Not every member of the El Cerrito City Council chooses to serve under God. But that won't stop people who do.
An effort to change the language recited by the City Council before meetings -- in other words, a change to the Pledge of Allegiance -- failed on Tuesday night, according to the Contra Costa Times.
Councilmember Mark Friedman wanted to change the pledge to "I pledge to serve the people of El Cerrito and to work for liberty and justice for all," the newspaper reported. The pledge did not come to a vote.
Friedman told his colleagues that he objects to the tenets of the pledge, pointing out that "he was elected to serve El Cerrito residents and not the entire United States," the newspaper reported, and also had issue with the words "under God."
"When we say 'under God,' whose God do we mean?" he asked.
The effort was rejected and did not come to a vote.
