A Letter to Senator Obama

My letter to Senator Obama:

Dear Senator Obama,

I would like to congratulate you on your decision to run for president. You have my support and my vote.

I would however like to make my feelings known on a part of your speech on politics and religion. Although I am an atheist I found much of what you said valuable and thought you walked a very thin line considerably well.

I think you will agree that words are powerful. So when you downplayed the importance of the issue "under God" in our pledge of allegiance, I was taken back. You said that students barely know what they are saying anyway and made light of the issue. I have been out of high school for many years now and am a grad student focusing in fiction. Words are as important to me now as they were then. When I was in high school I stood silent for the pledge because I felt it infringed on my rights. We live in a pluralist society as you said and under the pledge, I am not represented. As an atheist and therefore a minority, it would be easy to dismiss my feelings. However, I hope you give the issue more thought.

Words are powerful Senator whether they are uttered by a child, a teen, or an adult. And in my opinion, the words "under god" have no place in the pledge. I am devoted to my country and in order to do that and to do it well, I do not need to pledge anything to anyone's God.

Thank you for your time.

Ali Berman