This is purest idiocy ...
Why affirm ‘In God we trust’? - - The Washington Post
Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives spent a good bit of time debating a resolution reaffirming “In God We Trust” as the official national motto. (Are you surprised that the vote was 396-9 in favor of the motto?)...
So who were the 9 heroes?
Nay NY-5 Ackerman, Gary [D] Nay MI-3 Amash, Justin [R] Nay CA-32 Chu, Judy [D] Nay MO-5 Cleaver, Emanuel [D] Nay CA-15 Honda, Michael [D] Nay GA-4 Johnson, Henry [D] Nay NY-8 Nadler, Jerrold [D] Nay VA-3 Scott, Robert [D] Nay CA-13 Stark, Fortney [D]
In addition 2 other representatives are, if not heroes, at least not cowards ...
Present MN-5 Ellison, Keith [D] Present NC-12 Watt, Melvin [D]
Ellison is local - he's the only Muslim representative in the House. Come to think of it, given his religion, just abstaining is heroic.
The biggest surprise is Justin Amash, the Republican. I really didn't think there were any left of his caliber.
Sadly, my own representative, Betty McCollum, caved.
Totally agree that spending time reafirming first beliefs is a bit goofiness we could do without. However, characterizing the nay sayers as heroes strikes me as a case of celebrating fools. Maybe it was a good moment... reminds me that I should never assume that my "givens" are those of any other individual. My sense is that you are saying that most of the men in that "august" body were railroaded into reaffirming a nation "under God." Humility and proportion are in short supply.
ReplyDeleteBut if they were railroaded into voting to reaffirm the motto, maybe they needed the reminder that either they have no convictions or no courage in them. It could serve as a small window in which to see themselves as flawed humans.
I was hopping they would change it to "under the great Spaghetti Monster" Oh well perhaps next year.
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