I don't think it should. "Under God" has no business being in a pledge of allegiance in a country where religious freedom is guaranteed in the Constitution. It's a johnny-come-lately anyway, as the original had been around for decades before the paranoid types decided we had to be ideologically different (on paper anyway) than the Commies. Hell, why do we have a pledge of allegiance anyway?
I don't like it. I find it creepy and semi fascist. At every 37th District meeting they say the Pledge before every meeting, most everyone recites and holds their hand over their hearts and all that but I just stand there at Attention. I'm not trying to be a dick or anything, but seriously, wtf is up with all the flag worship?
I have a number of issues with the Pledge of Allegiance. I have a problem with the "under God" part, I have a problem with the "indivisible" part (I strongly defend the right to secession), and I have a problem with the very principle of pledging allegiance to a country. Very unpatriotic, I am...
Good question. The story I've been told was that it came into existence as a response against Communism, but if the Wikipedia article is to believe, the Pledge of Allegiance has been around since 1892. And apparently, the Knights of Columbia were the ones that pushed to add "under God" in there. I agree that the whole thing should go.
Oh, come on, what could possibly be creepy about a whole bunch of schoolkids being [-]brainwashed[/-] educated into mindlessly repeating a series of jingoistic platitudes about how faithful they will be to the [-]fatherland[/-] uncleland (it is Uncle Sam, after all), while being told that they aren't "good citizens" if they don't? Isn't that the way all the modern countries do it?
I found it very strange when we moved here from England and at school it was a regular thing to sing the national anthem.
It's creepy and the kind of thing you'd expect to find in a totalitarian country of some variety, not a country that otherwise is as independence-oriented as ours. The "under god" is a whole 'nother issue, since the implication of its inclusion is basically "unless you believe in the supernatural, you can't be a loyal American."
As has already been said, 'under god' sounds like you belong in some theocracy, and just having to say the pledge makes it look like you live in a totalitarian dictatorship.
".. I have issues.. i think it's creepy.." haha.. This board is comical all you "cookie cutter" free thinkers especially aurora boring-alice, tafkats, ancalogon ......
This sums it up for me. All three are personal choices. If you want to be patriotic then it is your choice based on what elements about your country and culture you find worthy of celebration. Similarly religion should also be entirely one of choice. Frankly the pledge is an insult to the many Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and children of other denominations, who have been brought up to follow other religions, to say nothing of those children who have been brought up to make their own minds up.
I find it creepy and I especially take issue with the "under god" portion. However, I'm fine with it being recited at the start of the school day so long as students can freely opt out without retribution.
Worse than that, it pledges allegiance to a symbol of the country. I'm not so troubled by the idea of pledging allegiance to the country (though it absolutely should not be mandated). But allegiance to a piece of cloth? Like Ancalagon, I stand quietly during these public displays of fascist remnants of the Cold War.
Not exactly high on the list of pressing social issues but okay, dump the pledge. That said, the pledge is a daily opportunity to goof off -
For all the people who find it "creepy" can you cite any evidence that saying the pledge has ever caused any discernable harm to anyone?
Does it have to have caused harm for someone to find it creepy? I personally don't find it creepy but I laugh at those who do. Why? Because if the pledge is supposed to be a form of brainwashing it has failed horribly. Just look at the country.
It's a form of brainwashing. Get children indoctrinated at a young and impressionable age to be blindly patriotic and not question authority. That's the greatest harm of all. And I refuse to pledge my loyalty or allegiance to a country that has become so fucked up as the United States has become in the last 40 years. You want my allegiance, clean the shit up!!!
There is plenty of evidence. Just look at all the people who rally behind any politician who waves the flag. How many people supported the invasion of Iraq just because they were told it was our patriotic duty? There is tremendous harm in the idea that patriotism means unquestioning loyalty to authority, and that is the lesson instilled in the pledge.
yes yes..... America is just loaded with brainwashed dopes that believe everything their government tells them and you just happen to be the one motherfucker that is special enough to have escaped the brainwashing. More people have been brainwashed into believing ghosts exists due to con-men like you then have ever been brainwashed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
I used to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school instead of the Lord's Prayer (which they made us do every morning). That really fucked with the teachers, espcially since I was in a Canadian classroom.
No, no...get your Ghostbusters straight, Ray was the true believer, Peter was the huckster that wanted to get rich off franchise rights and military contracts.
