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When I was young in the USA I was taught to stand up, put my hand over my heart and repeat a bunch of words that I didn't understand or think about. It was just brainwashing and propaganda. The fact that this brainwashing takes place on a daily basis, mostly without question, in American schools all across the country shocks most people from other countries. It is one of the signs that people around the world don't know how bad things are in the USA. I feel a need to keep telling as many people as I can that things are unacceptably bad in America and getting worse. We all need to do whatever we can to stop the life-threatening trends there, each in our own small way. Collectively we can make a difference. Or so I truly hope. Thousands have died already because of America's abuse of its power. Thousands more are sure to die. But the more people who resist and try to change things, the better. Better late than never I guess. S. Hein Here is one person's writing about the "Pledge"
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Pledge Allegiance
Until I Am No
Longer Forced To Selected Quotes
-- I remember trying to sit the pledge out once I was not putting my hand over my heart, or reciting it anymore, but that was grounds for punishment in my school... -- I have had a huge issue with my son being taught, in public schools, to recite something that proclaims America is "one nation under God." I agree wholeheartedly with the founders of this country, in their firm belief in the separation of church and state as progress. I believe slipping backwards towards a monotheistic, religion-based government, which looks more and more like the direction George W. Bush wants America to head in, is terribly frightening and dangerous. The original Pledge of Allegiance, written in 1892, did not have the God phrase in it. The "one nation under God" language was inserted in 1954... -- In 1955, shortly after "one nation under God" was inserted into the Pledge, "In God We Trust" was printed on all our government's money, for the first time. -- We find the government and courts in America still swearing in officers on bibles for some reason. Also worthy of note is the fact that the Supreme Court begins each session with "God save the United States and this Honorable Court." -- Full text below |
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Pledge
Allegiance
Until I Am No Longer Forced To I have not said the Pledge
of Allegiance since approximately 1976, when I was 16
years old. I remember putting one hand over my heart, and
reciting the words in elementary school, oblivious to
what I was saying, along with the other kids, like
robots. The pledge was rote recitation that students were
collectively forced to repeat every morning together, and
nothing more. We did not discuss the Pledge together, on
our own time, on the playground, as young kids. I do not
remember ever swelling with American pride during the
Pledge. I do not remember even thinking about what the
Pledge of Allegiance meant, until I was old enough to not
want to recite it.
In 1955, shortly after "one nation under God" was inserted into the Pledge, "In God We Trust" was printed on all our government's money, for the first time. Around this same time, legislators introduced Constitutional amendments to command Americans to obey "the authority and law of Jesus Christ." We find the government and courts in America still swearing in officers on bibles for some reason. Also worthy of note is the fact that the Supreme Court begins each session with "God save the United States and this Honorable Court." So if the Supreme Court rules in Michael Newdow's favor in the current legal challenge to the God wording in the Pledge of Allegiance (www.supremecourtus.gov), they would be acknowledging the beginning comments in their own court are also unconstitutional, or so it would seem (http://www.religioustolerance.org/nat_pled4.htm). The argument often made is ALL religions have freedom in America, not that all religion needs to be taken out of government. But monotheistic religions, such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam, by their very virtue, create an "us versus them" mentality that cannot be reconciled, due to their monotheistic nature. So since these monotheistic religions will not function in a mode that accepts ALL religious beliefs as equally valid, they want ONLY their religion to be counted as "the truth," thus they cannot be part of a diverse equality of religions and politics. The Newdow case clearly reflects this sentiment, when reviewing who supports Newdow and who does not. The Pew Forum (http://pewforum.org/religion-schools/pledge/) lists the following groups supporting the "one nation under God" wording: American Jewish Congress, Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, Christian Legal Society, Focus on the Family, Family Research Council and Alliance Defense Fund, Knights of Columbus...and we find these groups fighting to remove that God wording: American Atheists, American Humanist Association, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Anti-Defamation League, Buddhist Temples, et al, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Seattle Atheists, etc. Instead of religious tolerance from monotheistic religions towards each other, which is apparently required for peace on earth, we get religions fighting to run nations in exclusivity, and wars murdering innocents get underway, and we better say the Pledge to remember who is right and who is wrong... maybe if we recite it, like saying you are a witch three times to become one, we will become what we force our children to pledge in school, blind followers of the American flag, willing to walk with muted questions into battle for our country, UNDER GOD. The children in the vaudeville performing clan I am associated with, learn the Vaudeville Pledge of Allegiance young. It says: "I pledge allegiance to the gag, of the united states of vaudeville, and to the repulsive way we stand, donations understood, with licorice for just us, and not all!" I have no idea who wrote the pledge, or where it came from, but it makes more sense than the American Pledge of Allegiance ever did to me! I understand gags, more than flags. I get repulsive and republic mixed up. "Just us" is really similar to justice. I think 5 year olds reciting the Vaudeville Pledge understand more of what they are pledging to, than 15 year olds reciting the American Pledge of Allegiance! I have yet to meet an American who can testify that saying the Pledge made him or her more patriotic. Everyone I have asked has said they only recited the Pledge until they were not forced to. My observation is Americans stop doing the Pledge of Allegiance the minute they are out of paternalistic, authoritarian environments, i.e., once they grow up. |