In the McCarthyite inferno of the 50's there was as much outrage over the insertion of "under God" as there is now in the omission of the phrase in this era of religious righteousness. The irony in face of 9/11 is that religious zealots are just as militant in a political sense as Islam is in reality. For congress to lead the nation in a childish demonstration by pledging allegiance with emphasis “under God” is tantamount to Islamic adherents saying they are of a peaceful faith or the demoniac money-changers on Wall Street uttering “in God we trust.”


Except for the equally zealous humanists and atheists who demonstrate blind and ironic faith in their disbelief , the nation knows that this is a non-issue ineluctably overturned by judicial wisdom because the issue is frivolous and unworthy of serious consideration. As Melville once said "the chips of creation have been carted away" and all its imperfections stand immutable.


 Nevertheless, the rage in the country is symbolic of the danger of a nation preoccupied with things that matter least. In the 50's the symbolism of God was in direct contradiction of communism under godlessness. The zealous adherents could have just as easily inserted “one nation, under the principles of democracy, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” But no, this nation ever melodramatically undivided in things that mean little while the nation burns — literally in California, Colorado and Arizona and symbolically in the Catholic stronghold of Cleveland. Year after year we acquiesce to the terrorism of fires and floods as though unrelated to homeland security. We are most concerned over a rote phrase in school that our children say daily while the educational system stews in the nation’s neglect. Hello?