The Pledge is one of those things that seem normal to you because it's always been around in your life and you've never critically analyzed it, but if you saw a documentary about North Korea about an equivalent pledge they make kids say in school every day you'd think it was creepy totalitarian shit.
What’s weird is I feel like saying the pledge and learning about the structure of government and the “checks and balances” and voting rights all that “America is the best” stuff from school makes me more frustrated at what I see going on in govt as an adult. The only “brainwashing” was as a kid I believed the people we elected were held to a high standard and their job was important.
I'm from the GDR and we had a somewhat militaristic ritual of greeting the flag, but that was also only a few times a year, for important occasions like first and last day of the school year. We never had to do anything like this later on in the reunified Germany. Also, when we learned the German national anthem, my music teacher told us that everyone that feels uncomfortable about this can leave for the hour.
Sometime in my first week of kindergarten my dad asked what I had learned in school. I recited the Pledge of Allegiance, proud that I had memorized it well. Instead of telling me what a good job I’d done he asked, “What does indivisible mean?” Of course I didn’t know. He explained what it meant, and warned me to be cautious of any individual or organization that wants me to repeat a credo but doesn’t care if I fully understand it.
Funny thing, the Oklahoma state pledge is a laugh riot, “it’s symbols of peace unite all peoples” yeah, unless you’re black, Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern, Indian, Native American, Italian, or just from a northern state and don’t chose white Angelo-Saxon approved religion. Unite all peoples as we kick them off their land and literally have a competition to claim the “empty” land and shoot any natives who may have decided to hold their ground and defend their homes
The under god part wasn’t even added until 1954 by a Scottish immigrant who was a preacher and liked that the pledge to the queen included god in it. So technically, the under god part is as unAmerican as you can get.
Even if you don't think the pledge itself is propaganda, those two words were put in for the sole purpose of making children hate the Soviets. It's wartime propaganda that never got revoked.
I used to say the pledge and skip that part by the time I was in 3rd or 4th grade. By around 6th or 7th I sat down for the pledge altogether, got eyeballed for it but it's not like they could do anything.
Wow! What union is that? I am a union organizer and if we tried to implement something like that at our meetings we'd probably get beaten up and pitched out on the street.
When the war in Iraq and Afghanistan kicked off, I was a grouchy punk kid in high school. I refused to stand or recite the pledge and so many of my teachers gave me shit for it. The only teacher that defended my right was Mr. Culp. A veteran. Some teachers you could see how enraged they were. This is in the deep asscrack of the south, though.
In my experience, they kinda want us to say it, but they’re not gonna punish you for not saying it, at least where I am. Can’t speak for some of the more patriotic regions though
Technically speaking, you may sit it out. Whenever I tried though, I was written up, or otherwise retaliated against. It's easier to stand, hand over heart, face the flag, mouth the words along with everyone else, and sit down than attempt to fight it. Though sometimes a teacher would get especially upset if they realized you weren't saying it and make you repeat it by yourself, or make everyone do it over again until everyone is actually speaking it.
It's not mandatory, but no first grader is out here conscientiously objecting to something their teacher and all the other kids are doing. By the time they get old enough to maybe do something like that, they've been doing it for years and no one really thinks about. It wasn't until I was a senior in high school that I finally did my double take on it and started researching it's ugly history.
It is not technically mandatory, but they do put a lot of pressure on you to participate. It’s easier to just go with it, as not doing so could cause controversy, depending on where you are.
Not only is it not mandatory, but attempting to make it mandatory or retaliate against a student choosing to not participate would be illegal, and in direct conflict with a Supreme Court ruling from 1943.
My teacher makes us all stand up when she says it, but we don’t have to put our hands over our heart or say anything but teachers I’ve had in the past do make us.
Honestly depends on where you are in the country. For example, I was never required or told to say the pledge of allegiance. Students were allowed to stay seated or do their own thing if they wanted.
yeah i stopped standing for the pledge this year because i think its an empty, useless statement that most don’t follow through with. i would’ve stopped earlier if i could
And even more messed up part- those in authority purposely ignore the basic fact that SCOTUS been decided at least twice that people, especially children don't have to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at school and anywhere.
I stopped reciting the pledge in sixth grade and now I don't even acknowledge its existence. Making people pledge alliegiance to your country is kinda fucked ngl.
The pledge of allegiance is a means of reinforcing delusion beliefs about an ideal version of America that exists for some, not all. It is a tool to support recruitment for the military industrial complex at every NFL game. “Justice for all” is not a reality.
I remember repeating the sounds and the cadences when I was a kid. I know I didn't know a lot of the words.. In fact some of the words in my pledge of allegiance were non words.
I vividly remember in kindergarten learning the pledge going syllable by syllable and practicing individual words to learn how to pronounce everything correctly. Still didn't know what it meant, though.
This activated memories in me; I didn't understand what I was saying for a few years either. I think it was middle or high school before I ever actually paid attention to the words, vs the strange monotone chant I would hear.
Should've seen the original version, before they decided the whole arm salute to the flag looked a little too much like something a certain German leader from the 40's was encouraging.
Making you pledge it every day made you think it was out there actually happening. Then you grew up and realised it was really just indoctrination but by now you’re too old to care.
Fun Fact: the guy who wrote the original draft (a communist) wanted to include equality and fraternity with those, but believed his fellow Americans wouldn't like it nearly as much if it called for equality.
I never understood it. I rather plead my allegiance to myself and the planet Earth which allowed humans to exist at all. Granted, I don't do well in doing either, so I can only offer my apologies.
I refused to do the pledge early in school and never did it again. Some teachers got furious and some punished me, but the pledge always felt wrong to do.
It's called indoctrination, look it up, that will make it make sense. Americans tend to keep making this mistake. Just because they call you guys citizens doesn't mean that's what you are it's just what they call you. You're cattle to your government there for them to profit off of. And when the time comes when you're worth more dead than alive than that's what's going to happen.
It's "to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands". It's not much different from something like "for queen and country".
One of the teachers at my old school refused to have her students say it and her exact quote was “I won’t have them say it until there is truly liberty and justice for all”
I stopped doing the pledge back in elementary school. I always thought it was weird. Especially since I was atheist from a young age. the under god thing always rubbed me the wrong way
Some people say things that they know aren't true because they know that if they get you to believe the untrue thing they can get you to do what they want you to do, even when the thing is bad for you. If they do it long enough or early enough you'll start to get mad at people who tell you the truth and try to help you.
In middle school one of my teachers told a kid that he had to bring in a note if he wanted to sit during the pledge because it was school policy that everyone has to stand or some garbage like that. Why is that school policy?? Who does it hurt if a kid sits during the pledge? People need to realize that just because you live in a country doesn’t mean you think it’s a good place and want to pledge your undying love to it. Some people can’t move, so please nobody say “they should just move then”
Well, when you have idiot judges and idiot congressmen /congresswomen and senators in power since segregation was popular thing get fucked up. #TermLimits
Suddenly Nazism was never defeated just paused. Not even OBL would give credit with such domestic terrorists in your country right now, he would enter an identity crisis on why or who he should fight for and against. Damn info wars generation.
I was literally just telling my kid that when I was 10 I was forced to sing MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE every goddamn morning. Along with that pledge. Blind patriotism does NOT work for everyone!
The Pledge is one of those things that seem normal to you because it's always been around in your life and you've never critically analyzed it, but if you saw a documentary about North Korea about an equivalent pledge they make kids say in school every day you'd think it was creepy totalitarian shit.
As an Australian it's weird as fuck to find out the land of the free has this kind of indoctrination
What’s weird is I feel like saying the pledge and learning about the structure of government and the “checks and balances” and voting rights all that “America is the best” stuff from school makes me more frustrated at what I see going on in govt as an adult. The only “brainwashing” was as a kid I believed the people we elected were held to a high standard and their job was important.
Yeah coming from outside of America, the only other country I know of that does a similar thing is North Korea.
Wait until you learn it was created by a salesman in 1892 to sell more flags.
Exactly. Like 7 year Olds are aware enough to pledge themselves to any country...
I'm from the GDR and we had a somewhat militaristic ritual of greeting the flag, but that was also only a few times a year, for important occasions like first and last day of the school year. We never had to do anything like this later on in the reunified Germany. Also, when we learned the German national anthem, my music teacher told us that everyone that feels uncomfortable about this can leave for the hour.
[удалено]
You should see the old salute they used to use in schools
Probably doesn't help that the American education system encourages conformity.
It does sound a bit North Korea-y
UNDER GOD
The USA is creepy as between nationalism, schools, race, sports, religion, and politics. It's super tribal. Not cool.
Isn’t it illegal for them to force a student to say the pledge? I wish I could go back in time myself to sit it out
The Pledge of Allegiance and the ritual of doing it every morning at school was literally dreamed up by a guy selling flags.
This is exactly why, in 20 years of teaching, I have never made anyone say it.
Lol so much for "land of the free"
100% indoctrination cult bullshit
China makes kids do it= evil dictator communism
"One nation under God"
America is the definition of all talk, no walk
Sometime in my first week of kindergarten my dad asked what I had learned in school. I recited the Pledge of Allegiance, proud that I had memorized it well. Instead of telling me what a good job I’d done he asked, “What does indivisible mean?” Of course I didn’t know. He explained what it meant, and warned me to be cautious of any individual or organization that wants me to repeat a credo but doesn’t care if I fully understand it.
And the pledge itself, comes from a marketing gimmick to sell flags to schools. It's nonsense. Then Congress came and codified the "under God" part.
As a teacher, I’m so glad my school doesn’t do this shit.
The bad kids were the ones standing up for liberty!
The left the last four words silent ..'the wealthy and elite.'
Funny thing, the Oklahoma state pledge is a laugh riot, “it’s symbols of peace unite all peoples” yeah, unless you’re black, Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern, Indian, Native American, Italian, or just from a northern state and don’t chose white Angelo-Saxon approved religion. Unite all peoples as we kick them off their land and literally have a competition to claim the “empty” land and shoot any natives who may have decided to hold their ground and defend their homes
Not like forcing your children to go to church
Perhaps if we can all stop identifying so closely with our flags, we can work together for once.
This
And while we’re at it, let’s remove the “under god” and make it “one nation, indivisible.”
The under god part wasn’t even added until 1954 by a Scottish immigrant who was a preacher and liked that the pledge to the queen included god in it. So technically, the under god part is as unAmerican as you can get.
"Under God" actually wasn't in the original pledge. This is from Wikipedia:
More like ‘one nation, divisible’ 🙁
Even if you don't think the pledge itself is propaganda, those two words were put in for the sole purpose of making children hate the Soviets. It's wartime propaganda that never got revoked.
The original way.
I used to say the pledge and skip that part by the time I was in 3rd or 4th grade. By around 6th or 7th I sat down for the pledge altogether, got eyeballed for it but it's not like they could do anything.
While we're at it, just nix the whole damned thing. It's offensive with, or without "under god".
My public school never had us do under god lol. So lucky at least 1%.
COMMI!!!!!!
And in Texas, schools also require children to pledge allegiance to the Texas flag.
I love that whole concept of allegiance to a piece of material ❤️💕💓
I forgot all about having to say the Texas pledge as a kid. I doubt I could even recite it now.
Wait youre telling me people dont have to pledge to any other state flag?! IM A FUCKING SENIOR IN HIGHSCHOOL AND IM JUST FINDING OUT ABOUT THIS?!?!
Fuck they gonna do it the kids don't? Throw them in jail? Fail them? Fuck outta here
We had to pledge to the Bible flag (Christian school)
Whenever I go to my union hall's monthly meetings, we have to say the pledge. I usually just stand and mumble incoherently.
I don't give a shit if someone wants to say Grace before they eat but they can suck my whole dick if they wanna get mad because I'm not waiting.
Wow! What union is that? I am a union organizer and if we tried to implement something like that at our meetings we'd probably get beaten up and pitched out on the street.
I never got the pledge
When the war in Iraq and Afghanistan kicked off, I was a grouchy punk kid in high school. I refused to stand or recite the pledge and so many of my teachers gave me shit for it. The only teacher that defended my right was Mr. Culp. A veteran. Some teachers you could see how enraged they were. This is in the deep asscrack of the south, though.
In my experience, they kinda want us to say it, but they’re not gonna punish you for not saying it, at least where I am. Can’t speak for some of the more patriotic regions though
60 years ago you'd get your ass beat and in trouble with the school and parents.
Technically speaking, you may sit it out. Whenever I tried though, I was written up, or otherwise retaliated against. It's easier to stand, hand over heart, face the flag, mouth the words along with everyone else, and sit down than attempt to fight it. Though sometimes a teacher would get especially upset if they realized you weren't saying it and make you repeat it by yourself, or make everyone do it over again until everyone is actually speaking it.
It's technically not mandatory.
It's not mandatory, but no first grader is out here conscientiously objecting to something their teacher and all the other kids are doing. By the time they get old enough to maybe do something like that, they've been doing it for years and no one really thinks about. It wasn't until I was a senior in high school that I finally did my double take on it and started researching it's ugly history.
It is not technically mandatory, but they do put a lot of pressure on you to participate. It’s easier to just go with it, as not doing so could cause controversy, depending on where you are.
You can just not say it. I didn't.
Not only is it not mandatory, but attempting to make it mandatory or retaliate against a student choosing to not participate would be illegal, and in direct conflict with a Supreme Court ruling from 1943.
While technically you're not required, at my school you'd get bullied and beat up if you didn't try. So, y'know, you kinda have to
It's not mandatory, I never said it... I tried to be respectful though, I didn't make a show of the fact that I wasn't participating.
It’s not mandatory at my school (I’m in TN)
My teacher makes us all stand up when she says it, but we don’t have to put our hands over our heart or say anything but teachers I’ve had in the past do make us.
that moment when you realize they were training you to be compliant...
Like they never expected us to grow up and have a thought for ourselves
Honestly depends on where you are in the country. For example, I was never required or told to say the pledge of allegiance. Students were allowed to stay seated or do their own thing if they wanted.
No no no no no no, that's covid mandates that's making everyone compliant, not the literal indoctrination done since damn near birth
yeah i stopped standing for the pledge this year because i think its an empty, useless statement that most don’t follow through with. i would’ve stopped earlier if i could
Get this, thats why public schools were invented
And even more messed up part- those in authority purposely ignore the basic fact that SCOTUS been decided at least twice that people, especially children don't have to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at school and anywhere.
Because it wasn't about liberty and justice for all. It was about indoctrination.
I stopped reciting the pledge in sixth grade and now I don't even acknowledge its existence. Making people pledge alliegiance to your country is kinda fucked ngl.
The pledge of allegiance is a means of reinforcing delusion beliefs about an ideal version of America that exists for some, not all. It is a tool to support recruitment for the military industrial complex at every NFL game. “Justice for all” is not a reality.
I remember repeating the sounds and the cadences when I was a kid. I know I didn't know a lot of the words.. In fact some of the words in my pledge of allegiance were non words.
For liberty and justice for frogs
I vividly remember in kindergarten learning the pledge going syllable by syllable and practicing individual words to learn how to pronounce everything correctly. Still didn't know what it meant, though.
This activated memories in me; I didn't understand what I was saying for a few years either. I think it was middle or high school before I ever actually paid attention to the words, vs the strange monotone chant I would hear.
Wishit stance
That was me with the lord's prayer before football games. It was essentially a pregame cadence ritual
"I pledge obedience to the owners
Accurate
The problem comes with their flawed definition of the word all
Nah the problem comes with making little kids recite a fucking pledge in the first place
“With liberty and justice for those we choose arbitrarily” Doesn’t have the same ring to it… gotta make it catchy ya know 💀
No, no.
Wait, You guys actually do that?
Unfortunately, no. It’s just as weird/unnerving as it seems.
Should've seen the original version, before they decided the whole arm salute to the flag looked a little too much like something a certain German leader from the 40's was encouraging.
Not everywhere. It was not something my schools ever did.
Making children take a pledge every morning is some cult shit anyway.
The new pledge is just the phrase “under god” repeated 15 times.
Every time I think about doing the pledge my entire school life, I wish I were more aware of how insane it was.
True.
Yeah but not like that.
Making you pledge it every day made you think it was out there actually happening. Then you grew up and realised it was really just indoctrination but by now you’re too old to care.
The 2 unspoken words on the end of that phrase are "conservative christians".
Ah yes the prayer to the idol. Nationalism is dumb.
This is the reason there are all those stupid 'America is the best country' people. God it's cringe
It makes perfect sense just like enriching our politicians by insider trading.
Ok I was literally discussing this earlier today with my mom. It’s fucking ridiculous.
"With liberty and justice for all" was a trick to make you think that current day America demonstrates these virtues, not that people deserve them.
Fun Fact: the guy who wrote the original draft (a communist) wanted to include equality and fraternity with those, but believed his fellow Americans wouldn't like it nearly as much if it called for equality.
I never understood it. I rather plead my allegiance to myself and the planet Earth which allowed humans to exist at all. Granted, I don't do well in doing either, so I can only offer my apologies.
I refused to do the pledge early in school and never did it again. Some teachers got furious and some punished me, but the pledge always felt wrong to do.
Well they don’t want you to think they just want you to accept their rule
At my high school, nobody stands up for the pledge anymore. A couple of us have started flipping off the flag when the announcement starts.
If you think justice represents America with the highest prison population in the world, then ask yourself why America is so full of criminals.
*whitesonly
Everything in the pledge that follows the word “stands” is total bullshit.
Liberty and justice for all the white land-owning men.
The pledge of allegiance was written by a flag salesman to help sell flags to schools... Seriously.
It's called indoctrination, look it up, that will make it make sense. Americans tend to keep making this mistake. Just because they call you guys citizens doesn't mean that's what you are it's just what they call you. You're cattle to your government there for them to profit off of. And when the time comes when you're worth more dead than alive than that's what's going to happen.
TIL American kids pledge allegiance to a flag.. that sounds bonkers to me as a European
It's "to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands". It's not much different from something like "for queen and country".
Then they added “under god” and we repeated that without meaning.
All people are equal, but some are more equal than others. (Ainimal Farm).
One of the teachers at my old school refused to have her students say it and her exact quote was “I won’t have them say it until there is truly liberty and justice for all”
https://youtu.be/GiCaqA0ngRc
Fun life hack you don't have to stand or recite the pledge so you can use that extra time to complete the homework you forgot was due.
That pledge shit you guys do has some real Nazi youth feel to it
Wait you have to pledge allegiance at school everyday?
I agree with this wholeheartedly but the "make it make sense" has to stop. It's overused and cringy
It's the new I can't even
No it’s just something people say. Don’t read into it.
Bro your vote isn’t even represented at all when voting for president
I agree, the electoral college shouldn't exist.
It is eerily reminiscent of what George Orwell wrote in Animal Farm, “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.”
Umm.... that book is taking a shit on communism, not democracy.
This is one of the many reasons I don’t say it. Stand sure but say it nope
I just don’t say the pledge
You seem smart. I like that.
Lol when we had to say it, I just moved my mouth kinda along with the words. No one ever noticed.
There's liberty and justice.. if you are wealthy, connected or from a legacy bloodline.
They meant, "except for brown people"
I stopped doing the pledge back in elementary school. I always thought it was weird. Especially since I was atheist from a young age. the under god thing always rubbed me the wrong way
Simple.
It's your fault, Stephanie. You don't do brainwashing right.
Yea, because democrats are trying to take it all...
We should work on making the statement true. The people who use nationalism disguised as patriotism are the traitors and usurpers
Our school had a little union of kids that didn't want to say the pledge, and we got permission to not stand if we wanted to
[удалено]
All in all it's just another brick in the wall.
You can’t understand liberal thinking. Don’t even try.
You didnt know...at the end of the paragraph there is a secret phrase the initiate say....
They didn’t define who qualified “for all”
I stopped pledging allegiance to the flag after 8th grade, do y'all still do it in highschool?
Pledging allegiance is such a crazy concept. Some medieval shit right there
Singing the National Anthem at sporting events etc. is the exact same thing.
What did you expect
“With liberty and justice for the rich”
Pathological institutions. All of them.
This slays.
As a non American that shit is so creepy
"You don't even know what it means. It's just a thing you say."
It's legal to not stand for the pledge
They was wrong
Some people say things that they know aren't true because they know that if they get you to believe the untrue thing they can get you to do what they want you to do, even when the thing is bad for you. If they do it long enough or early enough you'll start to get mad at people who tell you the truth and try to help you.
I only pledged 1st through 5th grade...
I went to Catholic schools growing up…I was 21 when I learned that “Born and Unborn” wasn’t actually a part of The Pledge of Allegiance.
In middle school one of my teachers told a kid that he had to bring in a note if he wanted to sit during the pledge because it was school policy that everyone has to stand or some garbage like that. Why is that school policy?? Who does it hurt if a kid sits during the pledge? People need to realize that just because you live in a country doesn’t mean you think it’s a good place and want to pledge your undying love to it. Some people can’t move, so please nobody say “they should just move then”
that is on you for believing a pledge.
Well, when you have idiot judges and idiot congressmen /congresswomen and senators in power since segregation was popular thing get fucked up. #TermLimits
amerikkka's nazi hypocrisy is designed to confuse & destabilize. welcome2hell
Suddenly Nazism was never defeated just paused. Not even OBL would give credit with such domestic terrorists in your country right now, he would enter an identity crisis on why or who he should fight for and against. Damn info wars generation.
"No, not like that.."
Did you know America has a higher incarceration rate than any other country including north Korea?
A lot of people in my high school wouldn’t stand for the pledge
We’re expected to say “under God” and “in God we trust” despite everyone’s deeply held beliefs or lack thereof. That’s not freedom.
I was literally just telling my kid that when I was 10 I was forced to sing MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE every goddamn morning. Along with that pledge. Blind patriotism does NOT work for everyone!
We're trying to give them what they wanted - why are they mad?
I graduated in 2005, I stopped saying the pledge in 8th grade.
Do they teach this in school anymore?
What five-year-old even knows what the hell an "allegiance" means in the first place?