Discussion: The Strange History Behind The Pledge Of Allegiance

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Discussion for article #240364

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On the extremely rare occasions when I have recited the pledge in my adult life, I simply don’t say the words “under God” because I regard it to be a violation of the Establishment Clause. I also regard the imposition of “In God We Trust” on our currency during the 1950’s to be an equivalent Constitutional affront.

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If your child is in school, ask them, “What is the difference between patriotism and nationalism?”

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As an expression of ‘patriotism’ the pledge to our flag strikes me as one of the most empty civic gestures a free people can make. A much more robust pledge would involve our constitution, and mirror the oath of office that federal employees from the President on down take upon entering into service to the nation, viz., “I, (name), do hereby swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies foreign and domestic and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.” A pledge to the Constitution is an oath to uphold a covenant, a set of ideas really, regarding the relationship between citizens and their government. The same cannot be said about the current pledge.

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Why, everyone knows that allegiance to the flag as a symbol is proof positive of one’s patriotism. To illustrate, check out how many lapels have little flag pins in them during the next debate.

You must be a one-world, atheistic, secret commie if you don’t wear a flag pin.

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I, state your name, do hereby pledge allegiance to the frat with liberty and fraternity for all.

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Funny thing about the Bellamy salute, it looks an awful lot like the Nazi salute [which is why it fell out of favor in the late 30’s/40’s].

Also, Bellamy was a socialist. Try that factoid out on your conservative friends!

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He also included “equality” in the original draft along with liberty and justice. But other people pointed out how that wouldn’t be accepted by large portions of the American population. So, he dropped it.

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Personally for me the most empty civic gesture around are those stupid “we support the troops” bumper stickers and I say this as a military spouse.

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I agree, but “in God we trust” was added earlier I believe.

While I disagree that “God” should be part of the pledge or on the currency. I’m surprised the latter isn’t more widely considered offensive to to the religious.

Putting “God” on the symbol of greed and corruption seems very inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus.

I believe even Teddy Roosevelt opined as such.

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What bothers me more is the fact we are having our children making this pledge long before they can understand the complexities involved.

To me its clearly indoctrination to the status quo.

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I haven’t fact-checked this, jonney_5, but I believe you are correct about the earlier inclusion of “In God We Trust” on money. I think it was put on US currency during the Civil War for several years.

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Bellamy, the author of the pledge, was active in Massachusetts as a Christian Socialist who believed in the redistribution of wealth to provide social equality. And “America the Beautiful” was written by Katharine Lee Bates, who was born on Cape Cod and lived in Wellesley, and who, by many accounts, had a 25-year domestic partnership with another woman. So, basically, two of the most revered totems of American patriotism were written either by a socialst or a lesbian.
Dallas Cowboy fans will somehow point the finger at either Tom Brady or Bill Belichick.

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Pledge of allegiance to state flags are more problematic. Still required in TX . . . . every morning.

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When I hear people bluster about “the pledge,” I like to remind them that George Washington, John Adams, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Abraham Lincoln, U.S. Grant… not a one of them ever pledged allegiance to the flag. That always produces some confused looks.

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Growing up back in the late 60’s through the late 70’s in a moderately Rockefeller Republican voting town in suburban NYC and attending public schools we never included the “Under God” in the pledge. Only the term indivisible was used. The reason I remember that is indivisible is a big word for a 1st grader. It was not until AP aka Regents history in high school was the “Under God” insertion explained by an astute teacher.

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The so-called “Pledge of Allegiance” is un-American.