“…one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” That’s how it was said in my youth at the beginning of the school day and it sang to me. I was a child, yet I knew this was a good thing without being told that I must believe so.
Of course I did not know enough then to understand just how monumentally difficult and noble it was to propose or build a government so dedicated. It was to be administered by ourselves, imperfect people, many of whom would be adamantly opposed to including “all.”
Francis Bellamy composed the Pledge in 1892 and wanted to include something about equality and fraternity but finally decided against it because influential reviewers included some who were opposed to equality for women and blacks.
I suspect President Eisenhower was not aware that he was violating his oath to uphold the Constitution when, in 1954, he signed into law the phrase “under God” into the Pledge. It was a time of national hysteria over godless communism, fanned mostly by a political opportunist and demagogue named Sen. Joseph McCarthy.
At a stroke, Eisenhower essentially acted to disenfranchise the many millions of hard working citizens and patriots who do not embrace religious or mystical elements in their lives. However ambiguous the closing phrase of the Pledge was rendered, perhaps “liberty and justice for most” would be the most charitable, it is clear that the original purity of intent was utterly destroyed; the goal was no longer, in any sense, noble.
It would be no less ridiculous to inscribe our money with the motto “In God most of us trust”, although it would be eminently more honest.
I believe 60 years is enough time to endure this travesty; time to restore the Pledge to its original glory.