Interesting Censorship at WG - things that make ya go 'hmmmmm'....

I got a bill I entered on WG...and, while stamping it, I had noticed that someone blacked out the words "In God We Trust" and had handwritten "E. Pluribus Unum" above the blacked-out line.

Now, I am an Agnostic, and I really have no position regarding the words "In God We Trust" appearing on our money...after all, I do not have to read, or look at, or believe those words...in order to fold and spend the bill, right?

HOWEVER...when I edited the bill note to reflect the unique condition of this bill (I honestly never have seen this done to a dollar before, in spite of having handled over 10,000 dollar bills since starting the currency tracking hobby) - the censor at WG replaced the "In God We Trust" that I had typed - with "our national motto"

I thought this was rather interesting. Interestingly enough, it did NOT censor the word "Godless" (My bill note indicated that this was a "Godless bill" and then went on to explain the condition of the bill) - incidentally, "E. Pluribus Unum" IS in fact, our national motto, contrary to the belief of many people "In God We Trust" is NOT our national motto.

"E. Pluribus Unum," in fact, is the Latin for "Out of many, one" and refers to the thirteen original colonies (the many) forming one nation.

"In God We Trust" did not even appear on money until an act of Congress, during the Eisenhower Administration, put it there. This was done during the era of McCarthyism, when those words were added to our money (and "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance, incidentally) - both for the same reason - To differentiate us from "godless Communists." This can be verified by examining "The Congressional Record" for 1954, in which the reason was given, during Congressional debates over the bill that authorized this change to our money...and the Pledge.

I also note, for anyone who cares to examine this, "E. Pluribus Unum" still appears on the back of dollar bills...in the ribbon above the eagle in the Great Seal of the United States of America." It is there because this is our national motto - or at least, was at the time of this nation's founding. If it has been officially changed, I am not aware of this.

This is not a political manifesto, just actual history. I am also making no comment, or offering any opinion, positive or negative, about this.

Just thought it was interesting that WG should censor out "In God We Trust" and also would make the mistake that it was our national motto, when in fact it is not....also that they did NOT censor "Godless."

http://encyclopediadramatica.ch/Where's_George%3F

Sounds like someone dosent like this hobby

goldswimmerbj wrote:http://encyclopediadramatica.ch/Where's_George%3F

Sounds like someone dosent like this hobby

Wow. I guess not!
You ask me, it takes a loser to write something like that.

There always are those people who do not have their own good ideas, or the ability to implement them...and thus, find it easier to piss all over someone else's work...rather than actually create something themselves.

Hank and I may have our friction, but THAT was uncalled for!
But again, this is an example of a true loser, who has not the intelligence, ability, or inspiration to create anything on their own, and find it easier to tear down what others have built instead.

Fact is, if not for Hank, this hobby probably never would have happened. Like him or hate him...he IS the father of currency tracking. It WAS his idea first.

Would someone else have thought of it? Maybe, and maybe not.

But my main comment here is that - as always, there are a lot of people out there who lack brains, creativity, courage...or anything else that it takes to build something...and so, in order to feel better about themselves...feel the need to tear down what others have built instead of bettering themselves, and creating something.

Sad...the author of that bash at WG in particular, and currency-tracking in general.

I thought you knew all about this already. It is one of the many reasons I enter the majority of my bills here but perhaps the number one reason.

I don't feel the words In God We Trust should be on money but not for the reasons most people do. I feel it dishonors God to have it on there mostly because it is not true as a nation as a whole the U.S. does not trust in God and besides Which God? To the left of those words is the eye of Ra. Ra was a god of ancient Egypt, the sun god and I certainly don't trust in him.

Not my intention to start a debate/discussion on whether or not "In God We Trust" should appear on money. As I said, it matters not to me, as I do not have to read, look at, or believe in those words in order to spend my money (the "under God" part of the Pledge bothers me more, since I don't feel one should have to pay homage...or even lip service...to any man's God...in order to pledge allegiance to his country)

My main point was to ponder why WG? would censor that phrase - as if it were offensive....and why would they replace it with "our national motto" when in fact, it is not.
This is another subject, but I believe the adoption of that phrase as our national motto would be a clear violation of the separation of church and state. Now, one argument I would have against having the phrase on money is that the way there is so much economic injustice in this country (the gap between the top 10 percent and the rest of us has never been larger since the Middle Ages) - there is no way God or Jesus (at least not the ones I have read about) would endorse this practice, nor want their name associated with money - which is the current vehicle of economic injustice.

Forget I said anything, why do you care so much about some other site anyway especially one with so much nonsense going on in user notes.

Matt_How wrote:Forget I said anything, why do you care so much about some other site anyway especially one with so much nonsense going on in user notes.

Well, I still DO track there, you know...basically the worn-out, soiled, ripped or otherwise unfit for TD bills.

I just thought the censorship was interesting. And it made a nice compare/contrast for that site versus this one, where censorship does not happen.

As an addendum to this...

I have been corrected in something...apparently "In God We Trust" IS our official motto....as I said it might be, in my initial posting...this was what I wrote in my initial posting...the bolded part for emphasis...

Kalisiin wrote:I also note, for anyone who cares to examine this, "E. Pluribus Unum" still appears on the back of dollar bills...in the ribbon above the eagle in the Great Seal of the United States of America." It is there because this is our national motto - or at least, was at the time of this nation's founding. If it has been officially changed, I am not aware of this.

Since then, I was contacted and corrected:

source un-named wrote:
Just FYI... "In God we Trust" ACTUALLY *IS* the National Motto.

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trust

"E pluribus unum" is the *unofficial* motto of the United States.

In fact, THIS YEAR (2011) the House of Representatives passed an
additional resolution reaffirming "In God We Trust" as the official
motto of the United States, in a 396-9 vote.

So there it is...Apparently it IS our official national motto...although originally it WAS "E. Pluribus Unum" AND...while I'm of the opinion that this violates separation of church and state....apparently, th powers that be do not agree.

at any rate, I do not have to look at it, read it, or believe it...in order to fold or spend or hold that money, so I do not really care.

But I like to think I am big enough to admit it when I make an erroneous statement in good faith.
The facts have been provided, and so I am happy to post this, and make correction.

But I should note that I posed the possibility, in my original post...as bolded above.

Also,

Wikipedia wrote:
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.

So E. Pluribus Unum was neever codified by law...but was considered the national motto...until 1956 when the act of congress made "In God We Trust" our national Motto.

I was not aware that this had been done...I had believed the Act had only put the phrase on the money. I was obviously misinformed on this point.