"Our Father, Back in Court, Indefatigable"
This week, a New York Times editorial tackled the debate of the "Under God" portion of the Pledge of Allegiance. The editorial stated that Michael Newdow's lawsuit distracts people from real issues concerning the First Amendment. The New York Times acknowledges the origin of the phrase that is not very well known. Apparently, "Under God" was inserted in the pledge due to fear of Communism and a desire to "link patriotism with religious piety." The editorial acknowledges that the insertion probably should never have happened, but that focusing on it undermines important issues such as actual prayer in school and allocation of funds to religious schools. I admire the editorial's use of historical context to both acknowledge the opposition and demonstrate how we should move on from this issue. I also noted that the editorial did not support any one side, but simply noted that there are more important issues to focus on. Well said!

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/19/opinion/19mon4.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fEditorials