It is always amusing to watch politicians and columnists try to wrap themselves in either religion or patriotism. Today in the Times News the old reliable Jim Zbick did both, attacking the Allegheny County Council for voting against displaying the motto “In God We Trust.”
In the Fifties U.S. politicians were desperate to show we were different from the atheistic Commies. We adopted “In God We Trust” as the national motto and put “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, itself adopted earlier as a way to sell flags. Neither pledge nor motto was around when our country was founded.
If Mr. Zbick wants to be a patriotic American, he needs to be more tolerant, more respectful of minority religions and people who have no religion, and more vigilant about separating church and state.
If he really wants a motto, how about one that predates the Fifties: In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash. Now that’s a real American motto.
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