Thursday, May 31, 2012

"In God We Trust" To Be Added To City Council Chambers In Anaheim California

ANAHEIM – The City Council Chambers will soon include the phrase "In God We Trust" over the city seal, behind the council dais.

The council voted unanimously Tuesday to spend $600 to $850 to install the motto in four-inch black or brushed-gold letters.

 It is a matter of patriotism," said Councilwoman Gail Eastman, who suggested the addition. "It is on our currency ... It's part of what America means to us."

The phrase is the U.S. national motto since 1956 and was reaffirmed in 2011 by Congress, which encouraged that the phrase be displayed in public schools and government buildings.

One resident, who said he is an atheist, spoke against the plan, saying it would make him feel excluded from city government. He suggested that the city include the former U.S. motto, "e pluribis unum," Latin for "out of one many, one."

The movement to add the motto nationwide has angered some atheists and activists nationally who say it violates the principle calling for separation of church and state.

But the "In God We Trust" motto has been widely accepted in Orange County, where 16 cities have already posted the phrase in chambers, from San Clemente to Buena Park. At least 92 California cities have included the motto and 281 counties and cities nationwide, according to Anaheim staffers who researched the issue.

The Anaheim council considered several locations and letter-sizes for the motto, including on the door to the chambers and in the hallway, but decided on the most prominent location, which is also seen on the television broadcast. Other options would have cost as much as $1,350.

The motto should be added within the next month, city officials said.
Read More from The Orange County Register

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