[Coleus]

True, I can't argue with that, but the Pledge is now part of our culture. It's been taught in our schools for almost a century. And it's paying homage to a National Symbol, (the flag) invoking the name of God for our Protection, OUR FLAG. Title 4 of the American Code, protects the flag; it's a national symbol, which represents our country and the wars and bloodshed our servicemen gave to defend the flag. The very least we can do is pledge our allegiance to it. No?

Also, the 10th amendment does allow the states to have rights but where in our Constitution does it give permission to succeed (indivisible) from our union?

[Arthur McGowan]

Also, the 10th amendment does allow the states to have rights but where in our Constitution does it give permission to succeed (indivisible) from our union?

The Tenth Amendment does not ALLOW states to have rights. It declares that they retain all the powers that they do not explicitly delegate to the federal government. Since several states explicitly retained the right to secede, and since secession is a natural right that no state CAN relinquish, all the states have the right to secede.

One thing is certain: The right to secession, like the right to life, is not GRANTED to anyone by the Constitution. The Constitution does not grant a single right to ANYONE. The Constitution does only one thing: List and define the powers that the States delegate to the federal government.