It’s like the President went to school in Indonesia or something…
By Ward Smythe | Monday, December 6th, 2010 | Policy
This today from Congressman Randy Forbes:
Members of the Prayer Caucus to President Obama: Issue Correction for Inaccurate Reference of National Motto
President Obama Inaccurately States National Motto is “E Pluribus Unum”Washington, D.C., Dec 6 –
Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04), along with 42 bipartisan Members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, today sent a letter to President Barack Obama calling on him to issue a correction to a speech he gave in Jakarta, Indonesia, in which he inaccurately referred to our national motto as being “E Pluribus unum.” The official national motto is “In God We Trust.”
This just less than a month after he misquoted, or more correctly edited the phrase “endowed by their Creator” from the Declaration of Independence.
Oh sure, maybe it’s just an incompetent speech writer. But the President of the United States should be well read enough to say “Hey, that ain’t right.”
Unless it’s all intentional.
As Congressman Forbes says, “Once may be a mistake. But twice is a pattern. These omissions and inaccuracies are a part of a larger pattern we are seeing with the President where he is inaccurately reflecting America and undercutting important parts of our nation’s history.”
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Ward Smythe is a pseudonymous aspiring freelance writer from Central Virginia. Until late 2007 Ward blogged at the now defunct "Ward View" and was active in Virginia and national politics. Ward's signature style of snarkery gained him a unique following that he hopes to regain here at Bearing Drift. Ward uses humor, satire and sometimes photoshop to make his point. Ward is proud to be an equal opportunity offender.
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29 Responses to "It’s like the President went to school in Indonesia or something…"
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“E pluribus unum” is also a motto of the United States, and its provenance is stronger and deeper than “In God We Trust.”
Both mottoes appear on U.S. currency, but “In God We Trust” did not begin to be used until the 1860s. “E pluribus unum” dates to the Revolutionary and early constitutional era. It appeared on currency decades before “In God We Trust” did.
“In God We Trust” was adopted by Congress as an “official” motto of the United States in 1956. “E pluribus unum,” to the extent that it has not been adopted by an act of Congress, is “unofficial,” but it still appears on the Great Seal of the United States while “In God We Trust” does not.
That’s great info, Rick. However, you kinda glossed over your most important point:
So, which should be played as our national anthem – “My Country ’tis of thee (America)” or the “Star Spangled Banner”? Which is older and which is the “official”. Should we go around the world proclaiming that “America” is the official anthem? I’m sure the British will be thrilled.
Both “E pluribus unum” and “In God We Trust” are mottos that appear on U.S. currency. “E pluribus unum” appears on the Great Seal of the United States while “In God We Trust” does not.
Both are mottoes. Both are commonly seen by Americans and foreigners as associated with the United States.
“E pluribus unum” would have been recognized by the Founders. “In God We Trust” would have puzzled them because they founded the United States as a secular state.
The official national motto, Rick, is “In God We Trust”.
There are all sorts of other symbols and sayings about America…but the president should at least know what our official one is.
Granted, it’s Wikipedia, but:
“Never codified by law, E pluribus unum was considered a de facto motto of the United States until 1956 when the United States Congress passed an act (H.J. Resolution 396), adopting In God We Trust as the official motto”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_pluribus_unum
But from the Code:
“In God we trust” is the national motto.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/36/302.html
The President did not say “‘E pluribus unum’ is our _official, codified_ national motto.”
He said it is “our national motto,” which is historically and culturally accurate.
Rick,
I think Patrick Henry would not agree with you…
“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ! For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here”.
Rick, the exact quote from the President is,
“But I believe that the history of both America and Indonesia should give us hope. It is a story written into our national mottos. In the United States, our motto is E pluribus unum — out of many, one.”
Ward, yes, that is the exact quote from the President, and it is not an inaccurate representation of the national motto — or at least not of the oldest one of the mottos used on official U.S. documents and currency.
If you’re going to be legalistic about it, the Great Seal of the United States was adopted by Congress more than 150 years before “In God We Trust” was codified as the “official national motto.” So “E pluribus unum” has legislative as well has historical precedence.
It is also a better reflection of the thinking of the Founders (the outlier Patrick Henry notwithstanding), who would have rejected any attempt to make a religious statement into our “official” national motto during the constitutional period. (The recorded proceedings of the 13 states’ ratification conventions should convince anyone of that.)
It’s possible that Obama as a leftist thinks that In God We Trust is a violation of church and state. Or maybe that the phrase only applies in his mind to the 51st through 57th states.
JM,
Your Patrick Henry quote is phony.
I don’t think the FFs would have had a problem with pluralism under God, however. It’s a more generic God. Jesus Christ is not mentioned in the DOI and that document doesn’t quote verses and chapters of scripture.
All that is well and good Rick, but I need to note that in 1814 Francis Scott Key penned the words “And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’”
While it wasn’t codified until Eisenhower and while the Star Spangled Banner wasn’t officially proclaimed the National Anthem until the 1930s, it does suggest that the phrase was in use well before it was first placed on the currency.
But, all that being said, you’re still missing the finer point here. In most cases I’m willing to give the President the benefit of the doubt. I jumped all over people for saying the “cancelled” the National Day of Prayer when he certainly hadn’t.
But Congressman Forbes is correct that this type of omission is becoming a pattern. It is sad that we have to measure every word of the President so carefully. But that is the game he decided to play, so I can’t give him the benefit of the doubt here. His words were chosen precisely. And they display either a woeful ignorance or a willing disregard of our nation’s history and heritage.
Sorry, but you guys are complete idiots. It would have been a international incident to use “In God We Trust” in a Muslim Country as part of a comparison of national mottos. Take off your partisan blinders for 5 seconds and you would realize that.
Now we know why you lost in the election “Chris”.
First – you’re condscending.
Second – you think this is a partisan discussion.
Third – God can also be construed in a generic sense and representative of many religions.
Fourth – it was an unnecessary rhetorical flourish that Obama didn’t need to add
Fifth – you put your faith on the backburner for political correctness because of fear
It’s just a shame that 4% of 2nd District voters agree with someone like you.
JR, Chris was not on any ballot I am aware of.. no it is not Kenny..
Whether it is or isn’t doesn’t particularly matter – he was an outspoken Golden advocate who became a defacto spokesperson. My message still applies.
1. You and Brian Kirwin are the most condescending and partisan people I’ve ever read words from. If you don’t like being talked down to, deal with it. You sure know how to ban people for speaking their opinion.
2. This is a partisan discussion. Just about everything on this blog is partisan. If you don’t immediately realize why he said what he said wasn’t to demean America or anything of the sort, then that just confirms it.
3. God being universal doesn’t mean jack in a political sense when you are in Indonesia. It would have been taken as an insult to the hard-liners who wield enormous power there. If you knew anything about global politics you would instantly have realized that it would have been issue.
4. I thought it was a great rhetorical flourish. He is trying to build a relationship and it was a great quote. You don’t think so because you are nothing more than a partisan hack pretending to be a journalist.
5. I put my faith on the backburner? Or are you talking about Obama? If its Obama, you are more naive than I ever thought. Its called being understanding of the political realizes in a country that saw one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in history at a nightclub in the very city he was visiting. Muslim extremists think America is the great satan, etc.. Had he used the “In God We Trust Motto” it would have been a major political incident, at the very least for Obama’s hosts who constantly live in fear of being offed by the same people who bombed the night club.
Its a shame that you are too ignorant, arrogant, and naive to realize why Obama said what he said. Besides all the reasons I just listed, take a look at the actual quote.
“In the United States, our motto is E pluribus unum — out of many, one”
He didn’t say the official motto, he didn’t even say national motto. He said our motto. Religious concerns aside, what kind of effect would “In God We Trust” have? Out of many one is a much better phrase to foster international cooperation because it transcends religious, trade, and military concerns. Its a call for people to come together.
Get real JR. You just don’t take kindly to people calling out the shortcomings of you or your blog.
Could Chris be the “Ghost of Kenny, past”?
Chris,
You’ve got a chip on your shoulder the size of Mt. Rushmore – probably ’cause you and your candidate got your clock cleaned in November and the only place your voice is heard is on this blog.
I could care less about who you are and what you say in this blog or otherwise – you should be thanking me that I pay to give you a platform to spout your diatribes and nonsense. I can only think of one occasion where I have outright “banned” someone, and he happened to be associated with the Golden campaign and it was because of his extreme views….
I guess in Chris’ world, we should continue to secularize our society. I encourage you to petition your new congressman and ask him to bring a bill to the House floor to change our official national motto to “e pluribus unum”. I’m sure Rep. Rigell will get right on that. Yes, let’s be “understanding” so that we don’t “offend” anyone.
As for “banning”, um…perhaps we now know who “Chris” is…or should I say Max?
How’s your extreme view on the Zionist takeover of the world going for you?
The President didn’t even use the phrase “E pluribus unum” as it was meant originally.
From Wikipedia:
“Symbolically, the phrase E pluribus unum has 13 letters (as does Annuit coeptis). This example of gematria (isopsephy) then represents the 13 colonies becoming the United States. The back of the US 2010 penny features E pluribus unum and a shield with 13 vertical stripes. The back of the US dollar includes these 13 letters among 13 symbolic references to the number 13.”
The phrase originally described Federalism, and wasn’t until recently that it was given a multi-cultural definition. So, if you are going to argue that “E pluribus unum” is a “better” motto to use than “In God We Trust”, realize that the original meaning of “E pluribus unum” is far different than the general vernacular today, and also what President Obama implied in his speech. Is rewriting history and the meaning of our motto’s (official or unofficial) a good thing? I hardly think so.
And as Ward correctly stated, Key penned these words as the forth verse to the Star Spangled Banner:
O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Wow, your complete inability to address my arguments shows you must agree that Obama would have caused an incident had he followed your advice. Your saying that we shouldn’t continue to secularize our country is proof that you acknowledge the validity of my arguments. Thank you. Maybe one day you can clearly acknowledge it.
As for me being Max, he passed the baton to me and asked me to start blogging a long, long time ago. About the same time that one of the staffers got his GF pregnant and had to quit to get a better paying job. Max had to take over all the field work in addition to all the web work, graphic design, and office chores he had to attend to. Three people ran that entire campaign, Max hardly had time to read news, let alone post on blogs. I don’t even think he reads BD anymore, he is too busy trying to get Norfolk an elected school board. Last I heard, the Pilot is doing an article on it sometime this month.
Max and I both share an affinity for Jewish people, they are great and undeniably wield more power in America than any other group. I could cite you a million facts to show that is the case, but you would ignore them all. They rule our foreign policy and that is a fact that you could never show evidence to refute.
You banned Max from BD before Thelma Drake even lost if my memory is correct, so way to try and re-write history and blame it on Kenny.
The chip is on my shoulder because this is my hometown and I’m younger than you. I am sick and tired of seeing the political discussion controlled by idiots like you and Kirwin who have a better understanding of hockey and football than real public policy. I was this angry at the BS that goes on in politics before Max ever made me watch videos of Kenny back in February when we still lived together.
I could cite facts to prove you guys wrong on a million different things any time, any day. I could link you to declassified documents, diplomatic cables, after action reports, all sorts of documents that are irrefutable. You would still refuse to acknowledge the truth because you cant handle the truth.
Besides, Turbo has posted a much larger volume of pro-Kenny comments on here, some more wild than stuff I’ve posted. I don’t see you attacking him or saying he is a de-facto spokesman for Kenny. I get it though, intellectual consistency has never been your strong point.
Well, at least it’s nice to know we have fans. Thanks for reading Chris. I doubt there’s anything I can say at this point to change your mind…and it’s not like we’re going to stop blogging because you think we’re “idiots.”
To quote the great philosopher, Obi-Wan Kenobi:
I’ll be honest – I can give President Obama a pass on this because until Ward wrote this article, I had no idea that “In God We Trust” was ever adopted as an official motto. I viewed it as one of our unoffical mottos, along with “E Pluribus Unum.”
I also didn’t realize that the national flower was the rose (adopted 1986), the national tree is the oak (adopted in 2004) and that stuff happened in my lifetime.
I’d also never heard the national creed, which apparently has been on the books since the House adopted it in 1917 and I can honestly say I have never heard read or spoken aloud in my life.
I guess Maryland must be as bad at teaching these basics as Hawaii is.
Chris, you are wrong about the international incident. Indonesia is overwhelmingly muslim, but they also have Christian and a variety of other faiths represented. Saying “In God We Trust” would likely have been translated to refer to Allah in Malay or Javanese. It wouldn’t have caused any problems.
Obama’s use of the phrase “e pluribus unum” made perfect sense in the way he was using it in the speech. It’s a pretty common speechwriting technique to use a phrase that means one thing and broaden the meaning to help make the point you’re making. I think it’s clear that e pluribus unum refers to federalism – out of many, one refers to the states and the nation clearly – but it is just as forceful a statement when used in the multicultural context, too. I think it was a pretty good way of getting his point across. And it’s got us talking about it, which is what every good speechwriter wants to see.
Granted, it’s not Axis of Evil level, but I liked the way Favreau or whichever speechwriter wrote it turned the phrase.
Like I said, I’m willing to cut the President a little slack here. Using In God We Trust didn’t make the point he was trying to make and that’s why it wasn’t used, not because it would have started an international incident. He had no problems referring to God in the speech he gave in Egypt.
Case Closed. Move on people.. we have bigger fish to fry.
Mr. Cohen, I’m not sure who made you the arbiter of when an issue was considered settled. But we do seem to have had a fairly thorough discussion.
Brian S., I too might have been willing to give the President a pass were this an isolated incident.
That being said, I’m willing to let it rest.
Until the next time.
Ward, I am just one man one vote but I shout out when it becomes apparent that good talents are being wasted. There is a lot of potentially useful energy from thinking minds churning up the blog here. If we can redirect our energies to taking the fight to the battle field we might have a better shot at seeing better government come 2012.
Obamas semantics are an indicator of who we already know the man to be and fracturing ourselves serves none other than our ideological opponents.
Lets move forward and take our mental energy where we can affect change for the good.
Interesting discussion. I’ve long hoped for better civic education to help people become more aware of the history of our National Motto and other great aspects of our history. Few people even know that the Star Spangled Banner has 4 verses or that one of them poetically refers to “in God we trust” as our motto. Thanks to Ward Smythe & Ryan Gleason for bringing that up.
As far as mottoes go, Randy Forbes was also in the forefront when the newly constructed Capitol Visitor’s Center tried to replace “In God we Trust” with E Pluribus Unum as our national motto. Forbes had to fight to get the official motto appropriately acknowledged in the new museum, which is toured by tens of thousands of students and other visitors every year.
Both mottos have great historical meaning in our country and I deeply appreciate them both. The one is a historical motto that acknowledges our Western legal roots and gives them a fresh federalist interpretation. The other is our official motto, acknowledging the Providential Source and Sustainer of this great experiment which is these United States.
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