Since Katzen and I were discussing this and the whole flag issue elsewhere I thought I'd toss this out.

"The Pledge of Allegiance to the United States is an oath of loyalty to the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Francis Bellamy in 1892. The Pledge has been modified four times since then, with the most recent change adding the words "under God" in 1954" From Wiki.

I don't say "Under God" as my parents didn't learn it that way, and refused to acknowledge the change.

That is interesting I did not know it had been modified four times. I do say under God that is the way I learned it. Can you put the original on here.

The Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by the socialist minister Francis Bellamy (1855-1931). It was originally published in The Youth's Companion on September 8, 1892. Bellamy had hoped that the pledge would be used by citizens in any country.

In its original form it read:

"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

In 1923, the words, "the Flag of the United States of America" were added. At this time it read:

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

In 1954, in response to the Communist threat of the times, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words "under God," creating the 31-word pledge we say today. Bellamy's daughter objected to this alteration. Today it reads:

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

http://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htm

Thanks for the info.

Here is a show Red skelton did in 1969- Its probably the most
serious thing he ever did...This was sent to me by a good friend of mine..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZBTyTWOZCM

that's okay, i don't say it at all...

So much for seperation of church and state? I remember having to say the bloody thing before class every day of the year. I always thought it was a very strange thing to do on a daily basis. I went to catholic school so eventually thought it was just part of the indoctrination.

Just goes to show you that what you think might never happen, can happen.

I haven't since school, and frankly something about it is just weird to me, so I won't do it either, and I won't cross my heart. To some that would be considered UnAmerican. I don't see it that way.

Pledging allegiance would have been able to stay in the schools had it not been for the unfounded fear of communists....lol

That is funny to me.

My girls say it in school every day! Yay!

I have no problem saying and I also don't have a problem for those who don't wish to say it.

To each his own.

my daughter's school called wanting to suspend my daughter for not saying it. she stood tall with the rest and was silent, she just didn't say the pledge.

suspend a straight-A child for such? really? i think not! i flat-out refused to have her punished.

i refused to say it even in kindergarten.

Good for you and for your daughter. I don't understand the rationality behind saying the pledge at all. Anyone know why it's even nessessary?

Well suspending someone for that is not right, I agree there. Not all schools are like that though.

Again to each his own and good for you for not saying, power to ya.

I had to say it school, my parents did back the teachers...

I gave my boys a choice, they choose not to say it and never did. It is quite lenient here so there was never a problem with them not joining in.

With my oldest back east years ago not doing it, I did get calls from the school.

Awwww, sorry you don't understand.

to me it feels like an indoctrination. a mass brainwashing, almost...let's teach them young to stand for the flag and not for themselves.

there are those that get all riled up that schools are doing an obama dance and song...and yet, to me, the pledge is along the same lines.

Wow, I'm surprised that a school would want to suspend a child for not saying it. That's so harsh.

If it was mandatory and children were being FORCED to say it, then yes.

It's not though, well at least in some schools. haha comparing the obama song to the American flag is laughable.

Oh well guys, another brick wall post, we just won't agree or change each other's minds.

Great Country to have these freedoms of speech.

Personally when I said in school, it never had much of an impact on me. I always thought of it as just something we did because we live here. My kids did not do it because of the "under god" in it, the schools stopped it.

apparently, they had told her to say it repeatedly over several weeks, and she repeatedly refused. she stood with respect, she just wouldn't place her hand where it's supposed to go, and she wouldn't say the words.

the suspension was to be for insubordination, and they actually asked my permission. i refused, and explained that she was well within her right to NOT say it.

i think the school felt that i would support them, and they wanted to teach her a lesson. instead, she learned a different one.