(Editors note: The following is one in a series of op-ed pieces written by Animas High School students that will run over the next few weeks.)
‘Under God’ needs overhaul
To the editor,
Our government has allied with Christianity and the deity “God” in such a way that oppresses members of all other religions and those without religion.
Our government has allied with Christianity and the deity “God” in such a way that oppresses members of all other religions and those without religion.
If you look at any currency in the United States, it will read “In God we trust.” Our pledge of allegiance states “One nation under God … .” If you were to talk to most citizens, they would not have a problem with this because most citizens of the U.S. are part of a religion that supports these views.
But what about Americans who hold views that differ from those expressed by the government? Many of them do not feel religiously supported by their government. Whether this is someone from a faith other than Christianity or someone who has no faith all together, the government is picking favorites when it comes to religion. In some states, it is illegal to take office if you are an atheist/agnostic, additionally every single one of our presidents has been Christian. By choosing favorites on the topic of religion, our government is oppressing its people.
The First Amendment states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof … .” Separation of church and state is beneficial to not only the government, but also to religion. From a utilitarian perspective, separation of church and state is for the greater good of society. To provide equality to all persons, the government must balance its reasoning and logic. While religion needs to be free to practice and preach whatever it wants, if church and state were one, there would only be one practiced religion. Meanwhile, courthouses might be dictated by the Ten Commandments meaning all other religions would be illegal along with coveting.
Imagine this scenario: You’re walking down the street and you see a nice suit in a window, “That is a nice suit,” you think to yourself. A passing police man sees you coveting said suit and books you under the 10th Commandment. Now, obviously this is not a desirable4 situation for anyone.
Most churches like to preach their different sermons and all of us like being able to covet fancy suits in peace. In utilitarian terms, the ends (peace and stability on the topic of religion) justify the means (our government not being allied with a sect or deity of any kind.)
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and the republic for which it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” This is the Pledge of Allegiance before it was changed in 1954 to include the phrase “under God.” The phrase was added in an attempt to further anti-Communist propaganda. Currently, the problem with the Pledge is that most public schools require children to recite it at the beginning of every school day. By doing this, the government is forcing children into a religious standpoint, of which they do not know the implications. It can be argued that due to freedom of speech, children have the right to stand out against something they do not believe in. Unfortunately, I can tell you from personal experience that this is not the case. When I was in the fourth grade, my refusal to say “under God” led to hateful and rude comments from my teacher and other students. Although religion can teach things such as kindness, it rarely teaches tolerance and respect for other ideals and can bring out the worst in people; children especially.
Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association, explained in a 2005 speech: “The practice of reciting the Pledge in public schools specifically targets children, inculcating them with a monotheistic message not held by millions of Americans. This is not a passive reading of a historic document but an active swearing of a loyalty oath to one’s country and, since 1954, an avowal that our nation exists ‘under God,’ which is tantamount to prayer. The First Amendment does not require hostility toward religion, but mandates government neutrality toward religion. By imposing a religious belief on those without such beliefs, the current version of the Pledge utterly fails this test.”
You have the right to your religion, but you do not have the right to take away the rights of others in the name of your religion.
– Geoy Fischer, Animas High School
– Geoy Fischer, Animas High School
Vaccines inject sinister plot
To the editor,
Lindsay Noisom wrote a brave letter to the editor in the Herald, Nov. 13, 2012, regarding the harmful mercury content in the current flu vaccine, which is a requirement for Mercy Hospital’s employees to take. Noisom further educated us by revealing flu shots increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 1,000 percent for seniors who injected them five years in a row.
I am horrified our health care givers (mostly young) are persuaded to get this shot or get fired. Seniors all over the world spend billions on pharmaceuticals to stay alive longer, instead of less expensive homeopathic remedies, and it appears the nail in their coffins comes from the yearly $29.99 flu shot, cheaper with that almighty marketing tool of a discount card. Makes me kind of wonder what kind of deal Big Pharma is making with the cash-strapped Medicare program in America and elsewhere.
There are many other greedy programs out there that impact our normal lifespan, such as La Plata Electric’s Smart Meter, installations in our community and abroad, that I have been fighting against (stopsmartmeters.org) for the last year.
No doubt about the fact that the population of the world is too big for its britches. There’s a sinis
ter way of culling the masses and a more thoughtful way of everyone stopping production of babies after one or two with sterilization. Works and is encouraged with domestic animals, why not humans?
My hope is that there will be more righteous stands that will be heard and not censored by the media to save Mother Earth and without fear of repercussions by wealthy corporate bullies.
– Sally Florence, Durango
Learning Native culture honorable
To the editor,
Yà’àtèèh, greetings from Navajoland.
I am composing this letter to extend my thankfulness to those who attended my workshop, Southwestern Jewelry Adornment, during the St. Mark’s Sacred Arts Festival last month. I was happy to find that many of the participants were those who recently moved to the area and were individuals who genuinely wanted to ensure they gained some education on the tribal culture of the Indigenous people. I see this as an honorable act that showed me they cared by simply gaining new knowledge. I am only one Indigenous woman, but sometimes I feel like I am all alone as a presenter on Southwestern adornment culture and other related topics, so any interest by others is a blessing to me.
Yà’àtèèh, greetings from Navajoland.
I am composing this letter to extend my thankfulness to those who attended my workshop, Southwestern Jewelry Adornment, during the St. Mark’s Sacred Arts Festival last month. I was happy to find that many of the participants were those who recently moved to the area and were individuals who genuinely wanted to ensure they gained some education on the tribal culture of the Indigenous people. I see this as an honorable act that showed me they cared by simply gaining new knowledge. I am only one Indigenous woman, but sometimes I feel like I am all alone as a presenter on Southwestern adornment culture and other related topics, so any interest by others is a blessing to me.
Also, I would like to say Ahèhè (thank you) to Mr. Scott Hagler of St. Marks Episcopal Church for supporting my art and talk during this year’s festival.
– Blessings in all things,Venaya Yazzie, Farmington