Getting My Rant On

(But first, Rosie, I think I may have read that book years and years and years ago. I seem to recall that one summer up there, we were taking turns with it, but it may have been something else.)

Okay, the rant. I'm responding to something in Dear Abby yesterday that irritated me, but it's a pain to write in to her, so here you are.

The letter writer says that she does not say the Pledge of Allegiance for religious reasons, and does not stand because that would be participating. Abby supported her right not to say the Pledge and not to stand, and had harsh words for those who mistreat the woman because of it. (Which was the reason she wrote in the first place; people are mean to her because she doesn't say it or stand.)

Well. And, well.

I would guess that this is not an issue for most people who are not children, because really, how often are you called upon to recite the Pledge of Allegiance? (Or is that part of a sobriety test?) Unless you're a teacher, and then you're called upon to say it every day. So let's figure some stuff out here ...

I was a student for 13 years, times roughly 180 days, that's 2340.

I've been a teacher for 31 and a half years, let's say 31, times 180 days, that's 5580.

I was a Girl Scout leader, often with two troops that met weekly, for about ten years, so let's say that would be in the general area of 600.

So in theory, I could have said the Pledge of Allegiance 8520 times in my life. Now, let's look at that li'l ol' Pledge again:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the country for which it stands: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

It's a promise, yes, a commitment? What earthly point is there in anyone ever having to say it more than once? You said it, you meant it, case closed.

Which occurred to me somewhere during my junior year of high school, when I stopped saying it. This irritated Jack, but I explained that it wasn't an issue of patriotism; I love my country and am as loyal an American as you can find. But the Pledge is stupid. The schoolchildren who recite it by rote every day don't even know what they're saying; it's become a meaningless piece of singsong drivel to them. (And don't get me started on pledging my loyalty to a piece of cloth.)

Okay, I don't pledge (unless the mood strikes me, and I do, I did at the Girl Scout meetings), which Dear Abby said was okey-dokey. But she said that her letter writer didn't have to stand. Ohhhh. No. Wrong, Dear Abby. I think she does. It doesn't imply participation. It implies respect for a custom that means something to the people around her. She's made it clear by not reciting it that it isn't her thing, fine. But it is very, very rude to show contempt for a national or religious custom that others around you are honoring.

Would I, a woman, enter a Mosque with my head uncovered because I'm not a Muslim? I would not. If I were in France and the French flag were carried in front of me, I would certainly stand to show my respect for the people of the country I'm in (and probably save my life, because I think they are damn serious about that in France.) It is the custom of that place or those people, and I should show my respect to it, that's all. It's not participation, it's good manners.

In my school, the Pledge is recited over the loudspeaker each morning for the whole school to follow along (and always has been, even when I was a student there.) You can be sure that if there are students in the library, I make sure that they stand, as I do. I do not speak or put my hand over my heart because, as I've said, been there, done that. If anyone is in the hallway and the Pledge comes on, we stop and stand respectfully until it's over (even if "I pledge .. " is accompanied by a teacher's robust "STOP!" to get running kids to hold on for a minute.) Especially in a school like mine, where there are so many foreign-born children, it's especially important to make sure that they understand this American custom.

So there. Dear Abby, you are wrong, but you'll have to read my diary to find out.


WATCHING THE GOLDEN GIRLS :: ENTRY #1843
SUMMER BOOK #8: The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs