politicat

I remember it being said in elementary school, but not past then until I moved into a heavily Mormon town for Soph and Junior years. I *think*, in middle school and my other year of HS (I graduated at the end of my Junior year to go to college @ 16) We were just too busy at the beginning of the day to deal.

One of my best friends from that time was the child of Jehovahs; he never said the pledge, even after slipping into apostasy in middle school, and then full, head-on anti-theism (he thought there was a god; he just despised the old bugger); he couldn't agree to anything that had the slightest bit to do with god.

At the mormon school, the pledge was said just before announcements and the "moment of silence" and Channel One. But since it came over the school closed circuit TV, no one really paid much attention to it; those 10 minutes were for gossiping, primping, note writing, and speedily finishing assignments.

Teenagers have other priorities than god, country, and advertising, it appears.


Politicat

queue

I recited the pledge in grade school but not in junior high or high school (that was just how the public school system did things). I did not give any thought to what the pledge was actually saying and I am sure that I said it incorrectly 90% of the time.

abe smith

Among the discussh about the Unconstitutionality of the Pledge of ... is the comment made{Iforget? by the judge , santificatur nomen suum, who wrote the opinion in the 9th Circuit court thing} :That having the classroom teacher *lead* the saying of the Pledge constitutes the Government's *establishing of religion* because the (public school) teacher is an agent of the government. I consider this argument valid. And such thoughts as these may be among the reasons why, indeed, "I rather'd starve" than teach school. Apropos de c,a, Henry Thoreau quit his job as a schoolmaster when the local Concord schoolboard told him he HAD to beat on the pupils, girls & boys alike.

Godless Sodomite

Not knowing any better, I participated in the Pledge while in elementary school. However, I wised up by the time I reached high school and I didn't participate. There were no repercussions, per say, but it becomes a situation where you either participate or abstain and protest. By the time I attended secondary school I already knew I was far from mainstream in most of my sensibilities and my non participation was just one more illustration of it.

At this point in my life there are a great number of reasons why I do not consider myself a patriot and would never pledge allegiance to the flag of the US, so, for me, the whole "under god" thing is beside the point. But I completely agree with Justice Goodwin's decision.

I suppose an argument could be made that "under god" doesn't really mean anything specific. Throughout the day I say "Jesus fucking Christ" numerous times. I also frequently refer to people as "goddamned assholes." In neither instance am I acknowledging the existence of anyone's imaginary friend. If the Congress and the Supreme Court want to make it clear to the American public that "under god" in the Pledge carries no more meaning than screaming "Jesus Fucking Christ!" when one accidentally bangs his head on a table after picking a French-fry off the floor, then I suppose I could see their point.

-Jerry

PopeInTheWoods

In the heavily Catholic eastern suburbs of Buffalo, we said the PoA every day from K-12. Once I learned about the First Amendment, I simply stayed silent during the "under God" part, even though I was a devout Catholic at the time.

Andy

Toto

A quote to remember.