Courtesy of AHA:
Today the American Humanist Association launched a national campaign to encourage people to sit out the Pledge of Allegiance until the phrase “under God” is removed from it.
The campaign includes YouTube video ads, as well as bus stop advertisements placed in New York City and Washington, D.C. Ads will direct viewers to a website, DontSaythePledge.com, which provides information about the history of the Pledge, including that “under God” was not added until 1954, during the McCarthy era, and that a 1943 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on West Virginia v. Barnette gives students the right to opt out of saying the Pledge. The website also provides resources for parents to discuss the Pledge with their children, as well as a way for students to report harassment or bullying they might have experienced for exercising their right to remain seated during the Pledge.
“We want everyone to know that the current wording of the Pledge discriminates against atheists and others who are good without a god, and we want them to stand up for fairness by sitting down until the Pledge is restored to its original, unifying form,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association.
“Through the daily Pledge exercise, our public schools are defining patriotism by promoting god-belief while stigmatizing atheist and humanist children,” said David Niose, legal director of the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center. “This violates the principles of equal rights and nondiscrimination, which is why we are currently challenging ‘under God’ in the Pledge with a lawsuit in New Jersey.”
Well this is certainly going to cause a shit storm.
However so be it.
This whole idea is in response to a study that determined that 34% of Americans supported the idea of removing "under God" after learning that it was not part of the original pledge.
I cannot tell you the number of times I had to suppress my frustration while standing with students standing for the pledge. Hell a few times I was even told to lead it.
AHA is right, the words "under God" are NOT part of the original pledge, and if they can be added twelve years after the it was officially adopted by the Congress, then they can be removed sixty years after that.
To be honest I am not exactly pleased that kids are forced to recite any kind of pledge to this country.
There is something very fascist to me to have children all over the country standing together and reciting words of obedience to a country which really needs critical thinkers keeping an eye on it, and not blind patriots excusing every terrible thing that it does around the world.
This country is only great when we demand that it be great, not when we simply convince ourselves that no matter what the future holds it will never be anything less than great.
Taking "under God" out is a good start, but doing away with the whole thing seems an even better choice.
As a Canuck, I have to agree with you, Gryphen, about the Pledge of Allegiance being somewhat fascist. Seeing classes of children on TV or on film reciting it always reminded me of Germans raising the right arm and shouting Heil Hitler. Thoughtless mumbling, but doing what your superior(s) have told you to do....No one I know here in the Great White North needs to affirm, out loud, that they love their country and will protect it to the best of their ability -- it's simply a given.
ReplyDeleteYes Maple, as a naturalized citizen who willingly gave that Oath of Loyalty to this Nation many decades ago, I have never understood the casual use of the Pledge of Allegiance, nor the use of the National Anthem before athletic games which do not involve international competitors.
DeleteIn fact, as a Greed Card holder prior to becoming a citizen, I was co-leader of a Girl Scout troop and was promptly reported to the local Council because I did not recite the Pledge, but rather stood at attention in respect for the custom of a nation that was not mine at the time. The council backed me up when I told them I would happily turn over my volunteer work to the complaining mother.
I still stand at respectful attention for others' rituals...
"Green" Card... I obviously did not proof read.
DeleteI agree with "fromthediagonal". I too stand or bow my head at others beliefs out of respect. The problem here in my mind is that it's a National issue AND "under God" was put in durin g the McCarthy era. That says a lot.
DeleteVernD
I grew up Atheist and my parents told us just to leave out the "under God" if we weren't comfortable with it. Same went for prayers: if we were in a situation where there was prayer being said we didn't have to bow our heads and join in, but we could if we wanted to because after all we weren't believers and it was only words being said and it wasn't going to hurt anything if we said the words. They used to joke that we weren't going to be brainwashed or lose our critical thinking skills by joining in one little prayer. We were given a choice because our parents would never have wanted us to be in a situation where being raised Atheist made us stand out or seem rude; we were never "militant Atheists" just a family that doesn't believe in god, but we were also raised to be extremely polite and mannerly, so sometimes joining in a silly-seeming ritual was the safest course, socially.
ReplyDeleteNow I don't care and don't participate at all if prayer or pledge are being said, but back then, as a child and then teen, social acceptance is everything and being an outcast is the most dreadful thing that could happen, so sometimes we went along to get along. I still won't get in someone's face about their religion until they try to push it on me. Ignore my "No Trespassing" signs and come to my door with your bible and your lies and I'll give you an earful, politely of course :-)
My sentiment entirely!
DeleteIf those words are only words, try saying loud and clear, "One nation, under Allah" and see what happens.
DeleteTold my kids. One nation, indivisible... They rolled their eyes. I'm sure that they wanted to get along like 12:16 mentioned. Hopefully I planted the seeds...but they are very close to their right wing relatives. They think I'm some kind of hippie. LOL. Can't believe they were raised by me... especially when I voice my concerns about a woman's right to choose. Since they're women in their mid twenties I would of thought it was important to them. They have a can't be bothered attitude about politics.
Deleteomg what about the founding fathers?
ReplyDeletedid't paul revere respite the pledge of allegiance on his way to war the britich?
just omfg!
Actually, the pledge is to the flag of the United States of America, so they are pledging their allegiance to a piece of fabric. I think the people who wrote the pledge were in the flag selling business, so they could sell more flags to schools throughout the US.
ReplyDeleteI will not recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
ReplyDeleteBut then, I also stay seated for the national anthem at sporting events.
And no, I do not close my eyes or bow my head at public "prayers."
I have always found pledging allegiance to the flag ridiculous even as a child. So when I wasn't being monitored, I never did.I find it very fascist and what the hell? One summer, my daughter's German boyfriend came to stay and we went to amusement park and they ended the night there with fireworks, National Anthem and songs. The young man was upset by it all and boy, did we have a fun ride home. Yes!!!
ReplyDeleteI think lots of people grow up thinking it is the American way and just blindly follow. never ceases to amaze me how many people do not use critical thinking at all.
As a classroom teacher for 36 years, I was expected to say the pledge every day. I always omitted the words 'under god' and always ended with 'SEEKING liberty and justice for all.' Some students noticed, most didn't.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I have gone to school in a couple of different countries, and NOWHERE did we have to say anything akin to the Pledge of Allegiance. In NO country. What the heck is the US so afraid of? That people will not be patriotic if they are not indoctrinated with the PoA? That people will defect from the US because of not saying the PoA? Do the authorities that be REALLY believe that reciting the PoA every day will effect ANYTHING???
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow out atheist, the xians get SO pissed at me when I tell them the original did not have their almighty killer in their midst. Then I show them a video. "well, well, well, that's just photoshopped" is their excuse. Dumb.Blind.willfully.Ingnorant. is their choice. ::sigh::
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, I was in the third grade when I stopped saying "under God" while reciting the pledge of allegiance.
ReplyDelete(The phrase was added during my lifetime)
I don't remember why - I just remember saying the whole pledge right up until "under God" and I would just
...not say that, then continue...
with liberty and justice for all.
(I learned much later in life that "justice for all" isn't true either)
I think a country that requires pledges of allegiance to be recited in schools every day is a fundamentally INSECURE country.
ReplyDelete~Canuck~
I never understood the mentality either. Can Muslims recite the pledge, substituting "Allah" for "God"? And on and on...... I don't feel the need to "pledge allegiance" in public, it doesn't make me, or anyone else, any more or less "patriotic".
ReplyDeleteAs a society, we need to get past this religious bullshit and Puritan vestiges that we don't even blink an eye at, or shouldn't. We were at a wedding and the bride's sister pulled her chair back, covered her chest, and proceeded to breastfeed her baby. Caused such a buzz, half the old farts in the room needed smelling salts.
One bitch, in particular, came to her table and said "Can't you do that in the bathroom?" She replied "Only if you eat your dinner in there FIRST, and it's none of your concern"
No need to stop saying the pledge. It is a mission statement, after all. But why not just drop out the "under God." I never say the "under God." Has to do with my strong feelings about separation of church and state, which I believe makes U.S. a strong society. If you are going to participate in the pledge then really think about what it says. I think it is tough to be "under god" and "indivisible." Here come the Zombie reciters.
ReplyDeletedid you know the Pledge of Allegiance was originally a sale pitch by a US Flag salesman? see:
ReplyDeletehttp://mentalfloss.com/article/29678/who-wrote-pledge-allegiance