It's intellectual snobbery in that the majority of American citizens say the pledge of allegiance to the United States of America with great joy and pride. Then along comes a person who claims a better understanding of the founding fathers and wants to get rid of what the majority is content with. If you read my first post, I indicated that this sort of discourse was more appropriate in a college or university setting... not in K-12.
I borrowed the phrase "psuedo intellectual snob" from a professor of Medicine at UCSD. He used that title to describe people who try to upset the apple cart with their own special insights and views. I thought it was a very fitting title.
Two hundred and twenty six years ago there was a small group of us "psuedo-intellectual snobs" who did indeed upset the apple cart -- thank G-d for them.
Are you really such a Tory? G-d Save the King, and pledge to him then. Any human monarch would appreciate your easy fealty.
For a 4 year old, reciting a pledge does absolutely nothing to instill patriotism. That's how old my child is, she's in pre-K at a private Christian academy where the students are not required to recite the pledge, but instead, encouraged to learn what actual patriotism involves.
Ask yourself this: is your child more likely to learn the joys of living with Jesus Christ as Lord and savior by studying the Bible, or by standing up in a group every day and reciting the Serenity Prayer? Exactly the same principle is involved, which is the difference between substituting a recited set of verses for actual study and understanding.
The pledge has as much to do with true patriotism as the Serenity Prayer has to do with Christianity. The professor made a fatuous comment aimed at discrediting individual thought. He owes an apology every bit as much as you do.