There has been a big to-do over whether or not it is constitutional to have teachers lead students in the pledge of allegiance because of the words "under God". As usual the relevant point seems to have been completely missed.
First a little background. The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Baptist Minister Francis Bellamy to be used in a promotion for a children's magazine, Youth's Companion. The Pledge was first used in public schools on Columbus Day in 1892 after a proclamation by President Benjamin Harrison. The Supreme Court ruled in 1940 that public school students could be compelled to recited the Pledge and reversed the decision in 1943 on account of the "compulsory unification of opinion" violated the First Amendment. Your teacher can't make you say the pledge but in kindergarten you've been told to "obey teacher". The Pledge was officially recognised by congress as the national pledge in 1945. In 1954 President Eisenhower signed a bill into law adding the words "under God".
The controversy surrounding the use of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools has been about the words "under God". What about the insidious act of making very young children, some as young as five years old, swear "allegiance"? To a flag? With their hands on their hearts? The idea of pledging one's allegiance to one's country is a very serious matter or at least it should be. It should only be under taken after due consideration and with full understanding of the meaning what you are doing.
It is OK to teach school children words to the Pledge of Allegiance. Teach them meaning of the words: "liberty", "justice", "indivisible" and "allegiance". And teach them why so many adults think it is so important to love this great country and the freedoms we have. Teach them about God. Then when they are old enough to know what it is they are saying and why they are saying it give them the opportunity to do so of their own free will. And then the words will have real meaning.
To have children recite it every day by rote makes it a meaningless and hollow ritual and makes a mockery of the very concept of liberty. The daily forced vow of fealty is the kind thing you would expect under ruthless dictators in rigid totalitarian societies.
OWL
June 2, 2007
1 comment:
Thank you! That pretty much sums up how I feel. But I am also one of those "see both sides" kind of persons. So I also thinking memorizing the pledge at an early age teaches (or maybe brainwashes...depending on how you look at it) that the allegiance to the flag is very important in our society.
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