After the furor, a quiet oath
By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Staff Writer
Honolulu police's 22 newest officers were sworn in without a hitch at last night following a week of controversy over the deletion of the words "so help me God" from their oath of office.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
Police Chief Lee Donohue said it was the right thing to do.
The Honolulu Police Department graduated its 141st recruit class last night at the Hawaii Okinawa Center in Waipi'o-Gentry. Unlike previous classes, the 22 new officers recited an oath without religious references.
The four words were taken out of the oath after the Hawai'i Citizens for the Separation of State and Church filed a complaint against the Police Department, saying the oath violated the constitutional separation of church and state, and that the state Constitution already required county employees with policing powers to take a different oath.
Donohue last week decided that the department would instead use the oath of office in the state Constitution that doesn't refer to God during last night's recruit graduation ceremony at the Hawai'i Okinawa Center in Waipio-Gentry.
But since Donohue's announcement, HPD has been swamped with 4,800 e-mails, nearly all of them asking the department to leave "God" in the oath, with only "a few" of the e-mails in favor of the oath change, according to police spokeswoman Michelle Yu.
Until last night, the department had used its own oath of office formalized in its 1991 Standards of Conduct. The oath given last night says: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of Hawaii, and that I will faithfully discharge my duties as (specify position) to the best of my ability."
During the ceremony for the 141st recruiting class last night, Donohue said: "The question is, do we do what is right or do we do what is popular? Tonight we will do what is right. As police officers, we have no other choice."
Mitchell Kahle, president of the Citizens for the Separation of State and Church, said yesterday that he was pleased with the department's decision not to fight his complaint.
"Our own state Constitution pretty much says that the officers have to take this oath," Kahle said. "There is no leeway, no room for interpretation on this one.
"Religious speech is protected in public. If someone wants to preach on the street, that is his or her right. But government shouldn't be making religious pronouncements."
Kahle said he has received about 50 e-mails since the HPD decision and said opinion was split.
Donohue said the decision has brought mixed reactions from the community.
The Rev. Barbara Grace Ripple, Hawai'i district superintendent of the United Methodist churches, disagreed with the deletion of the words from the oath.
"Nearly all of us, including our law enforcement personnel, look toward a higher power for help and guidance," Ripple said. "These officers may view terrible things during their duty: an accident or crime, or be in harm's way themselves. 'So help me God' means seeking guidance and direction during those times."
Ripple didn't think the word "God" in the original police oath was limited to a Christian concept either.
"I think in any belief, I think it means acknowledging a higher power," she said.
Jon Van Dyke, a University of Hawai'i professor on constitutional law, believes Donohue made the right decision in altering the oath.
"America was founded because they wanted to separate from Great Britain, which was using taxes on the colonies to help support the national church," Van Dyke said. "That is how the idea of separation of church and state came about here.
"With Hawai'i being a multi-ethnic community with many different faiths, I think it was the right thing to do. Police have a special role in our society to be neutral and fair, so maybe that should be reinforced by taking it out of the oath."
Van Dyke understands the issue is an emotional one, along with the court battle over the use of the Pledge of Allegiance, and whether government money should finance parochial schools.
"For many people, God is strongly part of their belief system, as well as to promote their god or religion," he said. "What it all does is stir healthy debate about these constitutional issues."
After last night's ceremony, new officer Arnold Sagucio said, "It really doesn't matter, because I believe in what I believe in. It doesn't prevent me from doing my job."
Reach Scott Ishikawa at sishikawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 535-8110.
