Thank you for sharing this, I didn’t realize the boy who recited from JFK’s inaugural was the same one whose story we saw at the DNC. That’s really awesome.
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In 1923, over the objections of the aging Bellamy, the National Flag Conference, led by the American Legion and the Daughters of the American Revolution, changed the opening, “I pledge allegiance to my flag” to: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.” Ostensibly, it was revised to make sure that immigrant children-who might have thought that “my flag” referred to their native countries-knew that they were pledging allegiance to the American flag.
In 1954, at the height of the Cold War, when many political leaders believed that the nation was threatened by godless communism-the Knights of Columbus led a successful campaign to lobby Congress to add the words “under God.”
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Think about what the parents would have said if their kids came home telling them, truthfully, that the story of George Washington chopping down a cherry tree (at the age of six) and the admitting that he lied to his father is a complete myth . . .a lie. It was invented by a Parson Mason Locke Weems in the fifth edition of his book The Life of Washington, published in 1806, nine years after Washington’s death and 68 years after the alleged event occurred.
And by the way, Parson Weems made a great deal of money on that edition.
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Hi, Peter …
Always good to see you here.
Interesting premise for an essay on the inaugural festivities.
Thanks for pulling together various strands of social justice in the American vision – and the American experience.
We’re imperfect, of course, but, with the leftist impulses that you identify, at least we’ll always be a work in progress. Not yet a great society, perhaps, but always aiming to be a better one.
And a happy no Trump to you, too.
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i cannot bring myself to say the words ‘under god’ when saying the pledge…
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You should also recognize how Catholic (and Jesuit specifically) the inauguration was!
- Invocation by a Jesuit priest
- Lady Gaga is a recent Catholic convert open about her faith
- Amanda Gorman is Catholic and active in her young adult group!
President Biden has been open about his faith, and Catholic Social Teaching was resonant throughout the inauguration. Half of Catholics may be Republicans, but we shouldn’t ignore that the Religious Left has it’s most visible successful advocate in years in the White House. Maybe this can counteract the subjugation of the church to Republicans over the last forty years.
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And yet, those Catholics that are Republican denounce Biden - and every Democrat - because they support a woman’s right to choose. Sadly, that is general the limit of their belief in the sanctity of life. Until you ask them why it is the Democrats who are against capital punishment Why don’t those lives count?
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I don’t mean to be pedantic, but the War of 1812 wasn’t started by the British to retake the US or technically won by the US at the end. It started with US sailors being impressed, proceeded through an abortive attempt by the US to invade Canada, and petered out after the war with Napoleon ended.
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How many kids think the word is “invisible”? Kids have been heard saying, “with liberty and just a straw”.
Few years back the GOP sang “This land is your land…” at their convention with no apparent idea it was a leftist song from the 30s.
Hee Hee Hee.
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Nor did the folks at the GOP convention know about Woody Guthrie’s beef with Fred Trump.
And Donnie kept using the Village People’s “YMCA” at his rallys! No gay subliminal messaging there, folks, nope…
I forgot that. Yes, very subliminal about that song. Who would know?
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