Arnold Schwarzenegger silent on the "Pledge of Allegiance"

World Net Daily ^ | June 21, 2004 | Joseph Farah

[ladylibertyok]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arnold un-Reagan-like

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: June 21, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

Now that a decent interval has passed since the moving tributes and funeral of the late Ronald Reagan, maybe it's time to comment on something unseemly that took place before the late president was laid to rest.

There was Margaret Thatcher, the former prime minister of Great Britain, standing next to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Thatcher recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America – not her own flag.

Schwarzenegger, an American running the executive branch of government of the largest state in the union, did not.

I didn't notice it when it took place. It was brought to my attention by a caller to my radio program. I had to go back and check the tapes. Sure enough, the caller was right.

Since then, other people who witnessed the funeral have told me they noticed it right away.

I wonder how many millions of people around the world took notice?

This troubles me.

I always liked Schwarzenegger's movies. But I've never liked him as a politician. I don't think he has any principles, any deeply held convictions, any beliefs beyond what the pollsters and the media advisers tell him.

Most of the positions he has taken are wrong. And when he takes the right position on an issue, you never know if he will reverse himself the following week.

Now this.

How can one explain why the governor of California, of all people, would not say the Pledge of Allegiance at an internationally televised funeral for Ronald Reagan? What was he thinking? Was it an oversight of some kind? Was he so in awe of the event that he lost himself? Is it possible he doesn't know the words? Maybe it's time for a crash course.

I've tried to think about this in ways in which I could give him the benefit of the doubt.

But I'm deeply troubled by it.

How embarrassing for our nation.

On the one hand, Lady Thatcher says the pledge though no one would expect her to do so. She's a British citizen who should not be expected to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. But she did. And she is standing next to a man who has chosen America as his adopted homeland – a man in a high-profile elected office – and he refuses to say it.

To me, this is more egregious than Bill and Hillary Clinton apparently dozing off during the eulogies at the National Cathedral. That bit of rudeness should be expected from a couple of cheap politicians. But I can't even imagine Bill or Hillary failing to say the Pledge of Allegiance – not when they know the whole world is watching.

I think Arnold Schwarzenegger needs to explain himself.

After all, Sen. Orin Hatch, R-Utah, has introduced legislation in the U.S. Congress to amend the Constitution so that the foreign-born Schwarzenegger could someday run for president. I don't expect that amendment to go anywhere, but, nevertheless, it has been introduced.

And Schwarzenegger is still the governor of California – the state, ironically enough, from where the latest challenge to the Pledge of Allegiance, and its "under God" phrase, went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

He needs to explain himself and apologize for the poor etiquette and unpatriotic attitude he displayed during the Reagan funeral. It was a slight not only to the United States of America, but to the late president.

Comparisons have actually been drawn between Schwarzenegger and Reagan. Reagan, an actor, launched his political career as governor of California. But, as far as I'm concerned, that's where the comparisons stop.

We all knew Ronald Reagan. And Arnold Schwarzenegger is no Ronald Reagan.

"This really troubles me too folks!! I don't think something like this should be over looked. There is absolutely no reason why he shouldn't be saying the Pledge of Allegiance. He's the governor of "Culifawnya" for pete's sake. Last time I looked at a map, it was still part of the USA. Like the author, I find him to be lacking in political beliefs and I think he only ran for governor because he is so obsessed with power. Am I off the mark on this or what?? I noticed no one else in the media picked up on it. Not surprising!!!"

[George W. Bush]

I don't believe Arnie ever does anything that doesn't please Arnie. Ever.

[Bonaparte]

see post 76

[Fausto]

Exactly, I just wanted to reply for a laugh.

[texasflower]

Excuse me? Do you think I was bashing Arnold?

[Stallone]

Arnold is the truest American west of D.C.

[texasflower]

Thanks. I assumed that was why he went. He was the perfect representative to send.

[George W. Bush]

Exactly, I just wanted to reply for a laugh.

If he skipped his own father's funeral for a bodybuilding event, do you really think he attended the funeral of an Austrian president no one ever heard of out of some sense of 'duty' to America or Bush?

There's something wrong with that picture.

[Bonaparte]

Yes, I think so. He was a friend of Klestil's, who died just two days before leaving office and retiring from public life.

[knarf]

bump

[Fausto]

If he skipped his own father's funeral for a bodybuilding event, do you really think he attended the funeral of an Austrian president no one ever heard of out of some sense of 'duty' to America or Bush?

Who is this really, Michael Moore? Arnold and his father were never close.

What's next, will Arnold be working with Unocal in building the pipeline across Afghanistan? Did Arnold visit Texas while W was Gov? etc. etc.

[garylmoore]

Again as long as your right hand is over your heart its fine.

I disagree with you also, saying it is the meaningful part.

[garylmoore]

Again as long as your right hand is over your heart its fine.

I disagree with you also, saying it is the meaningful part.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

"But he certainly should've learned it by now."


Have you ever seen a Schwarzeneger movie? His lines are never more than a few words. For him memorizing the pledge would be like doing a monologue from Hamlet.

[sevry]

It was the Pledge, which apparently Maggie Thathcher recited - not Arnold.

I don't find mention of it in the 'live' thread during the funeral. But people aren't always observant when looking for something else (there's that 'experiment' ABC ran with the black monkey suit and the bouncing ball).

[DoughtyOne]

I just watched the funeral again. NO PLEDGE!

[DoughtyOne]

A funny thing happened on the way to marching out the criticism of Arnold Schwarzenegger for not saying the words to the
pledge of allegence at Reagan's funeral.  I'm as sorry as I can be folks, but the word from here is that nobody said the words to the
pledge of allegence at Reagan's funeral.  From the time President Reagan's casket was carried in, until it was carried out,
the pledge was not a part of the program.  They did sing the national anthem.

Pictured here is Arnold Schwarzenegger with his hand over his heart during the anthem.  For those of you who will now morph your
righteous indignation to cover the fact that Arnold didn't sign the anthem, I'm going to mention that I doubt the guy could carry
a tune in a wheelbarrow.  It would be an offense for him to sing it out loud, and thus the hand over the heart was appropriate.

Maria Schriver just the Schwarzenegger's left, has her hand over her heart too.  You can see her fingers if you look closely.
Both Maria and Arnold had their hands over their hearts a number of times during the event at moments when reverence was
called for.  As far as I am concerned, they conducted themselves with dignity and reverence at President Reagan's funeral.

This little tempest in a teapot, has certainly framed some of you appropriately.  The rush to judgement was mistakenly started by
Farrah, and you folks chimed in with glee.  At no time have you folks who search desparately for something to trash Schwarzenegger about,
looked more appropriate, egg smashed in every crevice of those scowling sour pusses of yours.

I am glad Schwarzenegger attended Reagan's funeral.  He represented me there, and I'm glad he did.

[sevry]

I just watched the funeral again. NO PLEDGE!

I don't have a tape or dvd. I don't have the program - which they say is going pretty high on ebay, right now. But someone here said that there definitely was the Pledge and that Lady/Baroness Thatcher recited it - but not Arnold. And Farah found it, too. You may not have the complete ceremony. I certainly didn't see it, channel surfing that day. But I think I got much of it.

[This was my journal entry of the day (I later corrected some of the speeches, a few days later). In my defense, I did not know then what 'freepers' knew about Prescott all along. That was news to me, and I was far too generous to him.]