A Federal district court judge in Sacramento, California has ruled that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in school is unconstitutional.
Why?
Because the pledge contains the two word-phrase "Under God". This phrase was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 during the Eisenhower administration, the result of a successful campaign by the lay group *"Knights of Columbus".
* And just who are the Knights of Columbus for those who may not know? The following quote from their web site may help you understand:
"Knights are Catholic men, 18 years of age and older, who are committed to making their community a better place, while supporting their Church"
(I don't particularly have anything against the Catholic Church or the Knights of Columbus - I just don't want them dictating who we. and most particularly I, 'pledge allegiance to'!)
Lest there be any further doubt as to the religious connotation of adding those two words, here's what President Eisenhower said when they were added to the Pledge:
"In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; In this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most power resource in peace and war."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower on Flag Day, June 14, 1954
This pretty well establishes that at least in those folks' minds, our country is beholden to 'God' and likewise it's citizens, whether everyone feels that way or not. That conclusion is inescapable.
By reciting the Pledge of Allegiance you are doing the following - all pretty freely acknowledged by supporters of the Pledge:
1-Promise your loyalty to the Flag itself;
2-Promise your loyalty to your own and all the other 49 states;
3-Promise your loyalty to the Government that 'unites' us all;
4-Recognize that we are one nation, UNDER GOD;
5-That we can not nor should not be divided or alone;
6-That Liberty and Justice belongs to ALL of us
(1- Speaking only for myself, I am having some internal problems proclaiming loyalty to some strips of colored cloth - as heretical as that may sound);
(2- I’m not too sure about all those states either, particularly Alabama & Mississippi & West By God Virginia);
(3- Promise 'loyalty to a Government' which is the most divisive in US history since the Civil War, and which feels free to unilaterally invade other countries? I don’t think so!);
(4- UNDER GOD? I have a news flash for the folks who want to shove this down our throats: This country was founded on FREEDOM OF RELIGION, including NO STINKING GOD if I so choose - and I most certainly do!);
(5- Better talk to my ex-wife about this one);
(6- Amen brother. This one I go for, if only it could be true. But, alas in the good old U.S. of A, Liberty and Justice almost always goes to the highest bidder).
And, whose god are all those bible thumpers talking about anyway?
Catholic God? Jewish God? Jehovah? Bhudda? Muhammad? Hinduism and reincarnation? The Baptist God? The Snake Handlers God? Pentecostals? Holy Rollers? Shinto's? (or one of the other 2600 some-odd sectarian beliefs and gods?)
Or, maybe this one I have just learned about?:
(I'm gonna send for their minister's kit!)
I think the biggest problem some of us have with the pledge is the concept that we are pledging allegiance to a symbol that represents government ("... and to the republic for which it stands..."), an entity that is our servant, and that thus should be pledging allegiance to us, the People, not the other way around.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that! And particularly true when that servant is misbehaving in our names . . .
ReplyDelete