Palin thinks Pledge written by Founding Fathers

[bluestateguy]

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/31/174153/834/246/581480

by JLFinch
Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 02:56:04 PM PDT
Good lord, this woman is a female George Bush.

Here is Palin's response to a candidate questionnaire for the Alaska 2006 gubernatorial race:

Are you offended by the phrase “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance? Why or why not?

SP: Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its good enough for me and I’ll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance

Ok.

First, the Pledge of Allegiance was not written by the Founding Fathers. It was written much later. Secondly, the words "Under God" were not originally part of the Pledge. "Under God" was added even later.

[POAS]

1. Under G-d was added in the fifties

to show up them G-dless commies!

Edited to add that the earliest version of the pledge appears to be from 1892.

[MUAD_DIB]

13. Yep. Didn't it have to do with the whole Red Scare BS?

[Left Is Write]

17. Yes.

[MidwestTransplant]

30. That showed the commies!

[kestrel91316]

38. Originally written in 1892. God added during McCarthyism.

[Ikonoklast]

65. The Catholic Church had a lot to do with that

The Knights of Columbus, specifically.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance

We had to show those godless commies whose side god was on.

[Left Is Write]

2. That is just shockingly ignorant.

[skooooo]

4. Ignorance in America doesn't shock me anymore.

It's the norm.

[Left Is Write]

9. Agreed. But those in our government ought to be held to a higher standard than that.

Next we'll be finding video of her reading an upside-down copy of My Pet Goat.

[skooooo]

16. Everyone should be held to a higher standard..

...that's one of Obama's messages. Turn off the video games and do the homework!

[Left Is Write]

19. That's true too!

[Indenturedebtor]

76. Not only the norm, but a prerequisite for joining the puke party

People with brains need not apply.

[Olney Blue]

3. They didn't teach her anything in journalism school!

[valerief]

10. Well, they obviously don't teach anything in journalism school anymore.

I mean, judging from the twinkies on the news now.

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. I didn't know the founding father was a 1890's socialist!

Damn, and a Time Traveler too!

[ellacott]

31. I wish more repubs knew this

It would blow their mind.

[valerief]

6. Here's my response to an earlier thread that included this.

Under God in Pledge of Allegiance was good enough for our founding fathers?

The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy (1855-1931), a Baptist minister, a Christian Socialist, and the cousin of Socialist Utopian novelist Edward Bellamy (1850-1898). Bellamy's original "Pledge of Allegiance" was published in the September 8th issue of the popular children's magazine The Youth's Companion as part of the National Public-School Celebration of Columbus Day, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's discovery of America, conceived by James B. Upham.

Bellamy's original Pledge read, "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

The pledge was supposed to be quick and to the point. Bellamy designed it to be stated in 15 seconds. He had initially also considered using the words equality and fraternity but decided they were too controversial since many people opposed equal rights for women and blacks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6848576&mesg_id=6848576

[Ichingcarpenter]

15. I didn't see where he was a time traveler in that article

How did they miss that? The Governor of Alaska caught that, why not legal and historical scholars?

[valerief]

27. LOL!!!

:rofl:

[DarbyUSMC]

32. Mt. Morris, NY, my hometown, birthplace of Francis Bellamy

That, and the Mt. Morris Dam, is our claim to fame. ;)

http://mockingbirdhill.homestead.com/myhometown.html

[Fleshdancer]

7. Let's help her out

If you have any old American History or Political Science textbooks you're not using anymore, please send them to her.

[gblady]

8. hmmmmm...

this level of knowledge opposed to two professors of constitutional law?

[kestrel91316]

40. OMG, Biden was, too??? ROFLMAO

Little Miss Sarah Know-Nothing needs to go home right now.

[DinahMoeHum]

11. Palin is a flaming asshole. Why McCain thinks she can appeal

to people who supported Hillary Clinton in the primaries is beyond me.

:evilfrown:

[Erin Elizabeth]

12. God. They never even fucking SAID the pledge

you dipshit Palin.

Good Lord. LEARN SOME BASIC FACTS.

[Fleshdancer]

23. I bet those unpatriotic a-holes didn't wear flag pins either!

:rofl:

[bluedeminredstate]

43. The funniest post I've read in a long time!

Oh my God, you absolutely cracked me up and now I have a chunk of melting mint chocolate chip ice cream dripping down my monitor!
Thank you for the laugh :)

:rofl:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

53. You know who else never wore one?

Jesus Christ, that's who.

[Fleshdancer]

60. JesUSAves!

[IDemo]

42. Of course they did

Right before singing 'Born in America' and 'We Will Rock You'.

[bahrbearian]

14. The NeoCons think that Reagan was a Founding Father.

[valerief]

24. LOL!!!!! You got that right!!!!

:rofl:

[Colobo]

18. Gosh... she's truly ignorant.

[valerief]

20. Well, she thinks the world is 6000 years old and early man played with

dinosaurs. And all that oil under Alaska is magic oil that god dropped under the land in fell swoop.

[Arugula Latte]

21. Gawd, this woman is less intelligent than a box of rocks.

[baldguy]

22. And the Bible was written in English, just as God intended.

[Arugula Latte]

54. "Hey, if English was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me."

That's what some dumbass Republican politician said a few years ago.

[Hekate]

25. Fundy Sunday schooling at its finest. They have rewritten American history...

... and of course this extends to their home-school and charter-school text books.

If you ever want to refute this kind of nonsense you can google for the history of the Pledge, which was written by a minister who was a Socialist in response to the great numbers of immigrant children flooding the schools. He wasn't against the immigrant kids, he just thought it was time to introduce them to civic rituals that would make them feel more American. He also left God out of it. God was added when I was in elementary school at the behest of President Eisenhower and the Congress, who simply wanted to reinforce America's difference from the "godless Communists."

Hekate

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

39. If I'm not mistaken, Jesus was one of the original framers of the Constitution.

[frogcycle]

46. I was in first grade.

I still remember the day that the teacher told us, before we said it, that it had been changed, and now we were to add "under God" between "one nation" and "indivisible". It took a few days to get us all to do it right. We'd been drilled in it the original way, even had a session where we went through it word-by-word as a sort of first-grade civics lesson. She didn't go into the reason for adding the phrase, just said it was now there.

I was raised in a churchgoing family, but it did not set well with me, even at that age. I had been taught that religion was taught in church and sunday school, not regular school. I always felt awkward saying that part, and by junior high just quit saying it. I didn't totally reject religious teachings until a year or so later. It gradually dawned on me that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and walking on water were all pretty much the same thing.

[Left Is Write]

48. I do not say the Pledge.

Until there really is liberty and justice for all, I'm not saying it.

My kids say it in school (they are 6 and 8) and I'm not entirely comfortable with that, but they are too young to be made into examples right now. My older daughter, age 21, began refusing to say the Pledge in junior high and began refusing to stand for it during high school.

[dancingme]

26. maybe she thinks McCain was a founding father

that's why she wants to run with him.

[IDemo]

35. No..the other founders considered him too old and confused at the time

[RoccoR5955]

28. "Under God" was added in 1954...

...after a campaign led by the Knights of Columbus.

[jgraz]

67. Those damned Italians again!!

(Yes, I'm Italian :P )

[RoccoR5955]

73. Hey, with the name Rocco Rizzo, I have to confess, my Italianness as well! n/t

[Quixote1818]

29. Here is a video from the 50's where they say the pledge WITHOUT saying "Under God"

Go to the 1 Minute mark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1QZVw8CHR8

[jwirr]

56. My God that video is awesome. I was 5 years old when it was made.

Do any of you know more about it?

[Quixote1818]

58. It has been posted on DU a couple of times before.

It's saved as one of my favorites. It does a great job warning us about where our country is already headed. We have all the signs of Despotism.

[Eric J in MN]

33. Her history and her spelling are both wrong.

Of course, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson never said the Pledge, which was written in 1892.

But also, "founding fathers" should be captitalized, and "its" should be spelled "it's" as an abbreviation for "it is."

[Bluerthanblue]

34. and she has a degree in Political Science???

geez-

I only graduated HS and I could have set her straight.

:shrug:

[Left Is Write]

41. No, she does not have a degree in Political Science.

[kestrel91316]

44. Her degree is in "journalism". But not at any sort of

prestigious university, I imagine.

[Bluerthanblue]

68. she minored in Poli Sci-

"Sarah Palin began her college academics as a student at Hawaii Pacific University, transferred to North Idaho College in Coeur d’ Alene, and then graduated from the University of Idaho in 1987. She was a student at the University of Idaho for four semesters, concentrating on a journalism degree and a minor in political science. "

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=4249

[kestrel91316]

72. Her Dominionist handlers encouraged that, I suspect.

They guide stealth Dominionists along the way to get them prepositioned.....

[kestrel91316]

36. A little enlightenment for Miss Wasilla 1984:

From Wikipedia:

The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy (1855-1931), a Baptist minister, a Christian Socialist, and the cousin of Socialist Utopian novelist Edward Bellamy (1850-1898). Bellamy's original "Pledge of Allegiance" was published in the September 8th issue of the popular children's magazine The Youth's Companion as part of the National Public-School Celebration of Columbus Day, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's discovery of America, conceived by James B. Upham.

Bellamy's original Pledge read, "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

The pledge was supposed to be quick and to the point. Bellamy designed it to be stated in 15 seconds. He had initially also considered using the words equality and fraternity but decided they were too controversial since many people opposed equal rights for women and blacks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance

[Kber]

37. Is this the woman who home schooled her daughter for 5 months?

[RadicalTexan]

45. Reminds me of Ma Ferguson

Who said, when defending Texas's racist policy of enforcing English-only in public schools back in the day: "If English was good enough for Jesus, then it's good enough for Texas."

It should be noted that Ferguson was also an underqualified governor, elected after her husband was impeached.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_A._Ferguson

[mitchum]

47. She is a goddamn idiot

[A-Schwarzenegger]

49. Her answer may be wrong, but it is peppy

and that's what the world needs now.

[IDemo]

50. Maverickish, too

[A-Schwarzenegger]

51. Rewriting history does indeed demonstrate maverickiness.

[JeffR]

59. I like it.

Rhymes with dickish.

[underpants]

52. LOL

and, you know as the guy on Fox & Friends and Cindy McCain said, it is NEAR Russia

:eyes:

[nichomachus]

55. Typical beauty pageant question and response . . .n/t

[depakid]

57. What else would one expect from a small town fundie nutter?

Facts?

Honesty?

Objective research? Critical thinking?

:rofl:

[BigAnth]

61. Thank you for this great gift John McCain!

I'm sure that there's going to be more of these laughable examples as we move on in the campaign season. How the hell is she going to last until November? I just can't see it happening.

[demobabe]

62. Future Sarah Palin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WALIARHHLII

[nichomachus]

63. US students reciting pledge prior to WWII

They had to change the salute after some spoilsports in Germany ruined it for everybody




I wonder if the founding fathers were the first to come up with the salute

[Karenina]

64. Hey, Englisch was GOOD ENOUGH FOR JAYSUS!!!

[goletian]

66. lol, shes as silly as the people mccain wants to court. wow.

such ignorance. god isnt even mentioned in any of the founding documents, although creator may be interpreted as an allusion to a god. and shes talkin about the pledge, lol. *sigh* so much to hate, so little time. mcbush sucks. lets focus.

[spanone]

69. probably a c student at best.....but she could run the country tomorrow

[Odin2005]

70. The pledge was written by a *GASP* Socialist!

Tell that to the pukes, watch their heads explode.

[NotThisTime]

71. Is that true? That part I did not know...

[Odin2005]

74. Yep. The guy (some fellow named Bellamy) called himself a (get this) Christian Socialist.

He was one of the amazing crop of moderate, usually non-Marxist, socialists the US produced at the turn of the 20th century that I greatly admire.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

75. The church she attends in Juneau believes the U.S. is a Christian nation

I wish an interviewer would ask her how she feels about it.

Even if Palin wasn't saying that the founding fathers had our pledge of allegiance during their time, but merely was suggesting that they believed the U.S. was a nation "under God" (i.e. the same sentiment expressed in the pledge of allegiance), I wonder which God that might have been. Does anyone know the religious beliefs of each of the founding fathers? Weren't some of them Deists, who reject Genesis and any bible and all religions based on books that claim to contain the revealed word of God? Some of the writings of Thomas Jefferson absolutely blast organized religion. And George Washington, considered a Deist, supposedly never mentioned God in any of his writings but instead referred to 'Providence'.

It's clear to me that Sarah Palin developed her small-town, homespun view of the world living among very ignorant people. This is why it's important to have a President with the very best formal education possible.