Stop prayer at county board meetings

Kudos to incoming DuPage County Board member Dawn DeSart and several other of her newly-elected board members for calling for an end to longtime tradition of beginning board meetings with a religious invocation. Such invocations clearly violate the separation of church and state enshrined in our Constitution, which makes America a beacon of religious freedom and tolerance around the world, protecting everyone's religious beliefs while safeguarding the rights of nonbelievers. As a seven-decade non-theist I've promoted strict adherence to this separation whenever I encounter its violation. One small effort on that behalf occurs whenever called on to recite the Pledge. At the critical moment I proudly proclaim "one nation, under NO god, with liberty and justice for all."

The DuPage County Board should no more bring up religion to start their meetings, than a church service should bring up county government business at the beginning of theirs. County board Chairman Dan Cronin, who supports the invocation practice as "a wonderful way to start board meetings," says "we'll have to consider changes" if a majority of board members support De Sart's proposal. While passage is not likely based on comments of Cronin and incumbent board members, the newly-elected members are signaling early on that it will not be 'business as usual' on the county board in 2019.

Walt Zlotow

Glen Ellyn