Appearing as a guest on Saturday's The Ed Show on MSNBC, actor George Takei omitted "under God" as he started quoting from the Pledge of Allegiance during a segment in which the gay rights activist and former Star Trek cast member reacted to the Supreme Court ruling that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act.
Referring to the one-third of Americans who live in a state where same-sex marriage is legal, Takei proclaimed:
Well, when I pledge allegiance to the United States, I say, "One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." One-third of the nation now has equality. Now, we have to work on the other two-thirds, so we're keeping our sleeves rolled up.
After host Ed Schultz brought up New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie's opposition to same-sex marriage, Takei condescendingly declared that Governor Christie "has yet to get that education" that there is a separation between church and state.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Saturday, June 29, The Ed Show on MSNBC:
GEORGE TAKEI: We flew to Raleigh, North Carolina, last Wednesday to work as a narrator with the North Carolina Symphony, but we heard the news in Los Angeles and we got the details once we landed in Raleigh, which has a man and a woman constitutional amendment, but we got all the details, and we were elated. It is a new day for America. However-
ED SCHULTZ: A new day -- go ahead.
TAKEI: Well, when I pledge allegiance to the United States, I say, "One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." One-third of the nation now has equality. Now, we have to work on the other two-thirds, so we're keeping our sleeves rolled up.
(...)
ED SCHULTZ: He says he'll veto a gay marriage bill if it passes through the state legislature in New Jersey just as he did in 2012. What's your response to Republicans who continue to fight against discrimination and equality? I mean, they seem to turn a blind eye and act as if this is just totally and morally wrong, and they play the moral card a lot. What's your response to that and Governor Christie?
GEORGE TAKEI: Moral card and religion. They always come to religion. Well, they have to understand that there is a strict demarcation between the separation of church and state. We are Buddhists, and we understand we can't write our faith values into civil law which applies to everybody. What they don't understand is that, if they want respect for their faith, they have to respect the many, many different faithes in this country.
And so we've got to get them to understand the demarcation point between the separation of church and state. And I'm surprised that Governor christie has yet to get that education.
--Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center