At the beginning of the 20th Century, Americans truly believed in the goodness of our government.

William Tyler Page, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, expressed this when he wrote “The American’s Creed” in 1917.

It was accepted by a House vote and presented to the nation in 1919, becoming required learning for California school children in the years leading up to World War II.

What follows is the original wording of The American’s Creed:

“I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; based on those principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

“I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, obey its laws, to respect its flag and defend it against all enemies.”

The government has grown and changed greatly in the years since then.

Today Americans watch the actions of our government with dismay, distrust and anger.

I have watched and deplored these changes, the misuse of the Constitution and wrote, with apologies to Rep. Page, a parody of “The American Creed.”

Therefore, I am proposing the following updated version of The American’s Creed:

“I believe in the United States of America as a government of the politicians, by the politicians, for the politicians; whose autocratic powers are derived from the consent of those selfsame politicians; bureaucracies in a republic; a sovereign Nation devouring its sovereign States; a socializing union, separating its people from those established principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

“I therefore believe it is my duty to my country, because I love it, to support its Constitution, obey its just laws, respect its flag and defend it against all enemies including voting from office all who would detract from that Constitution.”