‘In God’ motto is approved

A crowd of polarized residents filled Costa Mesa City Hall on Tuesday to watch the council decide whether to add the “In God We Trust Motto” on its chamber walls.

Before a news crew and residents, the council voted unanimously to place the motto in the chamber.

Unlike the fairgrounds issue, which united residents, the motto issue divided the room. Most of those who spoke against placing the words on the wall stood to the right, and most of those who were in favor stood to the left.

“The vote is a foregone conclusion and my words will likely be ignored,” Richard Gillock, a Costa Mesa resident who served in the United States Marine Corps, said before the council vote. “But I feel it is necessary to put on the record that this council is not voting in the interests of this city or of our country …

“You are working to resurrect the days of McCarthyism in this country,” he continued. “Joe McCarthy was not just a paranoid crusader against Communism; he was a zealot trying to enshrine Christianity as the national religion of America.”

On the other side, Jack Hammett stood in favor of adopting the motto.

“My duties were to care for the wounded and dead,” said Hammett, who served in the Navy during World War II. “I did this from Pearl Harbor to North Africa and D-Day in England. I have cared for hundreds of our service men who suffered terrible wounds serving our country.

“I relate this because I want you to know that the ‘God’ is part of the vocabulary of every man I took care of,” he continued. “Many times I heard the words, ‘Oh God, don’t let me die,’ or ‘God help me’ or ‘Doc, pray for me.’”

Mayor Pro Tem Wendy Leece initiated the discussion when she requested putting the motto in the chambers. She also made the presentation to the council.

With this move, Costa Mesa will be the 15th city to adopt the motto in Orange County.