Comments on: Alonzo Fyfe’s Perspective on the Pledge http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/03/23/alonzo-fyfes-perspective-on-the-pledge/ Atheism with Positivity Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:18:17 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: t3knomanser http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/03/23/alonzo-fyfes-perspective-on-the-pledge/comment-page-1/#comment-143997 t3knomanser Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:10:55 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/03/23/alonzo-fyfes-perspective-on-the-pledge/#comment-143997 I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the issue is not that the pledge contains "under god". That's an issue, sure, but the real problem is coercing children into loyalty oaths. My allegiance is not to a flag, nor to the republic to which it stands. The republic is nothing more than a means to an end: "to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed". The republic is nothing more than a tool. My allegiance is to my fellow countrymen, and my fellows worldwide. To coerce people into loyalty oaths and then include in the self-same oath that you are "indivisible with liberty and justice for all" puts lie to the whole thing. Patriotism is not empty words or ritual. Patriotism is not allegiance to the government; the US government is not the United States. <i>The people</i> are the United States. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the issue is not that the pledge contains “under god”. That’s an issue, sure, but the real problem is coercing children into loyalty oaths.

My allegiance is not to a flag, nor to the republic to which it stands. The republic is nothing more than a means to an end: “to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”. The republic is nothing more than a tool.

My allegiance is to my fellow countrymen, and my fellows worldwide.

To coerce people into loyalty oaths and then include in the self-same oath that you are “indivisible with liberty and justice for all” puts lie to the whole thing.

Patriotism is not empty words or ritual. Patriotism is not allegiance to the government; the US government is not the United States. The people are the United States.

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