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2002-06-26

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Posted by Fred Pruitt 2002-06-26 02:34 pm|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Personally, the "under God" always bugged me, because as a patriot I *wanted* to say the Pledge otherwise, and as a nonbeliever I felt like I was lying when I said it. (Occasionally I'd leave it out discreetly. Never got caught.) I also think it was added for stupid reasons during a paranoid period in history, and that the Pledge sounded better beforehand.

Is the current version a violation of the Establishment Clause? Probably not. Maybe. Don't immigrants say the Pledge when they become citizens? Is their citizenship ruled invalid if they later turn out to be atheists? If so, then that would be a clear violation of the Establishment Clause, but I seriously doubt it. (I hope I haven't just given somebody the idea.) Otherwise, I don't see the whole business as worth worrying about right now.

What have me cringing pre-emptively are the political knock-on effects whenever one of these dumb symbolic controversies comes up. I still remember how effectively George Bush the elder used some Pledge of Allegiance case as a club to beat Michael Dukakis in 1988. Once again, I'm going to have to try to ignore a bunch of politicians and editorial columnists telling me how unpatriotic I am for not believing in their God. It's hardly oppression but it's irritating. I might add that the irritants are as likely to be Democrats as Republicans.

Posted by Matt McIrvin 2002-06-26 23:02:16|| [world.std.com/~mmcirvin/] 2002-06-26 23:02:16|| Front Page Top

#2 As a deist it never bothered me to say "under God" but I see no reason to keep it in either. (It does bother me when god-botherers claim the US is a Christian country, it isn't, its deistic.) I can't see what the fuss is about and I really hope (yeah right) the Republicans don't jump on this one and make complete tits of themselves. If you want to be religious sneak Amen, Allah Akbar etc at the end of your pledge, then do so.

For me the Pledge of Alliegance does not make me feel any more or less American that if I were not saying it. Some people use it as a crutch in their daily lives to affirm their "love of country". Why it is necessary to say it every day is beyond me.

Posted by Andrew Ian Dodge 2002-06-27 09:15:28|| [dodgeblog.blogspot.com] 2002-06-27 09:15:28|| Front Page Top