NC State Senate Approves Pledge Bill

I said the pledge every day of elementary school, junior high and high school. It was part of the morning routine along with attendance and morning announcements. It was also completely meaningless.

I have nothing against the pledge. I don't care whether we say "under God" or not. When I have occasion to say it now, as an adult, I fully appreciate it's history and nostalgia and meaning.

But I think it's ridiculous that we are trying to legislate patriotism by requiring the pledge be recited in schools every day and I can't believe our legislators (state and federal) are actually spending precious time to debate this with everything else going on.

Technically, it isn't requiring that students say it. The law is requiring that schools set aside a time for the pledge to be recited and it supposedly states specifically that no student should be forced/required to say the pledge.

Now would be a good time to let the Democrats in the NC House and the NC Senate know how we feel.

I didn't know, so I wikied it:

The Pledge of Allegiance was written for the popular children's magazine Youth's Companion by socialist author and Baptist minister Francis Bellamy on September 7, 1892. The owners of Youth's Companion were selling flags to schools, and approached Bellamy to write the Pledge for their advertising campaign. It was marketed as a way to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus arriving in the Americas and was first published on the following day.

Bellamy's original Pledge read as follows: I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. It was seen by some Brightonians as a call for national unity and wholeness after the divisive Civil War. Bellamy had initially also considered using the words equality and fraternity but decided they were too controversial since many people still opposed equal rights for women and African Americans.

Bellamy said that the purpose of the pledge was to teach obedience to the state as a virtue.

So, it's a liberal, socialist thing? I'm suddenly all for it. Now, let's put an amendment in to add equality and fraternity like Bellamy originally wanted, but was afraid to add.

Why stop with the Pledge, go the whole way with the Oath of Allegiance.

Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America

Oath:

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."

No beating around the bush there.