"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"
The Pledge of Allegiance is a traditional oath of loyalty to the United States of America. It was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister and socialist. Bellamy wrote it in the hopes the children of America would recite it and be encouraged with the Nationalism it was meant to represent. Then, as the children of America beamed with pride of nation and government, socialism would incrementally work its way into our form of government.
America, however, doesn't work that way. What was meant to be a national socialist salute became a patriotic pledge that resides close to our hearts.
Originally, a salute, similar to the Nazi salute, was used during the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. The salute was changed to a hand over heart gesture when Nazi Germany used a similar salute.
The phrase "under God" was added in 1954, by a bill signed into law by President Eisenhower on June 14, 1954 (Flag Day), a decision largely driven by the lobbying of the Knights of Columbus, as a means of differentiating America from the "godless" Communists of the USSR.
President Benjamin Harrison ensured Bellamy's Pledge was first used in public schools on October 12, 1892, during Columbus Day observances.
In 1923 the National Flag Conference called for the words "my Flag" to be changed to "the Flag of the United States", for the benefit of new immigrants. The words "of America" were added a year later. The United States Congress officially recognized the Pledge as the official national pledge on June 22, 1942.
In the 1940 the Supreme Court decision, Minersville School District v. Gobitis, it was ruled that students in public schools could be compelled to swear the Pledge. An outbreak of mob violence and intimidation against Jehovah's Witnesses erupted following the ruling because of the Witnesses belief that the Pledge was idolatry, therefore they would not recite it.
In 1943 the Supreme Court reversed its decision, ruling in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette that "compulsory unification of opinion" violated the First Amendment.
The Pledge of Allegiance, a socialist attempt to head America in the direction of tyranny, through the years came to be a patriotic recitation that many believe the Founding Fathers would be proud of.
Amazing how America, with our exceptional spirit of liberty, can even turn something originally created to destroy us into a beloved show of patriotism.
Key Words:
Allegiance: Loyalty to a person, cause, nation, etc.
Communism: Theoretical economic system characterized by collective ownership of property and the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members.
Communist: Member of a movement or political party that advocates communism.
Idolatry: Worship of idols.
Loyalty: A feeling or attitude of devoted attachment or affection.
Nationalism: Devotion to one’s nation, love of one’s government.
Oath: A solemn formal declaration or promise, often calling on God. Something declared or promised.
Patriotism: Love of and devotion to one’s country.
Socialism: The stage in Marxist theory between Capitalism and Communism.
Socialist: An advocate of the theory of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.
Utopianism: Social theory of principles of an ideally perfect place in its social, political, and moral aspects.
Special Thanks to for letting us use their classroom:
Faith Armory, 27498 Enterprise Cir. W. #2, Temecula, CA
Tonight at 6:00 PM we discussed the Pledge, and how it ties into the U.S. Constitution, and how Bellamy was not the first to push Nationalism - Alexander Hamilton did as well during the Constitutional Convention.
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