Apparently some Ohio politicians have taken sides in the culture wars.
Governor Taft has signed a bill into law creating a “One Nation Under God” license plate.
The plate will feature the American flag and the motto from the pledge of allegiance.
The bill was sponsored by Senator Robert Spada, a suburban Cleveland Republican.
Motorists would have to pay ten dollars on top of regular registration fees to get the plates.
The plate joins 60 other specialty plates available to Ohioans, including plates for the state’s professional sports teams and public colleges and universities.
Ohioans can also select Choose Life plates, plates for the smallmouth bass and plates for the Toledo Harbor Light.
Here’s the history of the Pledge of Allegiance according to the Washington Post on Sunday, July 03, 2005. Note that the pledge, although it was written by a Protestant minister, did not originally contain the phrase “One Nation Under God.”
Washington Post: Variations on a Pledge
I pledge allegiance to my Flag, and the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all.
– The original words of the Pledge of Allegiance, 1892Since its creation more than a century ago, the Pledge of Allegiance has been altered four times. The first change, shortly after it was written, was placement of the word “to” in front of “the Republic.”
1923 – I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.
1924 – I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.
1954 – I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
So few words, so many arguments. Yet the Pledge of Allegiance has never been static. On this July 4 weekend, Outlook offers 19 variations on the theme…