Last May I received a phone call from a man telling me he heard I was interested in running for office. I was quite confused as I've never had an inkling to run for office and told him so. He then told me my name was put forth as someone who would be a good candidate as the Democratic Town Committee lacked people to run.
I am partisan enough that I could not let a Republican walk into a seat unopposed, so that is how I came to be running for the Board of Education. I told myself I would do my best and made up campaign brochures and starting knocking on doors. I won this past Tuesday and here brings my dilemma; the Board recites the Pledge of Allegiance before every meeting and I don't agree with the Pledge.
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
First of all I don't want to give an oath or a pledge of my allegiance to the United States or to her flag. I'm not proud of my country right now and I disagree with a lot of things being done in my countries name.
The Pledge was originally written as a marketing campaign to sell more flags to schools and as a celebration of the 400 year anniversary of Columbus Day (Ugh, why are we still celebrating Columbus day, too? But that's another whole diary).
The original Pledge was written like this:
I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Bellamy considered using the words equality and fraternity, but decided against it because women and blacks still had no rights. I would say the same on the use of the words, 'liberty and justice' for all. Liberty and justice and for all? Really. Again a whole diary can be done on the lack of liberty and justice in this country, where habeas corpus can be suspended, where people are thrown in jail without a trial, where CIA agents are outed, where CEO's are making 400 times their lowest paid workers, where children go to bed hungry, where Attorney Generals can't say if water boarding is torture and our congress approves of them anyway, where people are thrown in jail for years for smoking a weed, where people die because of lack of health care.
Then there is the 'under God' part I disagree with which wasn't added in until 1954. Religion is personal and it's no ones business whether someone believes or doesn't.
So, what do I do at the first Board meeting? Do I state my objections and abstain from saying the pledge or do I do what my sister suggested and say nothing, but quietly recite my own pledge? My own pledge would be:
"I Pledge Allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, I will work towards liberty and justice for all."
There is a reporter at every meeting and I really don't want to create a controversy, yet would I be caving in on my beliefs if I don't speak up and just quietly recite my own Pledge; what are your thoughts?