[PEN-L:27348] Re: FW: the pledge

["Michael Hoover" <hooverm@xxxxxxxxxx>]

>>> jdevine@xxxxxxx 06/28/02 12:45 PM >>>
pen-l folks might be amused by the letter I sent today to the editors of the LA TIMES.
Jim Devine
To the editors of the Los Angeles TIMES:
In the debate over the wording of the "Pledge of Allegiance," I notice that the viewpoint of agnostics such as myself is ignored. But we are the ones
who have a compromise to propose. Like any reasonable compromise, no-one will be totally happy, but it will avoid future conflict. Here goes: instead of "under God," the disputed line in the Pledge should read "perhaps under god(s) and/or goddesses."
<<<>>>

sent below to another list yesterday...

as usual, hubbub over issue conveniently
omits certain portions of pledge's history,
i.e:

1) original statement written by christian
socialist(baptist minister, no less,
dismissed from his official church position
because of he preached socialism from pulpit)

2) author francis bellamy was utopian
socialist novelist edward bellamy's
('looking backward' & 'equality') cousin
and his *pledge* was based upon ideas from
the books

3) bellamy's statement pledged allegiance
to *my* flag, not u.s. flag (he opposed
1924 wording change made at conference on
national flag sponsored by american legion
and daughter of american revolution)

4) bellamy initially wrote 'liberty,
equality, and justice for all' but
removed 'equality' from final text
because association of state
superintendents of education (who
had commissioned him to organize a
columbus day school celebration)
included opponents of black and
women's equality...

5) bellamy eventually abandoned all
connections to organized religion
because of persistent racial bigotry
he found...

6) bellamy had been dead for couple
of decades when congress added
'under god' phrase, his family
insisted that he would have opposed
addition...   michael hoover