Just like Diane Sawyer "accidentally" left out "endowed by their creator" when she read the declaration of independence.
Diane Sawyer skipped over "endowed by their creator." During ABC’s hour-long "Independence Day 2001" special from Philadelphia’s July 4 celebration, Sawyer read the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. Well, most of it.
She announced: "You know, it’s hard to imagine now that it was such a shocking idea at the time, these words: ‘We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, endowed with certain unalienable Rights, among these Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.’"
I was in New Hampshire last week where neither the Boston or Manchester ABC affiliates carried live the 10pm EDT broadcast hosted by Sawyer and Charles Gibson (they showed the concert from Boston’s Esplanade which featured Peter Jennings reading historic passages), but Northern Virginia free-lance writer Steve Allen alerted me to the incident.
Here’s the preamble in full: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
MRC analyst Jessica Anderson reminded me it’s not the first time Sawyer has offered an unusual take on God. Back on the September 9, 1999 Good Morning America, after Bill Gaither and his choir in Tennessee sang "Good morning, America," this exchange occurred:
Charles Gibson: "That is one of the fine gospel groups in this country, and they have a new album called, ‘God is Good.’"
Diane Sawyer: "Yes, she is. I can confirm it."
Gibson, laughing: "Smattering of applause around the studio." |
