E Pluribus Unum
From 1782 until 1956, the national motto of these great United States was a short telling phrase, “E Pluribus Unum.” This was our de facto national motto, not declared by legislation, for 174 years. It had, however, been adopted by congress as an element of the national seal. Why did the United States switch to “In God We Trust?”
Whatever the reason, the Republican controlled House of Representatives recently took a momentary break from their deadlock to re-affirm our motto. Why, you ask? According to a recent Washington Post article about this, it seems like the Democrats have been throwing the good old “E Pluribus Unum” around a little too much. Why is this a legislation-worthy problem?
Think of the difference between these two phrases. ”E Pluribus Unum” represents a few ideas that are contrary to the white-washed, Jesus-ed up view of the world that the Republicans are pushing. First, it says about the USA that we should be one, regardless of spirituality, culture, or economic stature. Congress does not want this. They want us to be Christians, regardless of our current faith. In fact, the big argument going on recently in the Republican primary has been who is Christian enough. The apparent standard of what qualifies as Christian is very dumb. Even a Mormon candidate may not be Christian enough for the party.
Now, what does “In God We Trust” say about us? First of all, it says that our leaders are not comfortable recognizing the large number of Americans who do not trust in God. They don’t want anything to do with those of us who believe in Allah, who do not believe Jesus was the son of God, or who don’t believe in religion at all. They don’t want unity. They don’t want to legitimize alternatives.
“E Pluribus Unum” also represents a cultural unity that much of America has yearned for since the founding. I don’t need to point to many racist moments in the recent Republican dialogue to show that this is not the Republican plan either. Let us take a moment to ponder what Republican Candidate Herman Cain was going for with his recent call to put up an electrified fence between the USA and Mexico. What could he have wanted out of that? I don’t think it is cultural unity. Rick Perry can have a racist comment on a rock at his old hunting lodge painted over, but he can’t get it out of my mind that he, and the Republicans, want America to remain as culturally divided as it has been for centuries. (Please do not take this as a suggestion that Democrats don’t have racist motives as well.)
“In God We Trust” definitely contemplates this God, and not this God. The motto was originally adopted in 1956 by the same (Democratically controlled) congress that opposed language banning racial discrimination in drafts of the Civil Rights Act just a year later. I won’t say that adopting the new Motto in 1956 was an intentional act of racism, nor will I say that about the recent move to reaffirm it, but I do think it represents a turn away from the more culturally unifying message of “E Pluribus Unum.”
What else does E Pluribus Unum say about America? I look to this motto and I see America’s knack for coming together to pull ourselves out of bad times and into good ones. Before World War II, when things were looking down almost as much as they are right now, America got together and did something about it. The New Deal and our commitment to saving Europe from Fascism and mass genocide got us out of it. Just as the current Congress doesn’t want to spend any money solving the problem, the House of Representatives of the early part of the century did not want to embark on the economy saving initiatives in the New Deal. Roosevelt had to take it to the people. The people got on Congress’s back, and we pulled them kicking and screaming back into the reality we all lived in. Today’s Congress wants you to look to god for financial salvation because it will distract you from the fact that it is their problem to solve. They are the vessel that we should place our trust in. They are failing their job.
In affirming “In God We Trust,” Republicans and Democrats want you to forget that we can come together to solve our problems. The government spending before and during World War II that got us out of the depression was the product of America rattling the cage, demanding jobs, and getting them. The American people built the highways businesses still use, they built the bridges that connect us, and they built the war machines that destroyed the fascist forces in Europe that wanted to rid the European continent of alternative lifestyles. ”In God We Trust” gives many people legitimacy in thinking that they can solve their own problems through prayer without contemplating the problems of another. It gives people legitimacy in thinking that their personal relationship with God will save them from poverty and sickness, not their relationship with the body politic.
I am very disappointed that the House took 35 minutes to debate this.
Most disturbingly, many of them actually believe they were sent there by the grace of god. As far as I can tell, the Motto stands to legitimize this insane megalomaniacal thought. If we are trusting in God, and God sent them there, then clearly America needs whatever they are selling to you.
We don’t need them. We need each other. I encourage you to vote for a challenger in 2012.
