NBC Offers Extended Apology for Omission of 'Under God' at U.S. Open
NBC Universal has extended its apology for omitting the words “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance in a video montage played during the recent U.S Open.
Reps. Randy Forbes, R-Va., and Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., who lead the Congressional Prayer Caucus, along with 106 other members of Congress, had expressed their frustrations to NBC leaders at the omission.
A letter was written to NBC Universal CEO Stephen Burke stating “We live in a society where there are increasing efforts to remove all mention of religion from public life, and we remain dedicated to defending against such attempts.”
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A response from NBC said a small group of people made the decision to take the words “under God” out and it was not an ideological decision by the company.
NBC Universal faced outrage from not only congress but viewers and religious figures after omitting “under God” two times in a June 19 video montage at the U.S Open golf tournament at the Congressional Country Club near Washington D.C.
Viewers who caught the edit immediately headed to social networks and began posting complaints on Facebook and Twitter.
The Rev. Patrick Mahoney of Christian Defense Coalition issued a statement, saying, “It is clear that this was not an accident and the pathetic apology NBC offered to the public is not enough in addressing this controversy.”
Some viewers called NBC “scumbags” while others vowed to boycott the network.
The montage was created to celebrate patriotism as it showed clips of children reciting the pledge. The video was edited to have the children say, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, with liberty and justice for all.”
The employees responsible for editing the montage were reprimanded and NBC also apologized later in the June 19 broadcast.
