I have been reading all the responses to this thread, and I am very dismayed at how disrespectful people are to this great country. The pledge of allegiance is more than just a saying. It is stating the morals and values our country was founded on, and recongnising them. You think we are the greatest country ever by mistake? No, it is because of our strong tradition, and morals.
Values and standards are the guardrails in human culture. With all of the garbage that kids are subjected to in school today, to have them recite a 31-word pledge to the flag of their country - for people to find this objectionable is a sign of just how our culture is changing. This country is responsible for the prosperity everybody living in it enjoys. It is this country; it is this Constitution; it is this flag that is the beacon to the oppressed people around the world.
Our nation is a target for all those terrorists who find the way we are objectionable and threatening to the way they want to live. It is certainly worth having values and traditions that people stand for, and those traditions and institutions that made this country great are embodied in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Every generation that is born in this country has a responsibility to pass on to its successors all that they inherited. I see nothing wrong in Americans defending America, and understanding what's great about this country and wanting to protect it for their kids and their grandchildren. I don't understand people who don't see the importance of this. I certainly don't understand people who are threatened by it.
This country is great because of a series of miracles. It wasn't a miracle that it happened, but it was miraculous that our Founding Father's had success - and they did so by giving credit and reverence to an all mighty power. People fled their original homelands to come here and become Americans, and for many decades, the distinct American culture survived. Some who came here failed to assimilate and achieve of course, and blamed America.
Who says you have to say the pledge of allegiance anyway? I know in my school three years ago some kids didn't even stand up, and they were not treated any differently. And, who says "under god" is realted to christianity? You can have Alla in place of god, or buddah, or if you are atheist, maybe a tree. I dont see how this is so offensive to people, there was a reason it was put in the pledge, you know why, it was because of the values and morals this country was founded on. No one has any right to flame this pledge until they read how this country was founded, it is ashame because of selfish, ignorant people who think this country owes them something. If you have no idea of what I am talking about, or think I am just plain out wrong, please click this link, it is the Federalist Papers. These are essays by our founders stating what our country is founded on, and why our values are so important. This should give you some incite on why this whole "under god" this is such a big deal, and is WRONG to object to.
http://memory.loc.gov/const/fed/fedpapers.html
Thank You for your time, and God Bless America!!!
Joshua Jenkins
