Cheap Patriotism and " The Pledge "

 I disagree with the notion that " The Pledge of Allegiance "

    will make life unconstitutionally miserable for budding atheists and

    future ACLU lawyers.

                Isn't it only DEMOCRATIC to live with majority opinion, to

    respect the religious and patriotic feelings of the mob while insisting

    that minorities not be PERSECUTED ?

                Fanatical atheists react to the name of God as Satan to

    holy water and  Count Dracula to the crucifix !

              Yet I commend those " Left-Coast judges "  for making us think

    a little. Are not kids  - who are too young to sign contracts - also too

    young to make  a serious " pledge " ?

              Until there is some maturity of mind how can pledge of allegiance

    to  a symbol - the red, white, and blue flag of the United States - mean

    anything more than loyalty  to  the New England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox,

    the HOME TEAM ?

                 Without the mania of 4th of July Patriots - often more loyal

    to SYMBOLS than VALUES -  the vast majority of citizens would feel patriotism

    as a natural emotion.

             For me the Flag and the Pledge of Allegiance  stand for UNITY

    within our DIVERSITY.  Especially after September 11 the GLUE of our

    society becomes more important than ever.

               But an especially patriotic bunch of citizens - that seedy

    leftists refer to as the RULING CLASS - would just love to have the news

    media focus on  inane controversy rather than on corporate corruption

    and a floundering war against terrorism.


                 " I pledge allegiance to  The Pledge of Allegiance .... blah,

    blah, blah.....    Just don't raise my taxes !