Difference between revisions of "US Pledge of Allegiance"
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m (The Pledge of Allegiance moved to Pledge of Allegiance: Phrase can be used without "The", so leave it out for easier linkage.) |
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| − | [[ | + | <hide> |
| − | [[ | + | [[page type::article]] |
| + | [[thing type::ritual]] | ||
| + | [[category:US/issues]] | ||
| + | </hide> | ||
| + | ==Overview== | ||
| + | The [[US Pledge of Allegiance]] has become controversial for a number of reasons. It is of significance due to its widespread use in US classrooms. | ||
==Points of contention== | ==Points of contention== | ||
| − | ===" | + | ==="under God"=== |
| − | The point most often raised is that it implies that the pledger acknowledges the existence of God | + | The phrase "under God" was officially added to the pledge in the 1950s due to pressure from several pro-[[Christian]] groups. The point most often raised is that it implies that the pledger acknowledges the [[existence of God]], which in many circumstances violates the [[separation of church and state]] nominally required by the [[US Constitution]]. The presence of this phrase is now being used as evidence that "the [[US is a Christian nation]]", typically by the same types of groups who campaigned to have it inserted in the first place. |
| − | === | + | ==="to the flag"=== |
A secondary objection which is gaining popularity is that rather than pledging allegiance "to ''the flag'' of the United States", which is essentially an arbitrary and meaningless symbol – thus leaving the pledger's "allegiance" much more prone to [[Equivocation|manipulation]] – it would be far better for children (and others) to pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States, which would be much more meaningful as well as being specific and more along the lines of the sort of allegiance we as a country would want to inspire in our citizens. | A secondary objection which is gaining popularity is that rather than pledging allegiance "to ''the flag'' of the United States", which is essentially an arbitrary and meaningless symbol – thus leaving the pledger's "allegiance" much more prone to [[Equivocation|manipulation]] – it would be far better for children (and others) to pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States, which would be much more meaningful as well as being specific and more along the lines of the sort of allegiance we as a country would want to inspire in our citizens. | ||
| + | ===hypocrisy=== | ||
| + | It has also been pointed out that the Pledge makes a number of assertions about the nature of the {{USA}} which simply are not true, i.e. that it grants [[liberty]] and [[justice]] to "all" (presumably at least all US citizens living at home), and that the people who are most insistent on ritualized reciting of the Pledge are many of the same people who have worked the hardest to undermine liberties and deny justice to those without special [[privilege]]s. | ||
==Suggested Solution== | ==Suggested Solution== | ||
| − | "I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, and to the republic whose law it guides: one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." | + | "I pledge allegiance to the [[US Constitution|Constitution of the United States of America]], and to the republic whose law it guides: one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." (This addresses only the first two points.) |
==Links== | ==Links== | ||
| + | ===Reference=== | ||
| + | * {{wikipedia}} | ||
| + | * {{conservapedia}} | ||
| + | * {{dkosopedia}} | ||
| + | * <s>{{sourcewatch}}</s>[[category:!sourcewatch]] no equivalent page (as of 2008-10-30) | ||
| + | ===to file=== | ||
| + | * '''2013-07-10''' [http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2013/07/10/moyers-pledge-of-allegiance-is-a-lie/ Moyers: Pledge of Allegiance is a Lie] by [[Ed Brayton]] | ||
| + | * '''2013-07-09''' [http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2013/07/09/the-socialist-nazi-pledge-of-allegiance/ The Socialist, Nazi Pledge of Allegiance] by [[Ed Brayton]] | ||
| + | |||
* '''2005-09-14''' [http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/09/14/pledge.ruling.ap/index.html Federal Judge declares Pledge unconstitutional] | * '''2005-09-14''' [http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/09/14/pledge.ruling.ap/index.html Federal Judge declares Pledge unconstitutional] | ||