Some thoughts before election day:
Jon was a journalist. I was a journalist. We kept up with the news. The dinner hour at our house was accompanied by the nightly news followed by an hour or so of cable network talking heads.When the Capitol was attacked on January 6, 2021, just weeks before Jon died, he and I sat together, glued to the TV, anxiously following the day’s events.
Jon had opinions, and so did I. Luckily for our marriage, there wasn’t much air between Jon’s thoughts on politics and mine.
One topic — the inclusion of the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance — rankled us both, but Jon was more outraged by those words than I. And so, one day in 2010, he asked if he could write a guest post on the subject. I said yes.
A Patriotic Voice From the Past
I’m reposting that 2010 post today because Jon is not here to write a guest post on the upcoming election. I am making do with a re-run of his “under God” post.
The post was written fourteen years ago, but it has a lot to say in 2024. Notice, for example, how Jon ends his piece with optimism, affection and respect for his country.
I’m glad Jon wrote down his thoughts back then. Some days I have trouble remembering how things used to be, how Jon and I — and most Americans, it seemed — felt about their country.
In writing that post, Jon spoke as a reasonable person who assumed he’d be heard by reasonable people. He assumed he lived in a place of social trust, a trust that has since gone missing from our country.
A Guest Post From Jon: Does ‘Under God’ Belong in the Pledge of Allegiance?
By Jon Newhall, March 13, 2010
We were sitting at breakfast on Friday morning when Barbara pointed out a story in that morning’s San Francisco Chronicle. A three-judge panel of the Federal Appeals Court had ruled, 2-1, that including the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance does not violate the Constitution’s so-called “Establishment Clause.”
The “Establishment Clause” — as you know — is the first of the ten Amendments in the Bill of Rights. It states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
Are We Indoctrinating Our Children?
My God, I thought, this latest decision doesn’t make any sense. After all, many if not most of our public schools encourage children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance aloud each morning. And when that daily chant includes the words “under God,” aren’t we indoctrinating our children with a firm religious belief? Like it or not, there are millions of Americans who don’t believe in God, or who have other very sincere concepts of religion that find this wording objectionable.
Can you imagine the outcry from certain folks on the far, far right if the wording were to say: “one nation under ‘the Gods,’” or “one nation under ‘Zeus,’” or “one nation under ‘Allah’”?
The Chronicle story went on to report that Judge Carlos T. Bea justified the decision by explaining: “The Pledge of Allegiance serves to unite our vast nation through the proud recitation of some of the ideals upon which our Republic was founded and for which we continue to strive: one Nation under God–the Founding Fathers’ belief that the people of this nation are endowed by their Creator.”
No God in the Constitution
Judge Carlos T. Bea might be surprised to learn a fact about the Constitution. The word “God” or “deity” or any similar term does not appear – even once – in the entire Constitution. Why? That was not by accident. It was because the Founding Fathers were strong believers in the separation of church and state.
They knew from personal experience the dangers posed by allowing religion or the church to meddle in the affairs of the state.
I need to make a slight confession here. One of the reasons I find the inclusion of “under God” so tacky is that I’m a child of the 1940s and 1950s. I clearly remember reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before the God phrase was added in 1954. To this day, I find the rhythm of today’s Pledge a tad off key because of the imposition of that phrase.
Last Thoughts Before Election Day
I also remember that “under God” was added during the so-called McCarthy era, an period of national paranoia. One of its primary purpose was to prove that God-fearing Americans were clearly superior to those godless communists on the other side of the world.
I’ve always felt that America is better than that, and that we don’t need to chant about our nation and God in order to prove our system is the best the world has to offer. Because it really is.
I have my own thoughts on the Pledge of Allegiance. See “The Fourth of July –With Liberty and Justice for All.” More thoughts on religion in America at “A Chance to Get Acquainted With That Muslim Next Door.”
So nice to hear Uncle Jon’s voice again. When can we read his novel??
Now that I have got my own imprint set up and am ready to re-release my own book — very, very soon! I can start thinking about getting Jon’s book copyedited and formatted.
As one who does not believe in “the concept of g-o-d,” I do not believe “under g-o-d” should be part of the Pledge of Allegiance nor appear on our currency. I am also not sure we should be “pledging allegiance” either, but rather making a statement that recognizes the good things for which this country is supposed to stand .
I’m with you, Kathleen. The idea of asking people, especially children, to pledge allegiance feels wrong.
Hi Barb, I read Jon’s post from 2010 and totally agree. His presentation is succinct. I hope you are doing well. Rich
Rich. Wonderful to hear from you. You probably remember being asked to stand and say the pledge at our high school. I wonder if it’s still done there at Seaholm HS, Birmingham, Michigan.
Love this. I’m so glad to read Jon’s words and learn his perspective. He, in many ways, is with us.
Yes. This piece is very much Jon. I wish he were here today — Election Day — to help get me through the day.
I can’t believe 2010 was 10 years ago! But then math tells me otherwise. I was a child of the ’60s, so I grew up with “under God,” and since we went to church every Sunday I didn’t see a problem with it. I think my opinion has changed because the folks who call themselves Christians today so often sicken me with their rhetoric.
A lot has changed in American culture and politics since 2010. So much distrust and grievance. I’m hoping we’ll all find a way to talk to each other in a compassionate, civil ways again — soon . . . I actually remember the day those words were added to the pledge. So they have always felt a bit foreign to me.
I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet Jon, I know I would have liked him. He sounds like my kind of guy.
If you had met Jon, if he had been there on the day you and I were choosing a paint color for the house, the house would not be green today. He would have pushed for something bluish or tannish, and the discussion would have lasted a lot longer. lol.
I TOTALLY LOVE THIS ONE. I am not a god or church person, and this would rankle my dear sweet departed (catholic) mom. Sorry mom. I believe in us, the people. I don’t say god bless us all. I believe in kindness. Bee kind. EB
Kindness is it! So true. I’ve noticed a lot of it around our neighborhood lately. TY. xxoo