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March 04, 2004

Free the Pledge!

This Spring, the Supreme Court will hear arguments regarding the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance. Will those two little words, "under God," pass muster? Given the intent behind their addition in 1954, I imagine the honest answer would be "snowball's chance in Hell."

Now, whether the Court will provide such an answer and send the Religious Right into another round of foaming fits of blaming gays, atheists, and Bill Clinton for the demise of America is to be seen.

Robyn Blumner, writing in the St. Petersburg Times, has another idea: dump the Pledge.

So here's my modest proposal: Stop directing schoolchildren to say the pledge or any rote recitation of national fealty -- not because of the roiling "under God" debate but because loyalty oaths are a backward approach to generating allegiance and are beneath us as a nation.

Instead, we should be imbuing young people with a thoroughgoing understanding of the genius of the American experiment, steeping them in a historical and philosophical understanding of our Founders' vision and investing in civics classes that teach the meaning of "liberty and justice for all" and how this country -- sometimes fitfully -- expanded individual rights and the franchise to all its citizens.

That is how you inspire loyalty. Daily oaths and pledges of allegiance are for nations that don't have as much to be proud of as ours. We have freedom; we don't need a pledge.

She continues by providing an interesting background on the Pledge, its author, and its origins. Francis Bellamy's socialism and ethnic bigotry. His intolerance for certain huddled masses, yearning to breathe free. The original salute, more akin to "heil, mein Fuhrer!" than to "America the beautiful."

So, count me on board for the effort - dump the pledge:

Apparently you are not a patriot unless you believe that government employees should lead schoolchildren every morning to profess a belief in God and declare how this nation loves liberty.

Of course, the people who can't see the irony in that are the same ones who probably support moves like flag burning amendments, spending all of their time and limited thought defending an outdated oath, a piece of cloth, or "sacred" institutions (separation of what and what?), all in the name of defending our freedom by limiting it.

Screw'em. Free the pledge!