A letter from Obama

I am not voting for Obama, but I would like to know your take on the statements I put in BOLD in his reply to me.

Dear Sue:

Thank you very much for contacting me with your concern over the Architect of the Capitol’s decision to omit the word “God” from a certificate that accompanied a flag that was flown over the United States Capitol. I am pleased to inform you that on Thursday, October 11, 2007, the acting Architect of the Capitol, Stephen T. Ayers, amended the rules covering the certificates that accompany these flags, thereby eliminating the restrictions on religious messages. I have attached a copy of the rules for your review; rule eight is the amended rule.

As you may know, a 17 year old from Ohio requested that a flag be flown over the Capitol in honor of his grandfather. The request was submitted through Rep. Mike Turner’s office, and the certificate accompanying the flag was requested to read: “this flag was flown in honor of…my grandfather, for his dedication and love of God, Country, and family.” The Architect of the Capitol flew the flag as requested but omitted the word “God” in the certificate accompanying the flag. The Architect of the Capitol removed the word “God” in compliance with a 2003 rule providing that “personalized dedications are permitted, but limited to three hundred characters…political and/or religious expression are not permitted on the flag certificate.” This rule significantly predated Ayers’ assuming the role of Acting Architect of the Capitol in February 2007.

After consultation with members of Congress as well as members of the House Administration Committee and the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, Ayers determined this rule needed to be changed. He noted in a press release, dated Thursday, October 11, “my review revealed that, in fact, these rules have been inconsistently applied and that it is inappropriate and beyond the scope of this Agency’s responsibilities to censor messages from Members. The Architect’s role is to certify that flags are appropriately flown over the U.S. Capitol, and any messages on the flag certificates are personal and between a Member of Congress and his or her constituents.”

I am very pleased to see Ayers take such swift action on this matter. Americans are, generally, a religious people. Ninety percent believe in God, seventy percent affiliate themselves with an organized religion, and thirty eight percent call themselves committed Christians. Given the role that religious faith plays in the lives of so many Americans, I am unwilling to ignore the role of religion in public life. I do not accept that we must leave religion at the door before entering into the public square. Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, William Jennings Bryan, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King - indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history - were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause.

Again, thank you for taking the time to write to me regarding this important issue. I hope you are satisfied to learn that an issue of such importance to you has been resolved so expeditiously. Please do not hesitate to contact me again with any future matters of concern.

Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator