• The Pledge of Allegiance and Community

    There’s a lawsuit in Massachusetts about the Pledge of Allegiance. Curiously, the lawsuit isn’t about the phrase “under God”, but instead that the recitation of this in schools is against state equal rights laws.

    Yes, it’s a thinly veiled attempt to prevent mandatory recitation of a phrase which is basically meaningless for atheists.  It has to be this way, because the Pledge of Allegiance, very simply, is against the law.  But it has been so enshrined in the US that any attempt to have the phrase “under God” removed is doomed to failure.

    Just as a reminder, (h/t to Jerry Coyne) the history of the US pledge is enough to make real conservatives roll in their graves. The original pledge was written by a socialist minister and published in 1892.

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

    The phrase “of the United States of America” was added in 1923. And, of course, the phrase “under God” was added in 1954.

    But what is the point?

    ALLEGIANCE

    1
    a: the obligation of a feudal vassal to his liege lordb (1): the fidelity owed by a subject or citizen to a sovereign or government (2): the obligation of an alien to the government under which the alien resides
    2
    : devotion or loyalty to a person, group, or cause

    Certainly, I have no obligation to a liege lord, in spite of what some wealthy citizens and some politicians may think.  Fidelity, in this instance, is the quality or state of being faithful.  I’m not seeing another country or flag, so I guess I’m faithful to the US. Faithful doesn’t mean “uncritical”.  So that’s OK too.  I’m not an alien in this country, so that doesn’t apply.

    So, I have to take the Pledge of Allegiance to mean a “devotion to a group or cause”.

    And that’s a problem.  I am not devoted to God.  I am not that devoted to the US.  I’m loyal, but only by default, because I have no motivation or reason to be disloyal.  Put me in Snowden or what’s her name shoes and we’ll see how I act.  But it will be with reason.

    Why am I not devoted to the US?

    I like the idea of the US, but the implementation is flawed.  Equality isn’t equal in the US.  Equality is mainly for wealthy, white men.  Everyone else is “good luck”.

    I live in Texas.  I have little loyalty to the people in this state.  I have much more in common with individuals in Australia, France, the UK, and other states, than I do with my fellow Texans.  For those of you not aware, the Austin metro area is a small area of relative sanity in this greatly insane state.  I have almost nothing in common with most Texans.  I’m not Republican, I’m not religious, I’m not an outdoorsman, I don’t worship football, and I don’t have a truck.

    I have no community around me.  I’m in this world, but not a part of it.

    I am about to say that I look forward to the day when virtual communities are more important than physical ones, but there’s some major issues with that.  Plus, for many people, they already are.

     

    Category: GovernmentLife

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    Article by: Smilodon's Retreat