Pledge Of Allegiance

[Rishima Lowell]

I believe I spelled allegiance right, correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyway, in school and else where if they have to. I wanted to know, seriously how many of you fellow atheists actually say the pledge, well being if you live in the U.S.

I for one do not say the pledge. I stand only because I'm forced but I refuse to put my hand over my heart or say the pledge. Mainly because it says "Under God" and I feel that saying the pledge is pledging allegiance to President Bush. (Yes I am a Bush hater)

I heard from my Crime & Justice teacher last year, that I guy from somewhere I can't remember where was expelled from school for not saying the pledge because he was also Atheist. It became a whole big deal in courts and I believe they made the school let him back in.

Topics:
- How many do say the pledge, and if not why? and if so why?
- About the atheist boy, what is your opinion?

 

[Edi Gammon]

This past year I worked as a teacher's assistant in a public school. I'd say the pledge, but I would not say "under God".

But all in all... The pledge is weird. Why would I pledge alligence to a symbol?....a piece of cloth? It would make infinitely more sense to pledge my alligence to the constitution, which is the foundation of our country. That's what every president does when he's sworn in..... Not that they actually live out what they promise to do... but that's another story.  

[Arios V]

I'll say the pledge (since I did it for so long in school it became second nature.), but I leave out the "Under God" part and putting my hand over my heart.

I did wonder about something though, since the flag is merely a symbol of the U.S., does that mean that I can pledge allegiance to some random guy who is wearing an American Flag print T-Shirt or has an American Flag sticker on the back of his car?  

[SkeletonPhoenix]

No, I do not say the pledge. Yes it has to with god and the fact america is in the crapper and we've got are foot stuck in it. I do stand and I sometime mumble it. Also I found out that if you wanted to fight it you could not stand or say it. At first you'll get in trouble then court then up the ladder and you'll win but it's pointless because by then you'll be out of high school.( Same goes for hats) The thing is that it's pointless to fight it. Also most people I know don't say it and they think of it more or less as a monotonic gesture they do every day.  

[Daffodil the Destroyer]

I don't say it, and I don't think that schools do enough to make sure that the students understand what it means. I was indoctrinated to say it starting from kindergarten, and now that I'm in college, obviously we don't have an organised recitation of it or anything. I stopped saying the pledge in high school because I realised that if the US were to officially endorse or sanction something that goes against my moral standards - I would not follow in that endeavour, therefore I'd be breaking the pledge I'd made.

I am quite patriotic in that I respect and love my country for what it should represent, but I recognise the flaws that exist in the US and I do all that I can to help get them corrected and make it right. I feel like the pledge is more about following the 'norm' of the country, as decided by its leaders (I'm not a fan of Bush either), and I'm more about making changes where they need to be made. Plus, I'm not too keen on pledging my allegiance to a majority who believes that I'm an immoral piece of s**t just because I happen not to believe in any deities.  

[Sex! at the Disco]

After eight years of Catholic schooling and four more of superior-redneck schooling, saying the entire pledge pretty much is automatic for me. I dont think about it when I say it, I just stare blankly and smile at the end..

*third grade teacher* "Smile To Show You Love Jesus!"  

[Asterisk07]

I do not say the pledge, but I do mouth it, because im good at it even when im not thinking the words to it wink because there is no god and this country was not founded on nor is it under a god. That, and I personaly dont like this country and so I wont pledge my alligence to it scream , people tell me"then just get out of are country!". I will as soon as I have enough money and can speak japanese well enough wink  

[Daffodil the Destroyer]

I have a pretty serious problem with the way the pledge is handled in schools, or at least, the way it was handled when I was in school. We learned the pledge in kindergarten (my kindergarten year was also the last year my elementary school had organised prayer in class). We learned the words to the pledge, but not the meaning - the manner in which we were taught to say it actually makes it sound singsong and cartoonish, so that it doesn't seem to have much meaning at all and the sentences are disjunct.

Italics show where we were taught to emphasise, and obviously each new line represents a break in our speech.

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

It's simply wrong to teach kids to say an oath without even helping them learn what the words mean, or how seriously we should take oaths and pledges that we make. I think it even tends to make some individuals think that pledges/oaths/promises should be made casually with no forethought. I don't think that the pledge should be taught to ANY child without explaining exactly what it means and helping the child to figure out what his thoughts are in relation to the meaning of the words. It's certainly not out of the question for kindergarteners to go this deeply into it; kids are much smarter than most adults give them credit for.  

[Zambimaru]

When I was little I said the pledge, but when I got into High School and got more informed I stoped.  

[Xiporah]

We really only said it in Elementary school. I didn't under stand it or care that it had anything to do with God, because I didn't really understand religion. I thought it was something that 'old people' had to worry about since the only people I knew in my family that were religious were my father's parents.

I don't remember if we said it in middle school.

In highschool, when and if it was said, I'd replace God with Satan, because I was extremely anti-religious/blasphemous and was looking to shock people.

I can't remember the last time the occasion popped up that required me to say it.

 

[Rishima Lowell]

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one not saying it. Those who do I wouldn't penalize you for it. Thanks for all your input, guys and gals.

 

[Acerbic Song]

I stopped saying it this year. I used to say it and just leave out "under God", but then I just stopped seeing sense in pledging allegiance to a republic that might go against what I believe in.

But I stand when everyone else does, since I do respect this country.  

[deactivatedfedcba]

I go to a private school that doesn't make us say the pledge. When an occasion comes up where I do have to say it, I usually stand with everyone else so I don't stick out but I don't say it. Partly because there is no way I'm saying 'under god,' mostly because I just don't see the point of pledging allegiance to the country I just happen to have been born in (and definitely not to its flag xD).  

[Shadow`s Enigma]

wow, haven't been here in awhile, anyways...

In elementary school, we weren't necessarily forced, though it was expected of you to stand and say it, and being ignorant during those times, I said it. However, around 8th grade when I was a bit more aware of it, I stopped standing and saying it. At first it was just the 'under god' statement. Then, as I got into high school, it was the fact that it wasn't even in the original pledge but added on later which made me still more frustrated, and then it was the rest of the pledge of supposed 'liberty and justice for all' which I believe is a bunch of crap considering all the discrimination that still goes on today in the US alone.  

[Teoka]

I just don't say "under God," and I even wrote a bill for Model Congress that would remove it from the pledge. It got pass committee, but it didn't get to the floor x_x

I don't think that saying "under God" or the pledge is like pledging allegiance to President Bush; that's a stretch. But I like my country. I don't like most of the people in it, but I like it more than some others.