jawafour wrote:Preezy wrote:I guess I just view a room full of schoolchildren blindly reciting the pledge a bit unsettling, it's like watching kids getting brainwashed. Why are children being forced (and believe me, they are forced) to pledge allegiance to anything, let alone an entire nation? Blind patriotism just isn't my bag, man.
Looking at that pledge, I'm not sure that I'd regard it as brainwashing. Sure, I would be worried about kids saying / learning more controversial things but, based on the wording that I've seen, it seems pretty reasonable. I love the idea of youngsters being encouraged to value "liberty and justice for all". Of course, whether the USA as a whole actually acts in that way all the time is questionable. Even so, that pledge would seem - to me - to be a positive thing.
It's called "The Pledge of Allegiance". As Preezy said, why should kids have to pledge allegiance to something? And it's worse than that, the kids can be compelled to swear allegiance to it.
Forcing kids to take a pledge is wrong imo. And it seems rather desperate, forced patriotism just seems so insecure.
Edit:
Also the pledge itself:
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.
What the hell does pledging allegiance to a flag mean? If they add any more states (and so have an extra star or two) does the pledge not then count?
To the Republic for which it stands? Do kids understand what pledging allegiance to a republic means? What's the point of it if they don't quite get it?
One nation under God? What about polytheists? Atheists? Which God? Is God American?
Indivisible? That's a nice way of avoiding any secession in future I guess. Is that a good thing though? What if California wants independence?
With liberty and justice for all? That's a nice sentiment. But America doesn't mean it, the pledge was written while Jim Crow laws and segregation were in place. And they are still struggling to get liberty and justice for all. Can you pledge allegiance to a flag and then criticise how many black people are locked up under that flag?