Dad visits kid’s school, doesn’t hear ‘liberty’ in Pledge of Allegiance, threatens to "spill blood"

[proud2BlibKansan]

<skip>

He said Wednesday was the first time he was there to hear the kindergartners say the Pledge of Allegiance. He thought he heard the word "liberty" removed. But more importantly, he said, was that the pledge was immediately followed by students' recitation of the school creed. In it, students are asked to treat others with respect, follow school and classroom rules and "to try their best." He said he was upset they pledged this while still holding their hands over their hearts and facing the U.S. flag.

There should be a break between the pledges, he said, and students should not be facing the flag. He called it "conditioning a child" to blindly obey authority without knowing what is in the rules they are promising to obey. "In the beginning of the Hitler Youth movement, people made similar promises," McGroarty said.

At the time, McGroarty went to speak with the school principal, but was put off. He returned to the library and continued his work, but then asked a librarian to call the principal. When she refused, he said he told the children: "Children, do not blindly follow to swear allegiance and to follow rules without knowing what they are," and told the children to ask their parents about Nazis.

<skip>

When he emailed school officials that he had "spilled blood before" and would do so again to defend freedom, McGroarty said, he was not threatening violence; he was speaking as a military veteran who had sworn to protect the U.S. and defend its Constitution. Veterans, he said, will understand that.

more ... http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130111/news/701119803/

http://freakoutnation.com/2013/01/12/dad-visits-kids-school-doesnt-hear-liberty-in-pledge-of-allegiance-threatens-he-has-spilled-blood-before-will-again/

[appleannie1]

1. Bet he hangs on every word uttered on FOX.

[think]

84. political and social indoctrination based on factually bereft or incorrect proganda

does have it's repercussions.....

[Ron Green]

2. I'm a veteran, and I understand that

this guy is talking like a fool and acting like a jerk.

[NashvilleLefty]

3. Well, technically, requiring schoolchildren to recite

the Pledge of Allegiance is "indoctrination" - but he doesn't seem to understand it. What is the difference between "Liberty" and "Freedom and Justice for all"?

Further, he thought that the word "Liberty" was removed but didn't recognize that the words "under God" were added?

Finally, his email that he had "spilled blood before" and would do so again is most definitely a threat and could not be construed to be anything else.

[valerief]

43. Exactly. The guy is clearly a moran. nt

[Manifestor_of_Light]

4. Ya know what we did in school (late 60s -- early 70s)?

We ended the pledge with "With liberty and justice for all the very rich."

[Agschmid]

6. Ooooo you rebel.... n/t

[valerief]

44. Badda bing! Time to bring truth back to schoolchildren. nt

[Plucketeer]

69. That is great!

And the truth shall set you FREE!

[WCGreen]

75. I stood up, hands at my side and never pledged to the flag....

[freedom fighter jh]

95. When my daughter graduated from elementary school she was in a ceremony

in which the graduating sixth graders had to say the pledge. I was annoyed that the kids had to make this blind promise, and doubly annoyed because my kid had the wrong hand on her chest. I thought she had learned left from right a long time ago.

Later, I asked her about using the wrong hand. She explained that it was her form of protest.

I was proud.

[WCGreen]

118. Cool...

[Jumping John]

5. He's a RW Reagan worshiper - here's his FaceBook below

http://www.facebook.com/cmmcgroarty/

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Interesting replies from his friends

Would you acknowledge that your email calling the school creed "teaching fascism plain and simple" and accusing the school of seeking to "introduce a Nazi way of life into the USA" was, just maybe, a little over the top? I think that one reason this story has gotten so much traction is that your characterization of this as "fascism" is perceived as completely out of proportion to the content of the five lines the children recite.

This has to do talking about shedding blood in reference to a practice you don't like -- at an elementary school. One could easily complain about something about the school without using rhetoric that could easily be construed as violent or threatening. That comment was completely over-the-top and wildly inappropriate.

If there is a loud angry man in my granddaughter's classroom, I want the swat team right now to take him out of the situation.

[MessiahRp]

35. It looks like his friends bust him out constantly on his posts.

Which is funny, usually these nutters shut it down and delete people when they are made to look like uneducated tools.

[Cha]

97. THIS^^^^^^^^!

If there is a loud angry man in my granddaughter's classroom, I want the swat team right now to take him out of the situation.

[proud2BlibKansan]

104. Exactly.

[AnneD]

133. This is kindergarten folks...

The Pledge usually includes....

The United Snakes of Amerca, the polic or pubic, for which it sands, and one nation invisible. The hand is placed anywhere from shoulder to stomach, over the heart.

What a maroon.

[Art_from_Ark]

141. I'm glad I spent my kindergarten years at a babysitter's

We got to eat homemade cookies and cherry cobbler , play in the back yard, watch cartoons and Romper Room, and read Dr. Seuss books. It was great.

[Zookeeper]

134. FTW! n/t

[UnrepentantLiberal]

28. Did you look at his "Likes" page?

Full on wing nut. http://www.facebook.com/cmmcgroarty/favorites

[bora13]

61. he needs to remove all grateful dead links

they don't mix well with all the others...

[skamaria]

121. Floyd too.n/t

[Botany]

53. a link from his facebook page .... no lapdog media

http://www.facebook.com/pages/No-Lapdog-Media/196191323757320

racist anti Obama lies ..... nothing more and nothing less

If this man reads and thinks this crap is true he is a real sicko

from his no lapdog media link

[Cha]

98. Big Shocker, he's racist piece of shit. nm

[obama2terms]

139. Thanks for the link!

This guy is an absolute NUTCASE!! Haha even his own facebook friends seem to bash what he posts.

[Hekate]

7. His ex-wife now has the kids full time, no surprise

He then took his children home with him to Rockford. (Their mother has primary custody, but they were supposed to stay with him that night, McGroarty said.) The mother has since obtained an order of protection against McGroarty, and the children were returned to her. McGroarty has been banned from school property.

This is a very scary man, imo. Wonder if that has anything to do with his being divorced?

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. This was posted on his Facebook page:

Perhaps there are some child support issues as well?

[Hekate]

16. S**t. I think I'd take the kids and move far away

He's a bully with anger issues who plays the victim card. He should not be allowed to volunteer with kids at school again after that outburst telling little kindergardeners to ask their parents about Nazis -- and this FB page just seals the deal as far as I'm concerned.

Watch out for him in the future.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. Well the fact that his Facebook page isn't set to private tells us a lot.

His ex-wife's lawyer is going to have a field day with that.

[AtheistCrusader]

18. Trying to follow the logic of that flowchart would make anyone nuts.

[valerief]

45. Ha! But it's got the word "Proven" in there, so it must make sense.

[awoke_in_2003]

67. You're right, I missed it...

America is so fucked now

[immoderate]

79. I associated "proven" with Child Abuse

And I took the reference to mean that the evidence was circumstantial.

I know there's no way to be sure what it means, if anything.

--imm

[Warren Stupidity]

77. it isnt difficult. The 'victim' has to pay child support.

typical MRA bullshit. somehow being held responsible for your offspring even after your wife dumps you is totalitarianism.

[erpowers]

100. MRA?

Can you please tell me what MRA stands for?

[obamanut2012]

107. Men's Rights Activists

Read about them on the SPLC's website -- they are classified as hate groups for a reason.

[BlueJazz]

83. Thanks for posting that. I was sitting here at home, thinking: ...

"Damn..I can usually follow these things fairly easy but this chart flows like some cattle stampede"

[catrose]

88. But it has clip art and arrows

Isn't that enough to make it crystal clear?

If it weren't such a loaded subject--I can at least identify the subject and what it's supposed to prove (I think), I'd use it as an anti-example the next time I lecture on the cognitive dissonance of PowerPoint.

[auburngrad82]

109. He probably created it using Mad Skillz he learned while earning his degrees from U of Pheonix

Looks like he earned two online degrees, one in crayons and one in finger painting. He's highly edumaketed for an idiot.

[crim son]

129. Bwahahahahahahah!

I was thinking the same thing. He surely doesn't do much for the UofP's image.

[Scuba]

38. Holy crap, if Glenn Grothman sees this it'll be codified in Wisconsin law within a week.

Sounds like the asshole is buddy/buddy with Deadbeat Dad Joe Walsh.

[Patiod]

48. A men's rights guy with anger issues. What could go wrong there?

Jesus Mary and Joseph.

[obamanut2012]

49. I am sure she lives in fear of this guy

And, he is definitely an MRA. Scary guy.

[Tab]

66. Chip on his shoulder, much?

just sayin'

[Initech]

86. Yikes!!! Keep kids very far away from this man!

[morningfog]

120. A men's rights activist, aka twisted misogynist asshole.

[Iris]

106. Oh, thank GOD! Those sweet little faces on his FB page are gut-wrenching.

Why in the hell is this man allowed to wander freely around their elementary school?

[sad-cafe]

8. what a loon

I feel sorry for that man's kids

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Yep. Check out his Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/cmmcgroarty

[sad-cafe]

91. it is scary to know that people like this exist

Very unsettling

[Warren DeMontague]

9. "freak out nation"

Exactly.

[Bonobo]

13. In Junior High, our Principle used to scream when we paused between

"One nation" and "Under God"

He became enraged because he felt that pausing was wrong and disrespectful to God or something...

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. I never say "under God"

And never has anyone commented to me about my omission.

[AtheistCrusader]

19. +1

I can remember omitting that as far back as Kindergarten. Teacher couldn't give me a valid reason why anyone would say that part when we were learning the pledge.

I suspect she was my first, best teacher.

[mbperrin]

140. The years I teach World Geography, I point out the obvious - look at any map.

We're one nation under CANADA.

[JHB]

46. We never paused at "under God" back during WW2!

...(because that phrase hadn't been inserted yet).

Funny how they always forget that part...if they ever knew it in the first place.

[kestrel91316]

85. Hell, no. They think the Pledge is part of the Constitution dating back to 1787.

[tclambert]

124. 1787? You sayin' the Constitution ain't part of the Bible?

Next you'll be claiming the founding fathers weren't all good Christians, every one of 'em.

[JVS]

14. This is surprising. Usually people only get upset if they don't hear the students shout "UNDER GOD"

[CheapShotArtist]

20. The crazies on the Right have ruined the meaning of the word "liberty".

[SleeplessinSoCal]

21. The older and wiser I become, the more childish and Fascistic the pledge seems.

It doesn't matter which party is in power. It sticks in my craw.

[flygal]

29. After three years having my kids in German public schools

and then going to the US for one year - the pledge seemed radical! The foreign kids also thought it was creepy. I never did the pledge growing up - it seems a new thing, maybe after 9/11 became more mainstream.

Also at sporting events here (we're back in Germany) there's no anthem or display of flag.

[FlaGranny]

127. I started kindergarten in

1945. The pledge was done then every morning. I don't know when it started - no time to check it right now, I have to go to work - but it has been going on for at least 67 years.

[Patiod]

50. After 9/11, a wingnut PA rep wanted to require the flag & pledge at all schools

Not just public schools. Wanted a flag in every classroom to salute, and was trying to stir people up about schools that didn't do it.

This did not sit well with the Amish, Mennonite, Brethren and Quaker schools, and they made it clear they would not obey. That is one of the reason the Amish Mennonite and Brethren left Europe - the German worship of the state. Our little Quaker school was definitely not going to obey this law, had it passed.

In the end, his colleagues convinced him that since the public schools already did it, that would be enough.

[proud2BlibKansan]

81. That's the same reason we didn't get the pledge mandated in KS

There is a significant Menonite community in central Kansas. They fought it many years ago.

For all I know however they may have mandated it by now since the state has been taken over by right wing loons.

[Patiod]

96. They can mandate it until they are blue in the face, but it won't happen

No flag, no pledge, end of story. The state doesn't want to get into a pissing match with these folks, because they will just look like bullies who don't respect these other people's religious beliefs. The Quakers might be fruity lefties, but the Mennonites and Amish are seen among other Christians as VERY devout people with strict morals and an old-fashioned (read better) brand of Christianity. And how would they go about forcing these kids to do the pledge?

[kestrel91316]

111. "....And how would they go about forcing these kids to do the pledge?...."

Oh, they'd be happy to show up with their assault rifles and parade around, intimidating them and making threats about 2nd Amendment solutions.

Of course, the Amish would just politely decline and say go ahead and shoot, we still won't. They're like that.

[mwb970]

60. If I had known what it meant when they made us chant it every day....

I would have left out parts of it, maybe the whole thing.

It's like the Lord's Prayer they made us chant in Sunday School. I had NO idea what any of it meant ("Thy will be done? What is 'thy' and exactly how will it be done?&quot .

[awoke_in_2003]

68. It is nothing more...

than flag worship. It goes hand in hand with soldier worship. Some may not like that, but I mean no disrespect to those in uniform. But we shouldn't worship them, and if everyone is a hero then that word means little.

[GReedDiamond]

22. The guy needs a full metal straight jacket...nt

[Initech]

23. So not saying the word "liberty" somehow equates to "Hitler Youth".

Nazi tourettes acting up again? "It's like six degrees of Kevin Bacon - except there's just one degree - and Kevin Bacon is Hitler!!!!" - Lewis Black

[area51]

24. Little can McGroarty comprehend, but ...

... the people who want blind obedience are REPUBLICAN.

[kag]

25. My daughter had a great idea...

When she was in elementary school, they recited the pledge, but she--even back then--would omit the words "under god". She didn't make a big deal about it, just quietly didn't say that part.

When she was in about 5th grade she told me that students should not have to recite the pledge until they are old enough to understand every word. She even said there should be a law against forcing children to recite something that they can't understand, words of which they do not know the definitions.

[tavalon]

34. Your daughter is really smart

But I guess you know that.

[DhhD]

54. Children should wait to recite the pledge until all the words are on their grade level spelling.

Some of the words are probably 6th grade, like indivisible and allegiance. The pledge is usually posted up on the wall in the classroom and does not need to be spoken to.

[cecilfirefox]

26. Wow, some people are nuts! nt

[Divernan]

27. I liked this comment from his local paper.

"Try your best" and "treat others with respect"?! Nah! That's for communists and Nazis! Just be a jerk and do the absolute least necessary to get by, and be a loser like your daddy! Then blame everyone else (especially the government!) for you being a failure in life.

[catbyte]

32. Touche, LOL.

[Spider Jerusalem]

30. Oh the irony there

"indoctrinating"...because making people pledge allegiance to the flag when they're probably too young to know what those words mean either isn't indoctrination, right?

[GoCubsGo]

93. Reminds me of when I recited the pledge in kindergarten.

When we got to "and to the republic, for which it stands", I always pictured a bunch of witches around their "stand"--a cauldron hanging from a cauldron stand. It made a lot of sense at the time.

[SouthernDonkey]

31. What a dangerous fool!

They should have called the police and had his dumb ass carted off in handcuffs!
Lighten up there, GI JOE....

[tavalon]

33. Wow, Godwin's Law, dude,

and what do you think the Pledge of Allegiance is if not indoctrination. Just because you like that indoctrination doesn't make it any less indoctrination.

[Tanuki]

36. This guy has a major chip on his shoulder and is spoiling for a fight.

How pathetic to use his children's kindergarten as an arena for this. I was curious about the guy and came up with this:

http://www.youtube.com/user/cmmcgroarty (check out what this guy feeds his brain with)




https://www.facebook.com/12thSpecialForcesGroupAirborne


>>> (from link) "I AM A TERRORIST

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can detain me as being a potential domestic terrorist for any of the below reasons:

1) I am a veteran – this makes me a threat to the government due to my military experience – this used to be called being a patriot

2) I took an oath to support the Constitution of the United States and to defend the people – I didn’t take an oath to defend the government

3) I publicly speak about radical idealism – I support the Constitution – this used to be called being an educated citizen

4) I keep more than one weeks of food staples in my residence – this used to be called being prepared and being a good neighbor

5) I support the 2nd Amendment – I believe in the right to bear arms in order to combat a tyrannical government – this was once referred to as a Constitutional right

6) I own survivalist literature – this was once referred to as learning and improving one’s ability to provide for and protect one’s family

7) I’m a Christian who express his religious views – this was once called freedom of speech

8) I vocalize my belief that our government is corrupt and is abusing the people – this was once called a belief in freedom

My name is Colin M. McGroarty and I'm an American!"....

[LeftofObama]

37. What a freakin' loon!

Looks like he fell into the whole vat of Fox Kool Aid!

[JohnnyRingo]

70. Thank goodness it was a kindergarten class.

If this girl was any older, she'd never want to go to school again. She'd be teased endlessly, though it'd be unfair because her dad has serious mental issues. It's just too bad he came to school to show everyone.

He's been Hannitized.

[proud2BlibKansan]

82. I don't think so. He probably scared the day lights out of those babies.

Poor kids.

[Rozlee]

87. He took an oath to serve the Constitution, but not to serve the government?

Wrong! He took an oath to serve under the President, as his CiC, who is the head of the Government! Maybe it was good old George Dubya, and that was a government acceptable to him. But, aside from that, he was a government tool while he was in. He served socialism in it's truest form. Did his kids get treatment at military facilities? Did his wife shop at the Commissary and PX? What a possuer.

[meanit]

114. So,

I wonder how many assault style weapons and ammunition this loon has stashed?

These clowns need to be dealt with firmly and quickly.

[no_hypocrisy]

39. The dude always has the option of joining his PTA and/or run for the Board of Education.

I would have thought him not hearing "under God" would have set him off.

Maybe if the voices in his head weren't so loud, he would have heard "with liberty" in the Pledge.

[stultusporcos]

40. Ho Hum just another AWG making Terrorists threats, lucky for him he is white and can get a pass for

making such threats.

.......With Liberity and Justice for White dudes only the rest not so much.

[madrchsod]

41. he lives in rockford il....there`s nothing more to say.

[WinkyDink]

42. New mental illness: the FOX Effect. (P.S. No child can be compelled to say the PoA. Stand, yes;

recite, no. As a former teacher with a homeroom and as a Lefty, I made sure to convey this simple legal fact.)

[July]

62. Standing is often compelled, erroneously.

In addition to a Supreme Court decision regarding saying the pledge, there was a later one affirming that a student may not be compelled to stand or otherwise show physical deference during the saying of the pledge.

Many teachers and principals are unaware of this ruling and insist that students who do not say the pledge stand.

[cvoogt]

47. creator of the pledge was socialist. Seriously.

Check it out;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance

Bellamy was a Christian socialist. I wonder what that dad would think of that!

[gasser85]

71. And check out

the original Bellamy salute.

[cantbeserious]

51. Another Fox Indoctrinated FrightWing Crazy Intimidating School Officials And Upsetting Little Children

eom

[Buzz Clik]

52. Remember how we used to be fed images of the Chinese school children...

...reciting the Thoughts of Chairman Mao? And we were supposed to be appalled about the indoctrination? Why is this different?

I flatly refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I flatly refuse to sing the national anthem. The jackass in the OP -- McGroaty -- probably would love to see me dead.

[heaven05]

55. these

mf's and their threats to commit violence. What is going on? Has a black POTUS made so many white males feel sooooo emasculated? Is that it? Damn! I'm sick of these fucks threatening violence!!!!!!!!!!!! Getting real sick of it. America has a sick, sick culture with violence the ONLY resort for all these 'CEO's and run of the mill fox--pox newsers,

[lunasun]

123. +1

[Jennicut]

56. Almost every elementary school I sub in has some kind of classroom/school pledge.

Where the hell has he been?

[cherish44]

57. Well he's a flaming loonbat with anger issues but he does have good taste in music

He needs to take an Ativan and listen to some Grateful Dead....might chill him out a little

[kestrel91316]

112. Forget the Ativan. He needs to smoke a j.

He won't be all worried over such trivia anymore.

[thucythucy]

58. Anyone want to make a guess

as to whether or not he's "a responsible gun owner?"

[jpak]

59. Charge said douchebag with a felony, convict him and take his guns

yup

[a2liberal]

63. Umm

"There should be a break between the pledges, he said, and students should not be facing the flag. He called it "conditioning a child" to blindly obey authority without knowing what is in the rules they are promising to obey."

I'm confused, isn't that exactly what the pledge of allegiance is?

[alp227]

116. That was such a tricky statement right there!

I nearly agreed until reading the entire excerpt!

[libodem]

64. Sean Hannity

Will be so proud. Broadcast radio could do a lot to tone this down, but they are escalating the rhetoric and rampping up the tension. Hotel Rwanda, ring a bell?

He'd love those nuts to grab their guns and go shoot up the liberal neighbors.

[Ikonoklast]

65. He'd lose his shit if he knew that the Pledge was written by an avowed, life-long Socialist.

Frances Ballamy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bellamy


Ignorant asshole that thinks having served in the military gives him some sort of special perspective or rights superior to all others.

[Arctic Dave]

80. Unfortunately, too many people are too eager to kiss the asses of the military.

You are right, serving doesn't give anyone any special powers.

But don't say that out loud, you'll be labeled a hater.

[kurtzapril4]

89. You got that right! n/t

[shenmue]

72. Good Lord...

What's wrong with some people? Why are they so angry?

Almost everything seems to set them off.

[kestrel91316]

113. I keep saying it: they want us all DEAD. They won't be happy until we are.

They're gonna go all Rwanda on our asses if this keeps up.

[SemperEadem]

73. no wonder he's divorced...

he must be a lot of fun to be around

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

74. What a fucking nut

A true fascist, and he doesn't even know it.

[arcane1]

76. How rich. Too stupid to know the pledge is exactly the kind of loyalty oath he hates

This country never fails to embarrass me

[life long demo]

78. What is it with some people and their anger issues

God, people "say" they will kill in response to an issue that can be settled even without raised voices.

[El Shaman]

90. Dad needs to

visit the local VA hospital- they have good 'mental health' workers there.
-A veteran-

[FarCenter]

92. Shouldn't schools be screening volunteers a lot better?

And I'd think having volunteers working with the same grade as their children would be forbidden. It sets up a conflict between parent volunteers and the teaching staff.

[freedom fighter jh]

94. And making kids pledge allegiance to the flag is *not* "'conditioning a child' to blindly obey

authority without knowing what is in the rules they are promising to obey"?

[erpowers]

99. Not The Onion

One of the sad things about this story is that this was not in The Onion. That means this is a real story. This really happened. At one point when I read the title of the post I wondered, is this from The Onion. I later realized this story was from the Daily Herald.

Second, why would this guy get upset that his son is asked to recite a pledge that asks him to treat others with respect, follow school rules, and do his best? What did he think was in the school rules? In addition, if he did not know the school rules he could have just asked to be informed of the school rules, or to see the school rules.

Finally, for this guy to state that he had "spilled blood before" and would again then claim that he had not threatened violence is crazy. What is his definition of threatening violence?

[Caeser67]

101. Wait until he finds out that......

The Pledge of Allegiance was written by a Francis Bellamy, who was a.........................Socialist!

[Lex]

103. I guess

he'll have to kill someone when he finds that out.

[Lex]

102. What an ignorant asshole.

A never-ending supply of them, it seems.

[Kalidurga]

105. We need more rubber rooms...

Too much crazy for the ones we have to contain.

[atreides1]

108. As a Veteran

I understand that he needs to have his head examined as soon as they pull it out of his ass!!!

Neither the pledge or the national anthem have anything to do with my oath to "Support and Defend" the Constitution...I think maybe he should look at that oath, because it doesn't say anything about protecting the U.S.

'I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.'

See, nothing in this oath about "protecting the U.S."!

[benld74]

110. Who the hell does he think he is,,,

NO Principle in their right mind would have met with this lunatic. Not after the emails and the verbiage used, on school property not less! JMJ, what an efin loser!!!

[4lbs]

115. Any bets on whether he's an avid gun owner, has an AR-15 (or something similar), and a member of

the NRA?

[diabeticman]

117. Have to wonder what the father would do if he saw this clip about the history of the pledge.

This is from the 1930s showing that there is NO MENTION OF "UNDER GOD" AND the people's hands our outstretch palm is up but some people it does look like a Nazi salute. IN FACT the whole hand over the heart business came about when WW II started.

[apocalypsehow]

119. I guarantee you this is another one of our "law abiding gun owners" at work.

[nyquil_man]

122. We did all sorts of pledges when I was a kid.

I guarantee you 95%+ of us had no idea what any of it meant.

[OldDem2012]

126. Wonder what he would do if he knew the pledge was written by a Christian socialist in 1892?....

The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy who was a Baptist minister and a Christian socialist. As a socialist, he had initially also considered using the words "equality" and "fraternity" but decided against it because he knew that the state superintendents of education on his committee were against equality for women and African Americans.

The pledge was originally supposed to be recited in about 15 seconds as follows: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". The phrase "...of the United States...""was added in 1923, "...of America..." was added in 1924, and "...one Nation under God..." was added in 1954.

[Dash87]

128. And pledging allegiance to a flag isn't blind obedience?

Mmm'kay.

[ehrnst]

130. He must be one of those "volunteer dads" the NRA talked about. (nt)

[Bucky]

131. The lack of violence in society has made him snap.

[Zookeeper]

135. LOL! n/t

[NAO]

132. At my RW/Christian Fundy school we pledged allegiance to christian flag and bible

Every morning we had to pledge allegiance to US flag, Christian flag, and Bible.

There were no pauses, and no calls to question authority. I was eventually expelled for questioning authority.

[Zookeeper]

136. My first thought: He should "get a job." n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

137. According to his Facebook page, he has his own company.

[Zookeeper]

138. I meant it in the snarkiest sense. 'Clearly his company isn't keeping him

busy enough.