The Pledge of Allegiance

I think nationality and patriotism can be a good thing... the 'Pleadge of Allegience" been going down in one form or another since before Teddy Roosevelt's term as president - and America's gone through some good times since then. Of course, it's also gone through some bad times.

God knows our children are going to need to have a feeling of pride in their country in order to help us fix what been broken as of late without just going... "meh... fuck it" and leaving the country.

I do feel that the words "Under God" should be taken out of it, at least. That lil' phrase - inserted in the 1950's, really has no place in it. Separation of Church and State, and all.

Does the whole thing need to stay or go? I dunno. As many of my fellow Americans have proven in recent days, blind patriotism can also be a very very bad thing. We need to teach kids to think and question as well as salute.

Regardless, I don't think expelling the practice all together is realistic at present - as an argument convincing to school boards and American Legion members and ROTC groups and just about every flag-saluting member of the country - or at least our courts - would need to accompany the request, and so long as the pledge is not a _requirement_ of our youth (which it isn't, under First Amendment protections), I'm not sure such an argument exists.

As long as it isn't forced, then why get rid of it? I never participated in the pledge of allegiance and never got ‘heckled’ for it.

Now in a lot of schools they have a moment of silence instead of the Pledge of Allegiance.

I guess one of the questions I'm asking is why do you have it it in the first place? What purpose do you see it as serving?

What is the purpose of a moment of silence? Do employees have one before they begin work? Do you think they should?

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...ce&btnG=Search

The Nazi's had one. How bad could it be?

Nothing bad has ever come from extremist patriotism and nationalism.

What this country needs is MORE flags.

Huh? I'm not asking Google.

There really isn't a purpose I guess, it's just tradition. Same for when we listen to the national anthem before a sporting event, have parades on Memorial Day, or shoot fireworks off on July 4.

I personally didn't have a problem with it and it's really only used on real low grade levels. I guess it's more a tool to show respect to the flag and country.

I think the purpose of the moment of silence is so you can say the pledge or a prayer if you choose to. That way no one feels like they have to say something they do not want to.

What I found kinda silly once I got older was the fact that even though we did the speal every morning in grade school, we were never taught about or what it meant..

We were just instructed on how it went, and to me it was,
"I plejalegance to the flag......" .. Had no idea it what the words were back then as a little tike..