A friend recently posted a ling to a FOXNews story about a town in Oregon (I believe) that voted against pledging allegiance to the flag before the town meeting. I wrote back in response "is this news and is this necessary?" He said it's disrespecting the pledge and out country. He pointed out that everyone is so worried about being politically correct and offending others, but try this freedom in other countries. See what happens. I agree, it's awful what happens in other countries and our freedom of speech is wonderful. He then pointed out that the US soccer team just played a championship match against Mexico on American soil and the stands were filled with about 90% Mexicans booing our country. He stated that he felt it was disrespectful and that if they hate us they should go back to their countries. My only comeback for that was that these fans bought the tickets and like when I last went to Yankee Stadium and it was 75% Red Sox fans, they have the right to cheer for who they wish. He explained that this was sung (I never sung it, but I'm being facetious) in our classrooms, but the PC people in the world are afraid of the words "Under God." He added that 86% of our country believes in God, but 14% get their way. I can't attest to his statistics, but I'll go with his assessment as being true. Personally I think he's confusing being affiliated with a religious order, but that's not really the point I want to make. My point is about the Irony that conservatives value this tiny pledge with such vigor.
In the late 1800's Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, wrote the Pledge of Allegiance and during it's brief history, it's gone undergone four documented changes. The final coming in 1954 when President Eisenhower allowed the addition of "under God" to it. In 2011, the pledge is a show of devotion and patriotism, we cross our heart, soldiers salute and people take this very seriously. Especially those who do not quite get it.
Over the past few years a word has been thrown around to describe President Obama and his policies. That word is socialist. These same people that scream the words socialist and fascist are the ones who lose their wits when the pledge is denounced or ignored. Here is where the irony starts. Bellamy wrote the pledge based on his cousin Edward's beliefs documented in his works Looking Backwards and Equality. They were socialist ideals with the thought that if we weren't controlled by material items and labels, we could all coexist. Right before he wrote it, he was run out of the ministry. He had a job working for the superintendents of education and was asked to write something for the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovering America. Even more ironic that something we stand and and salute was originally to honor a man who committed genocide in the same way Hitler tried to do. The pledge was published in a popular magazine called the Youth's Companion and a marketing genius (whose name I forget) decided to use the publication to sell American Flags. Obviously, the correlation has never ceased.
Another irony is that Bellamy had asked if he could include the words Equality and Fraternity, or even one of them, before the words liberty and justice. He was told he could not, because those who asked that he write this, did not agree with his or his cousin's beliefs that women and blacks were equal. Almost a century and a quarter later, this has not been added, while the reason for it's omission is widely known. One thing that was added was a salute to the flag. A arm raised straight out, palms down, pointed at the flag. Similar to that of the Romans when they hailed Caesar. In the 1930's, this was done away with due to a little guy in Germany with a funny moustache and his "party." A hand on the heart took it's place.
Certain words were changed, my flag became to the flag and minor adjustments. In 1954, the Knights of Columbus campaigned for the words "under God" to be added. The Knights were the largest private Catholic group in America and had significant voter persuasiveness. Eisenhower, who I believe had just converted (this may have been long before, not sure) from being a Jehovah's Witness couldn't wait to pass this. It became law and was added for good. Somewhere along the line, the division of church and state became blurred, but nobody minded, because at the time it didn't bother anyone. Ironically, the Knights of Columbus, during the campaign, used the words "public prayer" to push their ideology. So, they obviously were ignoring that amendment, as did our president at the time.
Bellamy had said in an interview that he wanted to portray the nation as one. Everyone equal, everyone accounted for, and everyone blanketed by the flag. He said, it wasn't so much for those who were citizens, for those who had fought, but for those who were present and those who didn't have a fight. He stated that this was for immigrants, this was for those who didn't have a voice and that they, like all of us should be treated as equals, because they have become part of our nation. Somewhere in all the fighting over this pledge, over the added words, we all, both republicans and democrats, both catholics and non-catholics, both religious and non-religious forgot one important thing. We are all equals.
Think back to your childhood. Did you say the pledge because you loved the flag, your nation and all it stood for, or did you do it, because you were told. We are always hearing about the age of consent as it pertains to sex, drinking, voting and dying for our country. We never hear about it as it pertains to repeating something in school, attending church services or who we are taught to love and hate. A five year old doesn't know to call someone a derogatory name, but they do so, because they are told. A five year old doesn't understand what God is, but pray to him because they are told. A child surely doesn't understand that the pledge of allegiance has nothing to do with God or the armed services and has nothing to do with school or government. They know that every morning, just like their orange juice, they are expected to finish it. Maybe it parents taught their kids to think, to experience and to live, they could decide on their own what to say before class. If we had more shepherds and less sheep, the world would be a better place.
In the late 1800's Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, wrote the Pledge of Allegiance and during it's brief history, it's gone undergone four documented changes. The final coming in 1954 when President Eisenhower allowed the addition of "under God" to it. In 2011, the pledge is a show of devotion and patriotism, we cross our heart, soldiers salute and people take this very seriously. Especially those who do not quite get it.
Over the past few years a word has been thrown around to describe President Obama and his policies. That word is socialist. These same people that scream the words socialist and fascist are the ones who lose their wits when the pledge is denounced or ignored. Here is where the irony starts. Bellamy wrote the pledge based on his cousin Edward's beliefs documented in his works Looking Backwards and Equality. They were socialist ideals with the thought that if we weren't controlled by material items and labels, we could all coexist. Right before he wrote it, he was run out of the ministry. He had a job working for the superintendents of education and was asked to write something for the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovering America. Even more ironic that something we stand and and salute was originally to honor a man who committed genocide in the same way Hitler tried to do. The pledge was published in a popular magazine called the Youth's Companion and a marketing genius (whose name I forget) decided to use the publication to sell American Flags. Obviously, the correlation has never ceased.
Another irony is that Bellamy had asked if he could include the words Equality and Fraternity, or even one of them, before the words liberty and justice. He was told he could not, because those who asked that he write this, did not agree with his or his cousin's beliefs that women and blacks were equal. Almost a century and a quarter later, this has not been added, while the reason for it's omission is widely known. One thing that was added was a salute to the flag. A arm raised straight out, palms down, pointed at the flag. Similar to that of the Romans when they hailed Caesar. In the 1930's, this was done away with due to a little guy in Germany with a funny moustache and his "party." A hand on the heart took it's place.
Certain words were changed, my flag became to the flag and minor adjustments. In 1954, the Knights of Columbus campaigned for the words "under God" to be added. The Knights were the largest private Catholic group in America and had significant voter persuasiveness. Eisenhower, who I believe had just converted (this may have been long before, not sure) from being a Jehovah's Witness couldn't wait to pass this. It became law and was added for good. Somewhere along the line, the division of church and state became blurred, but nobody minded, because at the time it didn't bother anyone. Ironically, the Knights of Columbus, during the campaign, used the words "public prayer" to push their ideology. So, they obviously were ignoring that amendment, as did our president at the time.
Bellamy had said in an interview that he wanted to portray the nation as one. Everyone equal, everyone accounted for, and everyone blanketed by the flag. He said, it wasn't so much for those who were citizens, for those who had fought, but for those who were present and those who didn't have a fight. He stated that this was for immigrants, this was for those who didn't have a voice and that they, like all of us should be treated as equals, because they have become part of our nation. Somewhere in all the fighting over this pledge, over the added words, we all, both republicans and democrats, both catholics and non-catholics, both religious and non-religious forgot one important thing. We are all equals.
Think back to your childhood. Did you say the pledge because you loved the flag, your nation and all it stood for, or did you do it, because you were told. We are always hearing about the age of consent as it pertains to sex, drinking, voting and dying for our country. We never hear about it as it pertains to repeating something in school, attending church services or who we are taught to love and hate. A five year old doesn't know to call someone a derogatory name, but they do so, because they are told. A five year old doesn't understand what God is, but pray to him because they are told. A child surely doesn't understand that the pledge of allegiance has nothing to do with God or the armed services and has nothing to do with school or government. They know that every morning, just like their orange juice, they are expected to finish it. Maybe it parents taught their kids to think, to experience and to live, they could decide on their own what to say before class. If we had more shepherds and less sheep, the world would be a better place.
Comments
Post a Comment