Posted on 11/03/2001 9:08:40 AM PST by Bob Schulz
But I must say, in all honesty, that the mandatory reciting of the Pledge of Allegience was never a big part of my childhood (even though I am of the generation that did so in the 60's and early 70's.)
What made the difference was studying the American Revolution, and the Founding Fathers who brought it to fruition. THAT'S what put American patriotism into the hearts and minds of kids like me, not the Pledge, which for many, came to be as mundane as the announcement of the lunch menu: "Meat loaf, mashed potatoes, vegetable medley, and Jello."
Now, wait for my point. I compare the two only in the sense that they did little for young minds. Colonial and Revolutionary War history (when it was truthfully taught) did far more. THAT'S why such history has been trashed, perverted or virtually eliminated in modern government schools. It taught children things that leftist administrators did not want them to know.
Yet THAT'S why I carry my patriotism in HERE (he slaps his chest.) It's not in the flag, or the pledge to it. It's in HERE, and for me, always has been. Long before 9-11, even when it wasn't cool.
I will recite the Pledge with pride, and I will view the flag with respect, always. But any public school person under 30 will have to be told the reasons such behavior is good, because, trust me, they were never taught.
We've got an awful lot of catching up to do.
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