Council Picks Secular Motto for Malibu City Hall

 member Pamela Conley Ulich was unable to convince a majority of her colleagues on the dais Monday night that the national motto  should be displayed at . But she did get unanimous consent to display the phrase "E Pluribus Unum," Latin for "Out of Many, One." This phrase appears on the Great Seal of the United States, American money and other federal government items.

A formal hearing will take place at a future meeting, but all council members said they were in favor of the display, which will appear at the council office on the second floor of City Hall.

All the council members had strong opinions about displaying "In God We Trust," with Conley Ulich saying it was the right thing to do. Others said, church and state should not be mixed at City Hall. And some council members took offense to public speakers who said the motto was about patriotism.

"I feel strongly that I would like to have this City Hall do what I think is the right thing, which is to display the national motto," Conley Ulich said.

The council member denied accusations that she made the proposal because she was influenced by the nonprofit In God We Trust ~ America, although Conley Ulich included information about the organization in the report for the agenda item. A representative of the organization, Irvine resident John T. Carr, addressed the council.

"Our sole mission is to promote patriotism by encouraging elected officials across America to vote yes on our legally approved national motto … this does not offend anyone," he said.

Carr added, "To me patriotism is love of God and also love of country … I'm very disappointed in people who feel this is something we shouldn't do because patriotism is a big part of our country."

Council member John Sibert, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, took offense to this statement.

"I'm a patriot and I find it personally insulting that these folks who are standing there are telling us, telling me, that if I don't believe this motto up there, I'm not a patriot," said Sibert, who was participating in the meeting via speaker phone from Hawaii. "That's wrong."

Sibert said he would have been fine with displaying the motto if the supporters had not attached the patriotism claim with it.

The other council members, including proposal supporters Conley Ulich and Mayor Pro Tem Lou La Monte, said they did not think of the motto as patriotic.

One public speaker from Malibu addressed the council in favor of the proposal and two spoke in opposition. Jeff Rosenfeld said the motto was divisive.

"The motto is a religiously motivated ... act to make unbelievers feel not welcome in this city and like second-class citizens," he said. "There is a lot of other more important work that the city needs to do and the city has been doing."

Proposal supporter Linda Vallejo said atheists can insert their name in place of God in the motto. She said opposition to the proposal was connected to "an epidemic in this nation where gratitude for freedom is being replaced by arrogant entitlement."

"Patriotism is not just waving the flag, sometimes it is blazing a trail with blood, sweat and tears and hoping that maybe it will give others the courage to follow, because there are no atheists in foxholes."

Council member Jefferson "Zuma Jay" Wagner said the decision not to display the motto does not mean the city is opposed to religion. He noted that Malibu allows the crèche display in the city and endorses the menorah lighting at Malibu Colony Plaza.

"I'm happy that the city participates in religion and a belief in God, but I don't think we need to endorse that motto on our City Hall."

Editor's Note: Jeff Rosenfeld was misquoted in a previous version of the story. The quote included in the current version of the story is correct.