I always thought it weird it mentions god. But I do t think it literally means -the flag-. A flag is symbolic in itself, so surly it intends you to figure the flag as a representative of the country. I havnt said it since school, I know that.

You can loose your career and get ostracized at the drop of a hat for saying or doing things in America what are you talking about.

No.

Standards and industry regulations are not the same as government. The Republic of the Unitied States is very different than the rest of the Western countries. While you may think Europe stands for the same things as the United States, you would be very wrong as they do not practice it in reality. In the United States you have inalienable natural rights granted to you by nature...which is created by god so they can not be stripped away. By large, Europe does not have this at all and you don't have these rights. As an American, I have alliegence to the constitution that binds us all together and not the government by definition. The government we have currently aligns with the consitution so it's a legit government we obey. 

The pledge is:

"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."

Followed by a moment of silence. 

You are pledging allegiance to the flag. A representation of the blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifice our forefathers gave to keep this country going. You are pledging to the Republic for which it stands based on the Constitution of the Unitied States...you are not pledging to the government. Of which, you are united under one common belief in god(natural rights) which can not be taken away so all my have liberty and justice. The separate of church and state is set so one religion can not dominate others. But, it still requires belief in a higher power of some sort. It does not say any specific god or any specific religion. 

You have the right against compelled speech....so you don't have to say anything. The government can't make you say anything you don't want to. But at the same time, others don't have to help you if you don't wish to be apart of the rest in alliegance. 

As for racism....that's just flat out wrong. The "racism" many of us see in the USA is caused by failed poor policies, bad cultural examples, the destroyed family structure, inability to understand history, and inability to understand culture clashing...among dozens of other reasons. "Institutionalized discrimination " is just a cover phrase for the above in order to just blame racism instead of fixing the problems that create the imbalance of race in the justice system.  

Not sure what the quotes around "men" are for (I get the possible implication but not sure why it's being made).  And I think based on the majority of responses in the thread, we have established that there are some pretty valid reasons for having questions about the origin, relevance, and appropriateness of having children recite the pledge on a daily basis.  In general, I would like to think that anything you're told to do on a regular basis is worth questioning, especially if we are talking about the indocrination of children with ideas and commitments they don't fully understand.

I feel like this conversation is pretty different from the situation your postscript describes.
 

Well shit man, you stole all my points. I mean, there are volumes to say about the modern misunderstanding about the separation of church and state, the founding father's definite belief in the biblical God (with Jefferson belonging to a bible society), and so much more, but I've got to get up with a 4 month old in a few hours and can't lurk around the forums as much as I'd like anymore. Always enjoy the political/religious discussions 'round these parts. Hoping the new forum will support a little bit of that.

 

 That has been the US's public school policy since the establishment of the Department of Education  . We went from a system based largely in Ciceronian education (train the citizen to be able to do any job he lays his hand to) to a meat grinder meant for future industrial slaves (train to do one job for the rest of your life, and get used to sitting at a desk, you future tax cattle you).
 

When talking to a vegan guy I know he says steakhouses have the best meals for vegans. Since most of their sides are veggies , you can get a good meal with that and salad

Just read the wiki on the POA. Interesting history. Polarizing topic for sure.

I want to say first that I am not trying to offend anyone here but as person who lived half of my life in US and the other in Russia. You Americans who were actually born here and don't have bilingual heritage take your "freedom" crap a little too far sometimes. You people have been divided for decades starting with your neighbors, stretching to your workplace, circle of friends and ending with your own families. This whole "freedom of mind and speech" damaged the American logic too severely. What people around the world admired about US nation is their approach to things with an open mind I am not talking about here that other individuals in other countries are not like that too but specifically about the country of US itself. This whole "individualism and I am special and unique" went too far in this country and people forgot how to be a company person and this and many other posts show that very well. Now due to globalism and how out world shrank through internet it effects others too.

answering the question: nope.

but read everyone's projections on ritual (politics or religion) and it's an easy window on their ideology and how vested they are in that line of thought/belief.

No, not at all.
I want to say first that I am not trying to offend anyone here but as person who lived half of my life in US and the other in Russia. You Americans who were actually born here and don't have bilingual heritage take your "freedom" crap a little too far sometimes. You people have been divided for decades starting with your neighbors, stretching to your workplace, circle of friends and ending with your own families. This whole "freedom of mind and speech" damaged the American logic too severely. What people around the world admired about US nation is their approach to things with an open mind I am not talking about here that other individuals in other countries are not like that too but specifically about the country of US itself. This whole "individualism and I am special and unique" went too far in this country and people forgot how to be a company person and this and many other posts show that very well. Now due to globalism and how out world shrank through internet it effects others too.

I fixed it.

 

checkmate.
 

"Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free."

-- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Would if be a safe assumption by this you mean natives have taken "freedom" for granted and have lost the sense of community? An example of this would be you have the "freedom" to do whatever you want by law(within the boundaries of it), but society/community says you shouldn't be doing inappropriate things/self centered.