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Title: Can We Please Get Rid of the Pledge?
Source:
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URL Source: http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/09 ... -please-get-rid-of-the-pledge/
Published: Sep 4, 2016
Author: Mike Whitney
Post Date: 2016-09-04 12:22:08 by Ada
Keywords: None
Views: 2037
Comments: 85
The Pledge of Allegiance is not an expression of patriotism. It is a loyalty oath that one normally associates with totalitarian regimes. People who love freedom, should be appalled by the idea our children are being coerced to stand and declare their support for the state. This is the worst form of indoctrination and it is completely anathema to the principals articulated in the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I cannot imagine outspoken libertarians like Thomas Jefferson or Tom Paine ever proclaiming their loyalty to the state when they correctly saw the state as the greatest threat to individual freedom. Which it is. Now I know that many people think the Pledge is simply an affirmation of their respect for the flag, their love for the country, and their gratitude to the men and women who fought in America’s wars. But that’s not what it is. The Pledge is an attempt to impose conformity on the masses and compel them to click their heels and proclaim their devotion to the Fatherland. That’s not how it’s supposed to work in a democracy. In a democracy, the representatives of the state are supposed to pledge their loyalty to the people and to the laws that protect them. That’s the correct relationship between the state and the people. The Pledge turns that whole concept on its head. Now I’d have no problem if our schoolchildren recited the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence before class every day: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” That’s great stuff, unfortunately, the people who run this country would never allow it. They’d never allow our kids to recite an incendiary, revolutionary document like that every day for fear it would incite violence against the state. What they want is “good Germans”, not revolutionaries, not freedom-loving populists, and not well-informed, critical thinking individuals who can see through the sham of their jingoistic propaganda. They want people who are going to follow the rules, do what they’re told, fight the wars, and perform their worktime drudgery for 30 or 40 years until they’re carted off to the glue factory. That’s what they want. Reciting the Pledge fits perfectly with this dumbed-down version of permanent indentured servitude. It provides the ideological foundation for bovine acquiescence to the demands of the state and the crooks who run it behind the tri-color banner. The fact that institutions like the Pledge are never challenged in a public format, points to deeper problems with the media and the way our kids are being educated. And while I don’t have time to talk about that now, it makes me wonder where are the people to question these silly recitations that undermine democracy and personal liberty? Why are their voices never heard? I can’t answer that, but when I see the state deliberately eviscerating habeas corpus and locking away terror suspects for life with no evidence, no witnesses, no due process, no presumption of innocence, no way to defend themselves or claim their innocence in a court of law or before a jury of their peers–when I see the US state assuming the same unchecked, tyrannical powers as all of the dictatorships that went before them– I grow increasingly concerned that this lack of critical thinking is costing the country quite dearly. We are on the verge of losing what-little democracy we have left because people are incapable of looking around and asking ‘what the hell is going on?’ Pulling your head out of the sand and asking questions is not a sign of disloyalty. It’s a sign of intelligence, the kind of intelligence this country needs to stop the bloody wars and get back on track. So next time you’re in a situation where you’re asked to stand up and recite the pledge, just pause for a minute and ask yourself what it really means. Is it really an expression of “love of country” or a is it a vacuous and demeaning exercise in nationalism that should be done away with ASAP? I’d say, it’s the latter.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 76.
#2. To: Ada (#0)
The Founders were ALL revolutionaries. This is a fact. Not to mention, at Constitution Hall in Philadelphia in 1787, they boarded up the windows to keep prying eyes and ears from finding out what was going on inside. But, the Republic that Ben Franklin spoke of is long gone. It was replaced by the Act of 1871 which formed the corporate UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ;)
"""they boarded up the windows to keep prying eyes and ears from finding out what was going on inside.""" Very distressing that you two learned gentlemen would so easily dismiss a part of our heritage, something that is also inherent in every country on this earth.
Our heritage is found in the declaration of independence and in the bill of rights. The rest is just statist verbiage and claptrap.
The Pledge is NOT nor nor never been some ritualistic pledge to some great and overbearing power. In fact it is rather simplistic when its history and intent is known and understood... """ The Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by the socialist minister Francis Bellamy (1855-1931). It was originally published in The Youth's Companion on September 8, 1892. Bellamy had hoped that the pledge would be used by citizens in any country. In its original form it read: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." In 1923, the words, "the Flag of the United States of America" were added. At this time it read: "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.""" I fail to see any evil intent in the original, was never a view of founding Fathers, had NOTHING to do with Constitution. Destroying the fabric of a country is often too easily accepted, without thought nor knowledge.
I fail to see any evil intent in the original The evil intent (if that's what it can be called) was forcing school children to swear allegiance to an indivisible government. Remember that until the Late Unpleasantness Between the States, most Americans believed that succession was legal.
Assuming you meant ...secession...in that vein, if one takes time to read the Constitution as adopted by the Southern States. it is an eye opener. Worth reading by members here.
Uh, yes. . .The right of the states to withdraw was assumed. From 1800 to 1815, there were three serious attempts at secession orchestrated by New England Federalists. This "one nation, indivisible" pledge was indoctrination aimed at US schoolchildren.
The Columbus part I did not know. """The original version of the Pledge of Allegiance did not include the words “under God.” The patriotic oath – attributed to a Baptist minister named Francis Bellamy and published in a children’s magazine in September 1892 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ voyage to America – read: “I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”"" It was NEVER anything forced on the people by the government. Hang the government, yes, however do not buy everything anti-American that is brought out by the media.
When the pledge was required in government schoolrooms and there was a penalty for refusal (even if it were just a trip to the principal's office), that's force.
Correct. A voluntary oath such as the Boy Scout Pledge or Ethical Hunter Oath is a code of ethics which one adopts freely. A mandatory (or ostensibly obligatory through social pressure-classroom conformity) pledge is in fact compelled obedience, and "any act committed by me against my will is not my act". Any who voluntarily seek work in defense plants should have no quarrel with such oaths and secrecy agreements to protect technology, enforced with criminal statutes. But, a school kid pledging allegiance to the flag is the same method that teaches kids that their parents' GOD is the true living god, and "them other heathens that use real wine in their communion are going straight to Hayull." We may raise our kids to worship BAAL if we choose, but, should the state have a prior claim on our children's loyalties? In a nation where the wealth is siphoned ever upward and the standard of living is continuously falling (despite tech advances which should lift all boats) what possible obligation could poor, working class stiffs have to bend our knees for the govt that bows before its money masters?
The original posting was concerning Pledge of Allegiance... It was written by one man, to honor the 400th year of Columbus discovering America. The government was in no way involved. The author intended it to be used by children of any country in the world. Any government, state or federal that misused it in any way was duly elected by the citizens. Side note...At that time in history, state governments were trying to get Federals to ban child labor. The Federals refused to act due to pressure of huge corporations. There was no mass indignation by the upper and middle class. Society was perfectly content that children of the poor were required to work. Now people go into hysteria over a pledge. Government and running dog media are TV educating Americans and it shows.
Columbus did not discover America. That is why I hated history in school. They lied to us about the true foundations of this country and who actually discovered it first. FYI, Amerigo Vespucci discovered America and is where the name America derived from. More here on that http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerigo_Vespucci And here too
See, perfect example of brainwashing. I took an adults word for it. Columbus was also one of earliest recorders of a UFO. They did NOT teach me that. Lot of things turned out to be false.
Which is why all of our so-called history books need to be tossed in the fires and re-written on an actual account of what this country was actually founded under and who actually discovered it first.
Good heavens no.
The only thing that should be noted in the textbooks was that Christopher Columbus brought the slaves to America. More here on that. www.rense.com/general81/d3ss.htm If you want to understand the history of the true early America, you need to look to the Middle East as far back as in the biblical times where Africa was given its name by the Romans but previously was known as Ethiopia. And that continent as well as the other parts of the Middle East were named after the Patriarchs Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Esau, and other prominent Patriarchs that made the Middle East an important part of human civilization. Now when you think like that you start to wonder where did America get its name from. Was it founded by a patriarch? The answer is "No". It was founded by an Italian cartographer who had a genuine interest in discovering New Found land which was South America and then North America. America not only got its name from Amerigo Vespucci but it became the New World.
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Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latestit is completely anathema to the principals articulated in the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
#4. To: BTP Holdings, Lod, All (#2)
""Brilliant post of the year, thank you.""
#5. To: Cynicom, 4 (#4)
#6. To: Lod, BTP Holdings, noone222 (#5)
#11. To: Cynicom (#6)
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."""
#12. To: Ada, Lod, noone222, BTP holdings, All (#11)
most Americans believed that succession was legal.
#23. To: Cynicom (#12)
Assuming you meant ...secession..
#26. To: Ada, Lod, BTP Holdings, noone222, all (#23)
#27. To: Cynicom (#26)
It was NEVER anything forced on the people by the government.
#58. To: Ada, Cynicom (#27)
When the pledge was required in government schoolrooms and there was a penalty for refusal (even if it were just a trip to the principal's office), that's force.
#61. To: HOUNDDAWG (#58)
#69. To: Cynicom (#61)
(Edited)
It was written by one man, to honor the 400th year of Columbus discovering America.
#70. To: purplerose (#69)
Columbus did not discover America.
#71. To: Cynicom (#70)
#72. To: purplerose (#71)
Which is why all of our so-called history books need to be tossed in the fires and re-written
#76. To: Cynicom (#72)
Replies to Comment # 76.