'Godless' 4th-of-July Sign Sparks Outrage in Oswego

Controversial Oswego 'Bless the U.S.A.' sign not going back up next Fourth of July https://t.co/cCnTre6V6o pic.twitter.com/aFOua8BZ7t
— BeaconNews (@BeaconNews) July 13, 2016

Oswego, IL — A sign donated to the Village of Oswego drew the ire of some residents because it didn’t include the word "God."

The sign, which says "Bless the USA," was given to the village last year and even displayed, but it wasn’t until the second time around that people began having a serious problem with it, according to the Beacon News.

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"Do they not know that the history of our country is based on 'one nation under God?'" retired West Aurora High School history teacher Joan Roth told the paper. She taught the Constitution for more than four decades. "Every veteran and founding father has to be … turning over in their graves. This is unacceptable."

Village Administrator Dan Di Santo told the paper the sign was not meant to offend anybody. It was donated by Temple Display after someone placed an order for it, but never paid.

"The village saw it as a way to honor America and it had nothing to do with censoring God," Di Santo told the paper.

The sign was also on display last year, but drew far fewer complaints. With the number received this year, it looks unlikely the sign will appear again next year.

"If it offends some people," Di Santo told the paper, "then it's just not worth it."

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