The new United States dollar coin does not have “In God We Trust” imprinted. Last week, an e-mail began to circulate calling us all to take a stand to stop the circulation of this newly minted dollar coin that no longer carried our national motto. Surely this e-mail was true because we know our government is always trying to slip something by us. That might be true sometimes but in this case the Feds are innocent.
We are the guilty ones for so quickly believing what we receive through our inbox from the World Wide Web.
The call-to-action e-mail was first circulated in 2007 when the new dollar coin was first minted. In the 1950s, Congress voted to have the phrase “In God We Trust” inscribed on all coins and paper money. No one has changed that.
The new $1 presidential coin bearing the face of our presidents was first minted in February 2007 and continues with the release of four presidents per year. In 2005, Congress passed the $1 Coin Presidential Act which called for a “larger and more dramatic imprint” on the face of the coin. To do this most everything from other coins was taken off the face. This included “In God We Trust,” the motto from our country’s seal “E Pluribus Unum,” the year of the printing and the mint mark. When you turn the coin on its side, you will find all of these on its edge. They are all still there, just not where we normally see them.
Contrary to the e-mails of 2007 or 2009, our government is not trying to “phase God out of America” or at least not by taking God’s name off of our coins.
Our computer inboxes are hit nearly every day with “forwarded” e-mails of statements we are expected to believe without question. I read recently that middle-age men and women are much more susceptible to taking these types of e-mails at face value. Our younger generation hardly ever believes one of these e-mails and will almost in every instance question its validity.
If you get the e-mail about the planet Mars getting so close to us in August that it will look like a second moon and it won’t happen again until 2087 — FALSE. It does that about every two years but not nearly as big as this e-mail is wrong.
If you saw the e-mail and picture of the Mexican Flag flying above an up-side-down American flag at a California high school it was true. The false part is that the school had anything to do with it. An outside group protesting immigration changes did this and it was corrected immediately after it happened. On the Internet even a photo can be right and wrong.
There is an old saying we should always “trust and verify” but, when it comes to the Internet and your inbox, I would suggest we should verify, then trust.
Sandy Sanders
Trust God but not the Internet
- Sandy Sanders
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Think before you answer
I got an email this week where a writer of an online column tells the story of a young child in Sunday School. The writer says the little boy’s teacher asked his class ‘What’s the animal with a long, bushy tail that lives in trees?’ One child quickly answers while probably thinking about the usual answer to questions in his church Sunday School, ‘Jesus. Though it sure sounds like a squirrel to me.’
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Forgiveness, redemption go together
The news story on Friday read: “WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Thursday to censure once-powerful New York Rep. Charles Rangel for multiple ethical misdeeds — the first time in nearly three decades that House members have publicly rebuked a colleague.
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South Georgia roots run deep for these execs
David Ratcliffe and Mike Garrett, two highly respected executives with Valdosta and South Georgia ties, will be stepping down as leaders of two of the largest power companies in the nation by yearend.
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VDT ready with all-new digital edition
You can now go to the home page of our website (www.valdostadailytimes.com) and click on the link for our digital e-edition. You can sign up for a seven-day trial or, if you currently subscribe to the print edition, we will be glad to add the e-edition just by calling our office for details.
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We are losing our children and we are blaming ‘others’
Extinction! There are public outcries to save animals, bugs and reptiles while our own children are being lost to a new world order. In the past two weeks, I have seen two students, one high school, one middle school, with their parents blessing bring to the public area all the details of their student-teacher antics. Each student had been suspended from school and one was making his way to court.
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Do we want tax or football braggin’ rights?
A drop in our property digest seems evident and to maintain we will need a tax increase. We can recruit higher-paying jobs to the county and get more taxes that way but is that practical thinking for a quick adjustment in this economy?
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Blazer Zone moving into Drexel Park
Next Saturday, Blazer fan families will have a great opportunity for some pre-game tailgating fun. The university is turning Drexel Park into a mini carnival so families can spread out to enjoy an afternoon under the trees, as they get ready for the Blazers’ season opener.
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Maggots with your steak
Today, with online journalism on newspaper websites, readers are able to go online, read the story, post a comment and, within minutes, their comment (thread) is answered by another reader. The bantering can follow a positive line or it can quickly move to having all the attributes of a barroom brawl.
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Why do some children live in abusive houses?
As I have written many times in this column, I grew up in a small town. My father worked at Moody Air Force Base for 30 years and as he would recollect while laughing, “I ate a fried egg sandwich for lunch every day of those 30 years.”
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Turning 18 before the election board
When I turned 18 my father took me down to the courthouse one evening to go before the Board of Registrars so I could be qualified to vote. I was called into the room before three men. I remember being nervous. They asked me questions about residency and being an American before I was given their stamp of approval.
- More Sandy Sanders Headlines
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Think before you answer
