Palin and 'The Pledge of Allegiance'
From a 2006 Gubernatorial Candidate Questionnaire
[Q:] Are you offended by the phrase “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance? Why or why not?
[Sarah Palin:] Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its good enough for me and I’ll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance.
Those founding fathers?
Anyway: The Pledge of Allegiance - A Short History
Francis Bellamy (1855 - 1931), a Baptist minister, wrote the original Pledge in August 1892. He was a Christian Socialist.
...
In 1954, Congress after a campaign by the Knights of Columbus, added the words, 'under God,' to the Pledge.
Founding fathers? 1954?
Posted by b on September 1, 2008 at 19:35 UTC | Permalink
it should be: under god and under money
or isn't the dollar bill the new constitution?
Posted by: rudolf | Sep 1 2008 20:16 utc | 2
One nation under the god of christian nationalists.
Posted by: Jemand von Niemand | Sep 1 2008 20:27 utc | 3
Every day feels more and more like the Matrix. Sometimes I wish I never unplugged. I feel like I'm on an airplane and 90% of the passengers are suicide bombers. No Way Out!!
Posted by: with your nose so bright | Sep 1 2008 21:15 utc | 6
in a similar vein, there is a shack at the corner of I-94 and Dale Avenue in Saint Paul, Minnesota where a Black conservative has a large sign stating Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican. As the right wing tries to appropriate our progressive history, it is striking that the gentleman did not inform current Republicans (read: John McCain) so they might avoid votes blocking the establishing of a national holiday on his birthday.
Posted by: della Rovere | Sep 1 2008 21:30 utc | 7
@7
Well, it happens to be true that MLK was at one time a Republican to separate himself from the racist Democrats who ran the South, like George Wallace. But I agree the billboard gives the wrong impression that MLK was a Republican throughout his life and espoused Republican values. He did not. Personally, I think both parties suck.
Posted by: Ensley | Sep 1 2008 21:49 utc | 8
I remember when “under God” was added to the pledge. I didn’t believe in God then although I hadn’t discovered the word atheist and realized that I wasn’t the only human being on the planet who harbored such unthinkable thoughts. Age 13.
Palin’s attributing it to the founding fathers reminds me of Shrub’s favorite philosopher.
It’s difficult for me to not resort to ad hominems.
Posted by: Juannie | Sep 1 2008 23:22 utc | 9
"Both parties" Ensley? I think it's more like two sides of the same coin. Heads, I win; tails you lose. Either way we're fucked as a nation, one side will just do it with a smile.
Posted by: JimT. | Sep 1 2008 23:39 utc | 10
Absolutely, JimT. Both parties suck, and third parties are not permitted to challenge the two powers that are in cahoots with each other. As I have posted frequently, the Democrats and Republicans are two wings of the same bird of prey. And we are the prey.
Posted by: Ensley | Sep 2 2008 1:02 utc | 11
To the contrary, "both parties do not "suck", they are extremely good at what they do...
For example:
The Dense Art of Isolationism
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Sep 2 2008 1:31 utc | 12
To the contrary, "both parties do not "suck", they are extremely good at what they do...
Sucking up contributions, sucking up to the religious whackos, sucking up war profits and sucking up graft from the pharmaceutical companies (who then stick it to the American people). Sucking is what they do best!
Posted by: JimT. | Sep 2 2008 1:53 utc | 13
I too remember the insertion of "under God" into the pledge - I was in first grade (in Framingham, MA, where I received a perfect attendance pin for Sunday School at the First Parish Unitarian Church), but had already learned the pledge the previous year in kindergarten at Fort Leavenworth, KS
My dad, a retired colonel still five years short of the century mark, has noticed that our current Arny is rather dissimilar from the Army he was in (entered in World War II - retired during Vietnam). He goes to Walter Reed Medical Center (the Army hospital in DC) for medical care, and he sees the posters up about "warriors". He harrumphs - 'back then we were "soldiers", fighting because we had to, not because we enjoyed it.'
Yesterday I went to Sunday brunch at the Army retirement community with Dad and Stepmom and met a new couple there - they're relatively young (i.e. under 80) - the guy's a retired dentist, spent a year in Vietnam. He wondered why, after the 2006 election, the Congressional Democrats did NOTHING about ending the war. I expressed my theory that there were two main reasons:
a)The Democratic Party, like the Republican Party, is an entirely-owned subsidiary of the War Party
b)Nancy Pelosi and the like are complicit in the crimes of the Bush Gang - they were told ahead of time, "we're going to torture these guys - you have no objection, of course" - and of course they didn't
Frank and Beth seemed to find these ideas not implausible, and emboldened by the brunch's freely-flowing champagne (well, not that free-flowing, but more than one glass) I went on to openly state my desire to live long enough to see the Bush Gang receive fair trials - although my new friends doubted that such a thing will ever come to pass, they seemed not to be offended
Not everyone in earshot of the conversation felt that way, but so it goes
Posted by: mistah charley, ph.d. | Sep 2 2008 2:36 utc | 14
Oh, the hypocracy of it all, Hookers & blow! GOP parties as Gustav rages... Brian Ross report on the GOP parties in St. Paul as Hurricane Gustav rages through the Gulf Coast. Note: Brian Ross was just ARRESTED AT THE dnc... also,
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Sep 2 2008 2:41 utc | 15
Amy Goodman has been released after her arrest and here's an interview...
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Sep 2 2008 2:44 utc | 16
Interesting evolution to this Palin story, as it fire stormed through the dem blogs, then was all but snuffed out, denied, or ignored by those blogs, and already tonight here it's all over the national and local news. And a bit hysterical that coverage is; with everybody claiming to "respect" the families decision, and vowing to stay out of their business - all the while talking and talking and talking about it, and talking about what everybody else is talking about it. Raising of course, a million unanswered questions as the feeding frenzy continues to snowball, with Alaska Airline probably already scalping tickets to the throngs of jurnos heading north.
If she survives the onslaught for a week I'll be surprised, as McCain would be wise to cut her loose before the obsession really sets in.
What I still don't understand is why all the dem blogs went deer in the headlights and backed off the story yesterday. Unless they really are deer in headlights.
Posted by: anna missed | Sep 2 2008 2:44 utc | 17
Jim T., i think what uncle is saying is don't underestimate either party's capacity for conniving, betrayal, and treachery. the "bush is incompetent" meme has been very effective sleight of hand. while it may be true of the president, it's not true of the administration.
while we're busy ravaging troopergate, the pledge of allegiance (b, seriously, please resist distraction) and which vagina the retarded baby came out of, foreign babies and other various innocents are being blown apart.
Posted by: Lizard | Sep 2 2008 2:52 utc | 18
Actually, McCain will let her go in order to "protect" the integrity of her family, and blame the whole thing on the liberal press. But, nobody will buy it.
Posted by: anna missed | Sep 2 2008 2:54 utc | 20
Yes, that was a small attempt a humor by me. I usually like what Uncle $cam has to add to any discussion, whether I agree or not.
And no, neither party is at all trustworthy. The last candidate we had who really had the American people's interest at heart took office when I was about eight days old (JFK), and you see how long the powers that be let him live. Call me a conspiracy theorist if you will, but I think every politician since him has been a stooge or an outright bought-and-paid-for whore (with a possible exception for Jimmy Carter).
Posted by: JimT. | Sep 2 2008 3:07 utc | 21
In addition to ABC's Brian Ross, and Amy goodman, an AP photographer Matt Rourke has also been arrested. ..keep you eye on the ball...
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Sep 2 2008 4:40 utc | 22
Yeah, Jimmy Carter. Where was he during this oh so heartwarming DNC the other day:
Jimmy Carter Conspicuously Absent From PodiumBy Brett Lieberman and Nathan Guttman
28/08/08 "The Forward" -- - Denver — Former president Jimmy Carter’s controversial views on Israel cost him a place on the podium at the Democratic Party convention in late August, senior Democratic operatives acknowledged to the Forward.
Breaking with the tradition of giving speech time to living former presidents, convention organizers honored Carter with only a short video clip highlighting his work with Hurricane Katrina victims and a brief walk across the Pepsi Center stage.
The sidelining of Carter was driven by recognition in the Obama camp and among Democratic leaders that giving the former president a prominent convention spot might alienate Jewish voters....
Thats the Democrat Party for yers, Obama or no Obama, largely a morally corrupt bunch of pretenders. Getting paid shit loads for having free lunches over which to pay lip service.
Re Palin, she gets what what she's been asking for. The fact that she is pretty clueless on the history of the pledge, is a pretty minor issue though, for me anyway. If her daughter is pregnant or not, and who the kid's father is, is of no interest to me. I'm worried about her right-wing Christian attitude which she seems to be more than happy to push on others. Her using powers of office to run personal vendettas, etc. In politics its important to play the ball, and not the wo/man.
Posted by: Juan Moment | Sep 2 2008 4:57 utc | 23
It's been 54 years since the pledge was given that "under god".
Palin was minus 8 years old then -- I wonder how many folks that young know that?
Frankly, I think it reflects more on the success of the reconstructionists of Arrogant history who have turned the founding fathers, who were, at most, deists, into something like fundies and the young republic into something more like a nascent theocracy.
Posted by: Chuck Cliff | Sep 2 2008 5:45 utc | 24
At the end of the day, any country, any nation, any society that makes kids wear uniforms at school, that makes kids pledge allegiance to anything, that makes kids salute the flag at school, or that makes kids sing national anthem at school, is downright bordering fascism. There is no difference of essence between that and the Hitler Jugend, just a difference in the appearance of things being done - brainwashing, enslavement, turning the young ones into unquestioning morons.
Posted by: CluelessJoe | Sep 2 2008 7:27 utc | 25
chuck: the knowledge of the young folks, or lack thereof, is a direct indictment of their teachers.
or lack thereof.
Posted by: Lizard | Sep 2 2008 7:34 utc | 26
Well, yes, Lizard (#26) I guess so -- but maybe more the school systems and perhaps the decline of television as a media of information.
I remember several teachers who tried to teach their students to think (it really takes only one "subversive" like that..) and I recall tv programs that were really educational. But that was back before color tv, cable and zappers -- I'm a war baby from '41.
Posted by: Chuck Cliff | Sep 2 2008 8:53 utc | 27
Uncle #16, suspect that at Amy Goodman's level it's more intimidating theater than substance. I.e. I don't think there's any non-infiltrated opposition, any opposition to Big Brother not run by Big Brother.
My evidence particular to Goodman is only that Democracy Now avoids or treads cautiously on some subjects. Fast example is that searching "Bilderberg" and "Bohemian Grove" on their site net no results, but I'll have to look more. They do have useful info, but like all surviving (I include Alex Jones et. al.) they have to survive.
Uncle #16, also thanks for link. I don't mean that she and Democracy Now aren't worth paying attention to or not doing good things, just that some things, peaceful things, they can't do and survive on the radio and in prominence.
For instance, I think this is interesting, and I don't mean the secret aspects. Protected (non-displayed) art movements and locations should be kept secret.
AMY GOODMAN: I also understand that the University of Iowa, which has quite a remarkable museum, was able to get all of its art out secretly before the flood and is now being kept in a secret location in Chicago.PERRY BEEMAN: You’re wondering if that’s true, you think?
AMY GOODMAN: Well, I assume it’s true.
PERRY BEEMAN: Well, and I guess I don’t have any information on that, although I do—I can say that they evacuated some buildings in Iowa that was—that have never been evacuated for a flood. The Iowa River runs through the middle of Iowa City, and the land to the east of the river rises just pretty dramatically. It’s a river valley, after all. But the amazing thing to me is that they had to evacuate a couple of buildings that are up that hill a ways and had sandbagged those streets. And again, they had water in places that they didn’t have water in ’93.
I do think ’93 was worse, a worse flood in the Des Moines area than it was in Iowa City, but I think the University of Iowa has been pretty aggressive at getting a lot of its valuables out. And, of course, the Old Capitol, I think, is not threatened with water, but it would be kind of ironic if that building had damaged, since they just replaced the dome that had burned a few years ago. That’s the symbol of the university.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to thank you both very much for being with us, Perry Beeman, staff writer for the Des Moines Register, former president of the Society of Environmental Journalists, and Joseph Romm, runs the blog at climateprogress.org.
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/6/16/extreme_weather_global_warming_floods_in>also has stuff about hog farm manure tanks' breakage
Palin may know the Bible inside and out, but her knowledge of American history is so poor that she wouldn't even qualify to be a contestant on Fox's "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?"..Then again, Alaskan history may indeed be her strong suit...;^)
Posted by: Cynthia | Sep 2 2008 15:16 utc | 31
The bubbas over at red state update weigh in on Sarah Palin...;^)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwvPNXYrIyI
Posted by: Cynthia | Sep 2 2008 16:12 utc | 32
oops, wrong one...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W5IAPK0hbU
Posted by: Cynthia | Sep 2 2008 16:18 utc | 33
And I imagine McCain will have a mighty hard time putting America First when his running mate up until recently belonged to a group that wants Alaska to secede from the Union...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwvPNXYrIyI
Posted by: Cynthia | Sep 2 2008 16:25 utc | 34
The comments to this entry are closed.
In grade school we were taught the concept of separation of church and state sometime before the "under god" addition to the pledge, which struck me then, as now, as hugely unconstitutional and unAmerican. I was 9 in 1954 and that school is long gone.
Posted by: Hamburger | Sep 1 2008 20:05 utc | 1