I Pledge Allegiance

I've been meaning to write about the recent federal court ruling in California that says reciting the "Pledge of Allegiance" in public schools is un-Constitutional citing the seperation of church and state.

I think the pledge should be said in public schools, but without the Congressionaly added phrase, "under God," added in 1954. Adding "under God" to the pledge made it religious, and therefore, a religious creed which violates the seperation of church and state. Some say "under God" is not necessarily religious. When you consider the group who petitioned that phrase to be added, the Knights of Columbus, it's religious, and the Knights promote discrimination, making the phrase even more inappropriate as a pledge for American citizens to their country.

This is how the Pledge's author, Francis Bellamy, wrote it:

'I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.'

That's how it was written, that's how it started and that's how it should stay. I think we should begin a petition to remove the phrase "under God" from The Pledge. Of important note, Francis Bellamy was a Baptist Minister. If he wanted a religious phrase to be added, he would've done it. Bellamy died before the change was made, but his daughter contended he would not have approved of the change.

Here is a brief history of The Pledge of Allegiance.