ God is good…except in the public forum.

We should no more say this is one nation under God than we should say this is one nation under Allah or Jehovah.

Thanks, Principal Coughlin, for your overhyped omission. Let it renew debate over removing God from the public square…and the Pledge in particular.