A classmate of mine recently forwarded me a letter of grievance against Pepsi-Cola because their new patriotic-theme can omits the words "under God." She was unaware that it was a distortion of facts, that it was another soft drink company, not Pepsi, that was involved; however, that is not the point which concerns me. I have strong opinions in regard to the ongoing Pledge of Allegiance controversy. The phrase "under God" was not in the original version. Those words were added about 1955. The Constitution states that the original cannot be altered in any way except by Presidential order. Someone proposed adding the religious connotation, and Eisenhower signed it into law. When we were in school, we swore allegiance to "one nation, indivisible," utilizing the flag as a tangible symbol of that nation. No one asked us to declare that we believed in God or suggested that if we did not, we were unpatriotic. President Eisenhower's rationale was that this country was founded by men with enormous faith in God and that we should honor them by including God in our "Americanism." President Eisenhower failed to note one critical factor. The brave individuals who originally initiated the venture of creating a new world, before merchants and other parties had to be included for practical reasons, were bent on separation of Church and State. They resented the domination by and interference of Church rule in their government and private lives. They felt so strongly about this that the earliest marriages in the Colonies were civil, not religious, ceremonies. Sadly, some forgot too quickly what they had considered to be a right worth risking death to obtain: the freedom to think for themselves. Their self-righteous and brutal intolerance toward others made a mockery of "religion," a condition which evidently is alive and well today. I happen to believe in a guiding Spirit, but it isn't necessary to worship a higher power to be a good American. I know non-believers who are fiercely patriotic and devoted to this country; and I know many so-called "faithful" who don't vote, who don't think we should defend ourselves against terrorism because it involves violence, and who don't stand up for the National Anthem unless they're using those few minutes to visit the beer vendor. I believe that anyone who benefits from living in this country should support it, participate in its government, and defend its principles of "liberty with freedom and justice for all." I also believe that a person's choice of spiritual alliance (or lack thereof) to God, Allah, Buddha, or Andy Warhol should not be intertwined with his or her loyalty to the United States. Hopefully, this perspective is worth considering; but accepting it or not is your option as an American. Jayne Pratt Lovelace United States Naval Air Reserves 1957-1961 Daughters of the American Revolution 1976 Alden Kindred of America 1977 Daughters of Founders & Patriots of America 1995