Remove the phrase "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance

The Pledge of Allegiance is an important and highly powerful statement, particularly when taught to children in our schools. The placement of the phrase "under God," a phrase which was added to the original pledge in the 1950s during a xenophobic and conformist time in American history, violates the separation of church and state guaranteed to American citizens by the First Amendment. It is grossly insensitive to citizens who do not observe Christian faith since the phrase indicates the Christian deity. It violates millions of citizens' individual beliefs and mandates that their children conform to a set of religious beliefs, something explicitly prohibited by the Constitution. We need a pledge which can be said by all citizens to instill patriotism and love of our country.