Pledge: Better as a Wood Polish

From CNN today:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Americans overwhelmingly want the phrase "under God" preserved in the Pledge of Allegiance, a new poll says as the Supreme Court examines whether the classroom salute crosses the division of church and state. Almost nine in 10 people said the reference to God belongs in the pledge despite constitutional questions about the separation of church and state, according to an Associated Press poll. The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday from a California atheist who objected to the daily pledges in his 9-year-old daughter's classroom. He sued her school and won, setting up the landmark appeal before a court that has repeatedly barred school-sponsored prayer from classrooms, playing fields and school ceremonies. The pledge is different, argue officials at Elk Grove Unified School District near Sacramento, where the girl attends school. Superintendent Dave Gordon said popular opinion is on their side -- but that's not all. "It's not a popularity contest. If something is wrong, it should be corrected. No matter how many people support it," he said. "The argument that 'under God' in the pledge is pushing religion on children is wrong on the law. It's also wrong from a common sense perspective." God was not part of the original pledge written in 1892. Congress inserted it in 1954, after lobbying by religious leaders during the Cold War. Since then, it has become a familiar part of life for generations of students. The question put to the Supreme Court: Does the use of the pledge in public schools violate the Constitution's ban on government established religion?....

If 90% of the people really want it, let them have it. If you don't believe in a god, what's the point? Even if you say "under god" while reciting the pledge, it doesn't mean anything to you if you don't believe it anyway, so what's the harm? Also, you're not required to say "under god", they can't force you to say it - it's the law. When I was in school no one paid any attention to the kids in my classes when we said the pledge. I could have recited it in pig-latin and no one would have noticed.

Let's redirect our outrage at the real issues. For example, I must have passed a dozen or more transients sleeping on sidewalks this morning on my way to work - that's unforgivable for a nation that prides itself for being one under god.

I'll bet you the farm that Cuba has fewer homeless per capita than our "indivisible" country.