Thursday, September 15, 2005

 

Of course, you heard about the Sacramento judge holding the Pledge of Allegiance with the words "under God" unconstitutional yesterday. (I've read the decision, and I agree -- his hands were tied by the 9th Circuit's last ruling on the issue.) Anyhow, there's fascinating stuff about the Pledge of Allegiance here:



When Bellamy wrote his Pledge [of Allegiance] in August, 1892, he was well aware of the Balch Pledge. In 1892 George T. Balch was the most influential person in the development of a patriotic flag ritual for the classroom. He was a New York City auditor and had developed a patriotic verbal flag salute and ritual, the first verbal flag salute used in American public schools. The students in his New York Public Schools gave his "American Patriotic Salute" as follows: students touched first their foreheads, then their hearts, reciting, "We give our Heads - and our Hearts -to God and our Country." Then with a right arm outstretched and palms down in the direction of the flag, they competed the salute"One Country! One Language! One Flag!"

posted by Michael 9:48 PM