Liberalism: The Pledge of Allegiance is offensive

There’s something very disturbing when the mayor of an American city objects to the Pledge of Allegiance, without the values of which their position would not be at the behest of the electorate, but rather an authority that could control every aspect of their lives.

The Mayor of Eugene City, Oregon called the Pledge of Allegiance “divisive.”  City Councilman George Brown said that the pledge has no place at City Hall.  Really?  What are they putting in the water up there in Eugene City?

In an attempt to bring together the members of the City Council, Councilman Mike Clark offered a proposal to say the Pledge of Allegiance before every council meeting.  What could be more inclusive than a pledge to the symbol of our country, the flag, our republic, one nation…yet there are those among us that neither appreciate nor deserve the freedoms it represents. 

What finally passed was a weak measure that provides for the recitation of the pledge at 4 Eugene City Council meetings a year: the Fourth of July, Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Flag Day. 

“It’s a little ironic to see those who have championed the idea of tolerance be less tolerant on this question,” Clark said.

Mayor Kitty Piercy said, “If there’s one thing the flag stands for it’s that people don’t have to be compelled to say the Pledge of Allegiance or anything else.” 

Mayor Piercy is right.  We don’t force people to espouse the values that make America great; those who understand and appreciate the freedoms they take for granted welcome the opportunity to do so.  Councilman Clark’s proposal never required anyone to recite the pledge; doing so was totally voluntary, whether they be a member of the council or the public. 

Councilwoman Betty Taylor went a step further by saying that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance was akin to reading from “The Communist Manifesto.”  Precisely how does Ms. Taylor explain how she was voted into office?  Ms. Tayhor, precisely how many elections did Karl Marx oversee?  Councilwoman Taylor’s ignorance is breathtaking. 

There are people that are willing to die to come to this country because of what it stands for and we hold no one prisoner here should they become as unappreciative as those in Eugene City who opposed this measure.  Those against the pledge should consider a stint on the Caracas City Council under Hugo Chavez.

Just a few weeks ago we found ourselves amidst a major controversy when NBC’s coverage of the U.S. Open included children saying a God-redacted Pledge of Allegiance during highlights of the event. Viewers watching the tournament were incensed at the removal of the words “under God,” and it caused a firestorm of complaints. NBC was forced to make an apology under the ridiculous excuse of having “forgotten” to put the entire pledge into the spot.

Oregon is a well-known bastion of Liberal/Progressive ideology and the sentiment extends far beyond the Eugene City council. No better example of that was expressed by a Eugene City resident, Anita Sullivan:

“So you say I pledge allegiance and right there I don’t care for that language. It sort of means loyalty to your country; well, I feel loyalty to the entire world.”

The world has waited for California to break off from the “left coast” for decades, yet it would seem that a suitable precursor might be to send Oregon floating off towards China where they would feel more at home.

If you don’t believe, as the men and woman who have given their lives to protect the virtues and values of this nation, a loyalty and respect towards what it represents, you really need to consider relocating. Those who have shed blood to allow you to verbally promote your disrespect deserve better.

We pride ourselves in being a nation where anyone can express their views and for this reason alone none of the shallow-minded members of the Eugene City Council need worry that storm troopers will show up at their doors and take them away to the Gulag. This is what we like to call freedom: freedom to believe as you see fit; freedom to speak your mind no matter how vacant it may be; freedom to assemble with like-minded folks to express those views without worry you will be imprisoned or killed for your opposition to the views of the state. This is why we say the Pledge of Allegiance:

“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.”