Nation under God?/McCain a straight talker

James Wilson stated that “One Nation Under God” in the Pledge does not divide our nation. Well it does to the extent that tens of millions of Americans, though a minority I admit, object to the inserting of pro-religious language of our secular government. Not all of these people are the “dreaded atheists”, a good deal are devout religious believers who don’t believe this is the arena of government. Let the question of God existing or not by public debate, the government shouldn’t take sides. I would be just as opposed if our national motto stated a deity did not exist. God. If God exists, he does not need the help of government. I am not in offended by the mention of God, by private citizens or groups or even by the placement of pro-religious material on public property along as humanist or atheist citizens have the same right to put their message on public property. The rights of religious individuals and groups is dear and fundamental to Americans but those rights are not contingent on the government stating they are true.


Letter on McCain being a straight talker, supposedly.

John McCain likes to call himself the “Straight Talker”. Maybe he was at one time, but not anymore. He has stated that Barack Obama favors comprehensive sex ed for kindergartners, implying that Obama would teach 6 year olds all about sex. Karl Rove, by no means an Obama partisan but a mastermind behind the GOP, has said McCain has gone too far in his “truth” telling. Sen. Obama has supported, as have many republicans, the common sense notion that some touch is good and some is bad touch and that is what should be taught. McCain’s VP running mate Sarah Palin has said she opposed the Bridge to Nowhere. Actually, running for governor of Alaska she supported it and her support of the bridge did not change until it became politically unpopular by ironically, such critics as Sen. McCain. Another reason for her sudden opposition was that the federal government wasn’t going to pay for the whole bridge for the state of Alaska. The pastor of a church in Alaska that she was for a member for years, and she still has connections with, made a comment that criticism of the President is like criticism of one’s pastor. Pastor Kalnins seems to believe dissent from a President is analogous to a divine right of a monarchy. This is an idea that even the most conservative and religious Americans would be aghast at. I hope Sarah Palin does not share the same view as Kalnins. What about Palin and the Alaska Independence Party? She has connections to that party and at the very least her husband was a member of that party. The founder of the AIP is Joe Vogler, a man who stated about the American flag, "and I won't be buried under their damn flag," Now, imagine for a second that Michelle Obama, wife of Barack Obama, had connections to a secession party and the implications of it on (GOP) rightwingradio. She would be condemned as a “hater of America”, “unpatriotic” or any of the statements that those who disagree with conservatives and their policies have been called since we became a nation. Mrs. Palin wants us to vote for us because she is from a small town and a hockey mom, I don’t care if she was from the smallest town in America or New York City. I want a competent President not someone who condescends to Americans. Are the Obama’s perfect? No, of course not. They both have made statements they regret. Everyone regrets, especially those who speak a lot, statements that they wish to take back but the difference between the Obama’s church and patriotism issues is that those have been questioned and examined to a high degree by the Hannitys and Limbaughs of the world who completely and totally excusing every flaw in the Palin pick.