Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you want to see your tax dollars spent, a federal appeals court will rehear arguments on whether the Ohio motto’s wording violates the U.

Tuesday, July 18, 2000

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you want to see your tax dollars spent, a federal appeals court will rehear arguments on whether the Ohio motto’s wording violates the U.S. Constitution as an apparent endorsement of religion.

This decision sets aside an April finding that "With God, all things are possible" violates the separation of church and state and endorses christianity to the exclusion of all other faiths.

First, a disclaimer, no one wants to make any Ohioan feel that his or her state motto does not endorse his or her particular religion. This motto is simply an acknowledgement that some higher power has some influence over how we live our lives and govern our state in Ohio.

Courts should fight for every citizen’s right to worship in whatever manner he or she chooses. There is no question about that.

But when so many more important issues are in need of comment – violence in our schools, increased teen sexual activity and a seeming increase in violence against minorities, it seems more than a little silly to waste even a moment or a dollar on something that really serves no useful purpose.

Whose life will be better if Ohio’s motto is changed?

It seems to be a reach to think that this is even close to being in the best interest of the state or an issue citizen really care about. All this case is doing now is costing us money that would better spent on helping poor families or fixing the state’s schools. Those should be our priorities now.