The real Pledge of Allegience, as printed in a yearbook from 1940...

[backscatter712]

I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag of
the United States of America and
to the Republic for which it Stands,
One Nation Indivisible, with Liberty
and Justice for All.

That's the Pledge I give. Not the adulterated one from the McCarthy Red Scare era. I wonder how long before some ignorant git calls me out for refusing to utter the two words that adulterate the Pledge by adding an endorsement of religion?

[JonTheGreat]

1. The way the pledge should be. Yet the nuts will still think it has always said under god.

[Arugula Latte]

2. It pisses me off my kids are expected to say the god version

They are made to lie every time they mouth that silly bit.

[MannyGoldstein]

3. I believe it was changed under Eisenhower

A Cold War thing, to differentiate us from Godless Communists.

[Kennah]

6. I thought they were Commonists

[originalpckelly]

4. Personally, I don't want to be under God.

Can you imagine how much an omnipotent being weighs?

[Kennah]

7. Gaia surely knows about weight watchers and has a treadmill

[Journeyman]

5. Why do you pledge "allegiance" to a piece of cloth? And how often do you "give it"? . . .

I swore allegiance to the Constitution when I was inducted into the military in the early '70s.

I haven't repeated that pledge since, and I've no intention of ever repeating it.

The way I figure it, once you pledge yourself to something, if you truly mean it, you need never do it again. In fact, to do so -- to engage in a "doctrine of continual reaffirmation" -- makes a mockery of the original vow, as only a meaningless pledge needs constant updating. I affirmed my commitment to the Constitution as a young man. If I ever change my mind, I'll renounce my pledge. Until then, I consider it my word, freely given. Any attempt to make me renew it simply insults me and casts aspersions on my honor.

As for those who insist that pledges should be recited on multiple occasions, who would prefer to see it rendered meaningless through reduction to nothing more than a rote recitation, I often wonder, if they can't trust me to remain true to my oath quietly, what's my mumbling it going to mean?

Perhaps we should just reduce it to a “Reader’s Digest” version: “I pledge allegiance to liberty and justice for all.” Short and to the point, non-controversial, useful for all peoples on the planet.

[saras]

10. "I pledge allegiance to liberty and justice for all" - BRILLIANT! +1000

The country America is only the tool to implement the values. The values are what's important.

[FarLeftFist]

8. Funny how...

They sneak in 'Under God' even BEFORE 'Indivisible'.

[Speck Tater]

9. That's the way I learned it as a kid back in the 40's. nt

[Lugnut]

11. That's the pledge I learned in 1950 when I entered first grade.

I also remember when they added the "under God" part. It was unnecessary then and still is.

[AverageJoe90]

15. Kind of ironic it wasn't added until '54, though, even with the Red Scare, IMO.

[eShirl]

12. The original form flows gracefully from the mouth.

The Red Scare Era insertion is a speed bump.

[AverageJoe90]

13. Ironically, that was one form of brainwashing that WASN'T used back then.

Well, at least you weren't forced to say 'Under God' in the Pledge until 1954, thankfully. Kind of ironic, though, IMHO.

[AverageJoe90]

14. Ironically, that was one form of brainwashing that WASN'T used back then.

Well, at least you weren't forced to say 'Under God' in the Pledge until 1954, thankfully. Kind of ironic, though, IMHO.

[Petrushka]

16. In 1940, we not only learned the words to the Pledge of Allegiance, we learned to salute the flag

by placing our right hand over our heart while saying, "I pledge allegiance...." and, then,
making a stiff-armed "Bellamy salute" toward the American flag, we said, "...to the flag of
the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands---one nation, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all." BUT . . .

After World War II began and the so-called "Bellamy salute" was being used with a "Heil!" to Hitler,
we had to learn to forget saluting and to simply keep that right hand over our hearts throughout the Pledge.

:eyes: Anyway . . .
http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=625&q=bellamy+salute&gbv=2&oq=bellamy+salute&aq=f&aqi=g1g-m1&aql=undefined&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=1066l2778l0l14l10l0l0l0l0l245l1704l0.6.4l10


In case you don't already know it: The Pledge of Allegiance (with the Bellamy salute) originated
as an advertising gimmick to sell American flags.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7sisyX637s

[Bucky]

17. Originally the socialist who wrote only said "to my flag and the Republic for which it stands"

He himself later revised it to say "to my flag of the United States of America and to the Republic..." just to make sure those sneaky Italian & Russian first graders weren't secretly pledging to their corrupt European homelands' flags. Of course rituals are always subject to manipulation by political leaders.

Mostly harmless

[SoCalDem]

18. Can't wait for the new additions

and to the supreme Power, Jesus , Lord Almighty, Forever & ever, Amen !