[Should the Pledge be mandatory in schools?]
It should be mandatory in all schools in the U.S.A. Kids should be patriotic toward their country! It may keep them from pledging allegiance to the last video game or to drugs! Wake up America!
74 comments
First the pledge isn't some magic verse that makes kids patriotic. Many kids have no idea what it all means and others could care less.
I don´t think that there is a lack in patriotism in america.
I can see it now. "Don't you get it, Matt? We can't like this new video game, no matter how much fun it seems. We pledged allegiance to the flag this morning in school. We have to be faithful to the flag."
We should force people to say the pledge, when doing so violates many people's consciences. The irony of doing so, when the pledge ends in "with liberty and justice for all," is completely lost on you, isn't it?
While I tend to think that the pledge of allegiance should be mandatory, I think the words "under God" need to be removed. As most know, those were added in during the 1950's during the Red Scare. Just another fine example of how "believers" need to use scare tactics and dubious methods to put their faith into the government. The US's motto, "In God We Trust" is another example of that.
...Lawl!
I, M.R. Gui, do solemnly pledge allegiance to His Majesty, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, his heirs and successors by divine sovereignty, and to the fertile commonwealth of Hyrule over which he rules...
I pledge allegiance to the great Mario.
You know, it's time like this I kind of wish I actually knew the US pledge of allegiance so that I could make a full parody of it. Where's Septic Sceptic when you need him?
People who want to make this kind of thing mandatory are rarely worried about their own kids. Their kids, if you ask the parents, are God-fearing, patriotic little angels. What they want is to make your kids do it. Implicit is the assumption that you are a lousy parent who can't be trusted not to draw your kids into that great college-educated, latte-sipping liberal conspiracy that's destroying America As We Know It, and they are great parents and know better than you about how your kids should be raised.
one problem: even if you did remove "under God" from the pledge you will still have non American students in class rooms in the USA, and I believe that if a student isn't from the US they shouldn't be required to pledge their allegiance to it. Also students don't know what the pledge even means until they hit about 7th grade. Up until then they have no idea what they are saying.
You mean this pledge?
"I pledge allegiance to the flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Since I'm not a flag-waver and I care more for substance than symbols, I prefer this re-written version:
"I pledge allegiance to the Constitution and to my fellow citizens of the Republic, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Not fundie. Just...fascistic.
So, yeah, belongs here, for lack of any place better.
American kids are not patriotic?
You mean the don't salute the flag, they piss or shit on it; they take the presidents name in vain and revile his holy and virgin mother; they excoriate Dick (apt) Cheney;; they don't want to go to war in Iraq, Iran or anywhere else for the greater honour and glory and richness of the president's and VP's favourite contractors?
Yes indeed, America. Wake up. You have a time to change and become normal by electing a non-fundamentalist of questionable ability and truthfulness - a real president with feet on the ground and a proper sense of the dividing line between lying and the truth.
In the meanwhile, proper and true patriotism doesn't consist of jingoism and following the latest slogan, à la freedom fries (Europe laughed at that one! Call them what you will, Frites of fries are not good as a regular part of your diet.) True patriotism is honouring your country by working, paying taxes, being involved in the community, voting as a point of principle, putting savings by in the bank, buying national bonds when cash is spare, making sure representatives in Congress stay on track by taking time to write your views to them or visit them in their offices; knowing the real history of your country and being up to date on world events, not as filtered by biased TV or news journals - - - And a lot more things like that. Without doing these things then pledging to the flag and putting the hand on the heart for the anthem are empty gestures, and hypocritical to book.
Wake up America!
Where is the outrage?
I pledge Ally Sheedy to the slag of the United Skates of Emilio, and to the Repugnant, for Richard Stans: One naked undergarments, with Liberace and Puffed Rice for all.
America...America
Courtesy of Team America.
Yeah, when I bought the latest GTA, the store wouldn't sell it until I pledged allegiance to video games and the evil to which they stand.
That's also how they caught my dealer. He was the guy making kids pledge allegiance to pot outside the school.
Seriously, you think making kids say words at the beginning of every day is going to affect them in any way?
I pledge allegiance to Portal, the newest obsession in my life, and to Valve.
Or wait! Maybe I should pledge allegiance to beer instead. Or are TV shows allowed? Because I would totally pledge allegiance to Futurama...
Ah! The Hitler Youth!
idiot
I pledge allegiance to the Icon
I pledge alliegance,
If you have to force kids to pledge allegiance to their country, you're doing it wrong.
This isn't really fundie, though.
Enforcing patriotism doesn't stop kids from doing drugs.
Also, I don't want to pledge allegiance to the US until I know what the hell 'allegiance' means, and I never want to pledge allegiance to a symbol.
Personally, I'm of the belief that:
a. Patriotism should come from an understanding and acceptance of the values and beliefs of ones country, not the routine indoctrination of tots who have no idea what the Pledge even means.
b. The whole "free speech" thing on which our country was, you know, founded also covers the freedom to NOT say things.
I don't say the Pledge, both for the above reasons and because I object to the words "under God". Doesn't mean I love my country any less, or that I pledge allegiance to video games or drugs.
Totalitarians for Jesus.
You obviously know little or none of the history behind your beloved pledge.
For example, are you aware that your pledge was written by a socialist, as a means of brainwashing children into blind loyalty to the "great" fatherland?
You view the state as a sort of deity deserving of worship and obedience. You are advocating a policy which, examined objectively, is a blatant attempt at social engineering and mind control - much like religion itself.
Pledgan allegiance to Persona up in this bitch.
Or Disgaea. Or Spyro. Hell, I'd pledge allegiance to any game I love with a passion just to tick people off. 8U
JA! Let ush all praise ze AMERIKA! ZE BEST COUNTRY IN ALL OF ZE WORLD!! Do not qvestion vy, just OBEY!!!!
(if ze german accent hazn't tipped you off, I am a being zarcastics, yah?)
I probably wouldn't have a problem saying the (original, non-theocratic) Pledge -- in a group of like-minded people where such a recitation was optional . In a context where there is any sort of coercion, though, I'd have to refuse -- because I take the damn thing seriously . It's kinda like religion -- the True Believers who insist on pushing the outward signs of their own beliefs on everyone else are the ones who don't really believe in anything but their own power over other people. The ones who want to make the Pledge (in either form, but the McCarthyism-friendly version is much more popular among that crowd) mandatory aren't patriots at all -- they're vulgar nationalists.
Quote Alfred"You view the state as a sort of deity deserving of worship and obedience . You are advocating a policy which, examined objectively, is a blatant attempt at social engineering and mind control - much like religion itself."
Kids probably don't understand the words "pledge" and "allegiance". It's just empty, strange words for them, which they are required to drone out before class.
Once again, Matt Groening:
"I pledge impertinence to the flag-waving unindicted co-conspirators of America, and to the Republicans for which I can't stand; abomination, underhanded fraud, indefensible, with liberty and justice forget it."
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, (50 stars, each representing the 50 states. That means none of them are excluded.)
with liberty and justice for all. (All means All. It is not to withheld from someone just because you don't like their religion, orientation, skin color, or worldview)
I pledge allegiance to the hedgehog,
With red and white sneakers, and blue quills.
Wait a minute...
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
To post a comment, you'll need to Sign in or Register . Making an account also allows you to claim credit for submitting quotes, and to vote on quotes and comments. You don't even need to give us your email address.
