Today is the 134th celebration of Flag Day in the United States. At a time when our nation faces so many difficult issues, it’s disheartening to see Americans more divided than at any time since the 1960s. For reasons that I can’t understand, too many people are much too quick to revere the symbol without grasping the principles behind it.
US Flag History
American legend is a bit garbled when it comes to the flag. The Second Continental Congress adopted a resolution in Philadelphia on June 14, 1777 that described a new “American” flag. According to the official US government website on the matter, Betsy Ross was only one of several people who made early flags. There is no independent evidence that she made the first flag.
Flag Day
June 14 1877, the centennial of the original flag resolution, marked the first Flag Day celebration. In 1949, Congress ordered that “Flag Day” be celebrated permanently on June 14, but it is not a national holiday.
US Flag History
American legend is a bit garbled when it comes to the flag. The Second Continental Congress adopted a resolution in Philadelphia on June 14, 1777 that described a new “American” flag. According to the official US government website on the matter, Betsy Ross was only one of several people who made early flags. There is no independent evidence that she made the first flag.
Flag Day
June 14 1877, the centennial of the original flag resolution, marked the first Flag Day celebration. In 1949, Congress ordered that “Flag Day” be celebrated permanently on June 14, but it is not a national holiday.
Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance is more associated with the flag itself than it is with national principles. Francis Bellamy, a Christian Socialist from Boston, wrote the pledge in 1892 to mark the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the western hemisphere. It first appeared in Youth’s Companion magazine, and school children recited it on Columbus Day in that year. That practice became a daily routine in American schools, and the phrase “under god” was added in 1954.
The Pledge of Allegiance is more associated with the flag itself than it is with national principles. Francis Bellamy, a Christian Socialist from Boston, wrote the pledge in 1892 to mark the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the western hemisphere. It first appeared in Youth’s Companion magazine, and school children recited it on Columbus Day in that year. That practice became a daily routine in American schools, and the phrase “under god” was added in 1954.
US flag and Pledge of Allegiance etiquette are contained in the Title IV of the US Code, which is a listing of all federal laws. The US Code of Federal Regulations, a listing of regulations derived from those laws, does not contain the phrase “pledge of allegiance” anywhere.
On Flag Day, 1943, The US Supreme Court held that schools could not force children to say the pledge. While there is always media chatter about making the pledge mandatory in schools, and serious efforts crop up occasionally, our courts have always rejected them as violations of the first amendment. There are no serious efforts to do so at this time. There is no federal law requiring anyone ever to say the pledge.
However, 44 states – including Pennsylvania – require all schools to offer the pledge every day. Twenty-six states – including Pennsylvania – permit students to decline. We don’t know how many students decline to say the pledge, and there is no way to know whether individuals refuse for political reasons or due to adolescent rebellion.
On Flag Day, 1943, The US Supreme Court held that schools could not force children to say the pledge. While there is always media chatter about making the pledge mandatory in schools, and serious efforts crop up occasionally, our courts have always rejected them as violations of the first amendment. There are no serious efforts to do so at this time. There is no federal law requiring anyone ever to say the pledge.
However, 44 states – including Pennsylvania – require all schools to offer the pledge every day. Twenty-six states – including Pennsylvania – permit students to decline. We don’t know how many students decline to say the pledge, and there is no way to know whether individuals refuse for political reasons or due to adolescent rebellion.
A 2001 Pennsylvania law made it mandatory for schools to hold the pledge, and for students to recite it (with some strict exceptions). The US Court of Appeals invalidated the law as unconstitutional in 2004.
Dispute and Debate
The original purpose of flags was purely for identification. A largely illiterate public could easily recognize soldiers in battle, ships at sea, and government buildings by the large, colorful banners. So it strikes me as odd that many Americans have created a virtual cult around our flag. American flag worship borders on idolatry. That’s ironic, since so many of the wild-eyed flag wavers claim to be bible-thumping, ten- commandments-following “christians”.
But that’s just the beginning of the irony. How can we demand allegiance to a piece of cloth while clearly violating the founding principles of “the republic for which it stands”? If we truly believe in what America is supposed to stand for, and in what the pledge says, then we must believe in the first amendment. The first amendment guarantees each of us freedom of speech. That freedom includes the right NOT to say things with which we disagree. So a mandatory pledge can’t possibly reinforce our supposed "values". Honor, duty, and patriotism come from within, not from saying a handful of words under duress.
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