A North Dakota school board will no longer recite the Pledge of Allegiance before each meeting. They decided it didn’t align with the district’s [Marxist?] values.
The Fargo School Board voted 7-2 Tuesday to drop the Pledge from the start of its bi-weekly meetings because members didn’t feel it was inclusive. They took issue with the phrase: “under God.”
Board member Seth Golden said that because “the word ‘God’ in the text of the Pledge of Allegiance is capitalized … the text is clearly referring to the Judeo-Christian god and therefore, it does not include any other faith such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, all of which are practiced by our staff and students.”
Holden also said it excluded those in Fargo schools who don’t believe in God. Why not leave out “God” then?
Another board member, Nyamal Dei, who came to the U.S. at the age of 10, emphasized the community’s diversity. “We live in a diverse community, and that is what matters,” she said. Dr. Tracie Newman, president of the board, said that given how “politically charged and divisive” the issue was, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance may not be a “useful” way to begin the school board meetings.
This is very divisive. When will they say the US flag and the Constitution are too politically charged? When will they ban God, god, any god from the public square in North Dakota?
THE HISTORY OF THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
The Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by minister Francis Bellamy (1855-1931). It was originally published in The Youth’s Companion on September 8, 1892. Bellamy had hoped that the pledge would be used by citizens in any country.
In its original form, it read: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
In 1923, the words “the Flag of the United States of America” were added. At this time, it read: “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
In 1954, in response to the Communist threat of the times, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words “under God,” creating the 31-word pledge we say today. Bellamy’s daughter objected to this alteration.
Today it reads: “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.”
Section 4 of the Flag Code states:
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag: “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.” should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart.
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