J.C. Watts: “today this body has the opportunity to speak out against a grave injustice that occurred in our country on April 25…”

“today this body has the opportunity to speak out against a grave injustice that occurred in our country on April 25, 2000. For on April 25, 2000 the U.S. Court of Appeals of the Sixth Circuit ruled that the state motto of Ohio, ``With God all Things Are Possible'', is in violation of the Constitution. Mr. Speaker, as we come to our Independence Day recess, I recall some 224 years ago we came together as a group to proclaim our independence from Britain. And in our Declaration of Independence we stated that all men ``are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'' From our nation's beginning we recognized the importance of God. Mr. Speaker every day in this body before we begin our day we are led in a prayer, we ask God to bless and guide us in our proceedings. Before we begin our day we pledge allegiance to our country, and proclaim that we are one nation under God. Mr. Speaker look around these chambers at our ``lawgivers'' statues you will find two Popes and one Biblical figure, Moses. These are the men who laid the foundation of our American democracy. Mr. Speaker for nearly 150 years our nation has lived under the motto ``In God We Trust.''”