You will not believe what my in laws did before dinner.

[onecaliberal]

They made everyone stand in a circle and hold hands, then mil said the prayer. After that as the circle was breaking up, loud whistles interrupted and someone yelled stay in the circle. They then started saying the pledge of allegiance. Oh did I fail to mention the theme was Red, White, and Blue?

[vlyons]

1. I never recite the pledge of allegience

It is a flag, a piece of cloth.

[onecaliberal]

5. The four of us just stood there silently with out hands at our sides.

They know we’re Dems. Hence the theme this year. I wore the local university sweater. Their colors are red white and blue.
Fucking chicken hawks wearing the flag, exactly like you’re never supposed to do. I told my husband, I will go see his mother with him going forward but that was the last time I will be subjected to that fuckery.

[pandr32]

17. I would not participate either.

Tell them you would rather get together when indoctrination rituals are not involved.

[Hekate]

19. I'm with you, onecaliberal

My mouth might have said something regrettable before my self-preservation kicked in. “What next? The Watch on the Rhine?”

[onecaliberal]

30. My early 20's son was like what kind of Nazi shit was that?

Dinner was an hour and a half late, they were drunk as all get out. It’s very unlike me to be quiet, but I decided that it’s not worth it, especially in light of the fact that hell will freeze before I go back.

[Hekate]

42. Your son & I could re-enact the bar scene from Casablanca & see who knows "La Marseillaise"

Really, your story is taking awhile to sink in, but it’s appalling. I’m like you — in the moment, I want to keep peace in the family and then get out. But this is sinking in — bejesus, who are we?

[onecaliberal]

44. This is who the trump people are. They're all heavily armed.

Thankfully they don’t parade the guns around for this gathering. They are all the crazy things we read about.
My son is a music teacher, he would totally be down for the re-enactment.
We haven’t gone to the family thing for about 3 years because of COVID. It has clearly gone really far down the rabbit hole. I have been trying to process as well. This is who they are though. And it’s not pretty.

[LymphocyteLover]

59. Yikes, sorry to hear you have to deal with this creepy crap

[Aristus]

54. Just tell them it's against the Christian religion to invoke the name of God

when swearing an oath to the state.

"And before all things, my brothers, do not swear, neither by Heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath, but let your “Yes” be yes, and the “No,” no, that you may not fall under judgment."

The Epistle of James, Chapter 5, Verse 12.

[A HERETIC I AM]

64. Just remember;

Same bullshit, just a little different.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

74. I do not blame you for this

[Ocelot II]

14. It seems especially weird to do it before dinner in a private home.

[onecaliberal]

32. 👆🏻👆🏻

[onetexan]

75. Yup, & i would've been out the door in an instant.

If they were conservativrs i can understand the prayer part. If i'd known they're RWers nationalists, trump supporting nuts i would've never gone. Inlaws or not, just sayin'. I would've told the hubby g'luck of he decides to go, just dont subject me & the kids to the nuttery as we wont have it.
Luckily my inlaws are very liberal, kind & empathetic people

[ProfessorGAC]

24. Nor Do I

And, I've been substitute teach since I retired.
It's a silly ritual in which I refuse to participate.

[Walleye]

26. I agree.I would like to hear Congress recite a pledge of allegiance to the constitution,not the flag

[Zeitghost]

67. I think

"And to the Republic for which it stands" covers that, at least in spirit if not directly.

[calimary]

79. Nice of 'em to work that in.

It’s not about a piece of fabric. Although I do understand people’s needs for symbols.

[jaxexpat]

94. Many of them would combust.

[Walleye]

99. I don't know how many I've heard say, our first job is to protect the American people

And they go on to say they’ve taken an oath to the protect the American people. Do they even read that oath when they recite it? Their first job is to protect and defend the Constitution, goddamnit

[Ms. Toad]

41. Agree completely. n/t

[EYESORE 9001]

57. Remarks like that will result in shunning

It’d be nice if there was an app to determine who’s shunned and who’s golden.

[aggiesal]

98. Here are the words...

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Pledging allegiance to the flag for what it represents, which is stated in the pledge itself.
You're pledging to the republic, the nation, indivisible with Liberty for all & with justice for all.

Under God, was added by Eisenhower.

I have to problem pledging to everything the flag represents.

[roamer65]

126. I always omit the deity part of it, on the very rare occasions I recite it.

I also want the deity based motto removed from currency.

[hauckeye]

2. Good grief...

[Elessar Zappa]

3. Saying grace before a meal is common but the pledge?

That’s just plain weird.

[Mark.b]

53. I get the grace part; my family has always done it. But...

The POA was inappropriate and out of place. I just wonder if it was done in bad faith, knowing it would be provocative for some.

Not every damn thing has to be political.

[IbogaProject]

122. The probably just watched Christmas Vacation

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation had a scene w a demented elder who when prompted for grace said the pledge. It was an ageist joke but maybe those Family Christan Nationalists liked it.

[multigraincracker]

4. After the prayer, it's time to preach the words of Jesus and

pray the Beatitudes.

[LakeArenal]

6. I would have had a problem with that.

My non-participation might not have been well received. Because there would have been obvious non-participation

[rubbersole]

7. They didn't make everybody sing "All I Want For Christmas"?

Un-American. Call desantis' private police force.

[Hekate]

8. Holding hands around the table seems normal; my Mom had us each say one thing we were ...

…thankful for and squeeze the hand of the next person to pass it on. At Thanksgiving, only Thanksgiving.

But the theme at your in-laws seems creepily Christofascist/white nationalist, what with the July 4 color scheme and coerced Pledge.

I hope the rest of the occasion went better and that the cooking was good.

[bluesbassman]

9. I never have to pray before a meal.

My wife is Italian, she knows how to cook.

[3catwoman3]

81. Do you have a favorite from her...

...repertoire?

[bluesbassman]

129. Sorry, missed your response...

I love lasagna and she makes a really good one, homemade sauce, the works. But what she truly excels at is just being able to fashion a tremendous meal out of odds and ends. She's very creative and understands how different spices compliment and react with each other and different base ingredients. I'm a very fortunate guy!

[3catwoman3]

130. It sounds like she might do well......

...competing on Chopped.

[bluesbassman]

131. One of her bucket list items!

I think she'd do well!

[3catwoman3]

132. Should that come to pass, you will have to...

...publicize it here.

[RKP5637]

10. Sick people, avoid if possible. n/t

[Jirel]

11. So you went WHY?

If I had such trash in my family they’d only see me if I wanted to take credit for the bag of flaming dog crap I deposited on their front porch.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

15. That's unfair! We don't know the circumstances or family dynamics at play. Sometimes

discretion is the better part of valor!

[Jirel]

124. LOL, no.

Dumb and vile is dumb and vile. There is no family dynamic that trumps removing one’s self from toxic, idiotic behavior.

[SCantiGOP]

22. Dumb and mean post

Not cool to trash someone’s family when you have no idea of the circumstances.
I hope they blocked you for calling their family Trash.

[Jirel]

125. Dumb response.

Oh, look. Today on another thread the OP is asking for prayers because their trash fire relatives have them COVID.

You lie down with dogs, you’re going to get fleas.

[onecaliberal]

33. My Mil is very old. My husband had a stroke 6 years ago. I want him to see his mother.

As I explained above. We will see her separately from the Hitler want to be’s.

[Hekate]

49. Wisdom

[NBachers]

93. You don't have to explain yourself to sniping critics.

[onecaliberal]

118. Thank you.

[womanofthehills]

101. If your mother in law is very old, is it really that big of a deal

To say a one minute pledge if it makes her happy. It’s easy to choose to get upset or not get upset over it.

[onecaliberal]

113. No fucking way and if I'd know that was going to happen, we wouldn't have gone. Eom

[Jirel]

127. I hope it was worth the COVID.

I hope neither of you get seriously ill or wind up with long COVID, after they infected you. Crazy ain’t just crazy - it’s potentially lethal.

[Hekate]

133. You're quite the judge of family affairs. Is this your last post on this misfortune? Or...

… should I look for you in the post where she gives us an update about how he got sick?

I do hope nobody thinks this is a “personal attack” — I’m just commenting on his several comments, which have been nothing if not judgmental.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

12. Fortunately we avoid the nuts in our families!

[PatSeg]

13. Well, that surely is enough to put people

in the holiday spirit. I've never heard anything like that before.

[Ptah]

16. They left out singing Happy Birthday, Jesus?

[Sky Jewels]

25. Jesus used to enjoy that song every December 25th...

…sung in the original ‘Murikin English, of course, not in that ferriner Middul Eest language.

[wcmagumba]

18. I'd prefer the "airing of grievances" and "feats of strength"....

[RKP5637]

20. Hmmmm, did they finish up with a chorus of "Onward Christian Soldiers?" n/t

[Emile]

21. That is really sick! You should have said real loud I pledge allegiance to Joe Biden

[Sky Jewels]

23. Yikes.

I think I can guess how they vote.

[onecaliberal]

35. They vote to kill my husband. I told my my mil to her face.

[LymphocyteLover]

56. why him in particular?

[onecaliberal]

60. He is a stroke patient, his only income is social security.

They’d love to take away his healthcare and income. And clearly not just him, but everyone. I personalize it for her, so she understands I’m not going to be gaslit by them.

[LymphocyteLover]

63. Oh no, how awful

[markodochartaigh]

77. And when the Republicans

do stop Social Security and Medicare, just like they are saying that they will do, probably half the US will believe them when they say that they had to stop the programs because the Democrats spent the programs into bankruptcy. Home prices will fall off a cliff as seniors across the US are forced to sell their homes to pay for their living expenses and health care.

[onecaliberal]

119. Not according to the 2022 midterms.

They were soundly rejected nearly everywhere.

[wnylib]

27. Sounds like Christian nationalists to me.

I would never again have dinner with them. And I'd keep my visits with them scarce.

[onecaliberal]

36. I won't be visiting them again.

[wnylib]

43. I can understand that.

My first husband's father was an obnoxious misogynist. One day during dinner at their house which included my husband's brothers and their wives, my former FIL made such a disgusting misogynistic comment that could have been meant for me that I got up without a word and walked out the door.

The rest of his family always got silent for a few minutes after such comments and then changed the subject. I had had it and could not just sit there.

They thought that I would cool off and come back later with apologies for disrupting the meaI, but I did not. I was walking home, which was on the other side of the city. My husband came after me with the car and wanted me to go back with him. I refused. He followed me with the car for a while and then promised to drive me home, which he did. (I threatened to jump out of the moving car if he started back to his parents' house.)

I never ate there again. My in-laws called to ask when I would apologize and attend the next family dinner. I said, "Never. HE owes ME an apology, but I still will never eat there again." I never did.

[onecaliberal]

55. I never will again.

[Historic NY]

28. Was this Aunt Bethany?

]

[vlyons]

29. Seems like a simple prayer before dinner would have been more appropriate

Something like: May all beings everywhere be happy and live and thrive in peace and harmony.

[Tetrachloride]

31. "..... justice for all"

[IjustDontlikeRepugs]

34. You could've taken a knee in protest during the pledge. Lol

[onecaliberal]

38. I wish I would have thought of that.

[phylny]

37. At least you didn't say a pledge of

allegiance to the Bible. And yes, I’ve been in Christian preschools that do just that when I was there to provide speech services before I retired.

[onecaliberal]

39. I didn't participate in the recitation.

[Initech]

40. I would have made an excuse and got the hell out of there as fast as possible!

[onecaliberal]

48. We ate and left.

[Initech]

106. Yeah I wouldn't have hung around for the ambiance!

[hunter]

45. God doesn't like that...

How do I know? My mom was a Jehovah's Witness when I was a kid.

My mom eventually was kicked out of the Witnesses because she couldn't stay out of politics and then we were Quakers.

I never said the pledge in school or anywhere else.

Christmas was always a time of strife in our house. I had one grandma who celebrated the traditional U.S.A. Christmas with Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, etc., and she usually prevailed. But none of the adults in our family agreed when, how, or if Christmas should be celebrated. The only religious belief they had in common was that they were not Mormon.

If you are uncomfortable you can always imagine yourself as an anthropologist studying an alien culture.

[cyclonefence]

46. This is crazy and presumptuous, but

we progressives have let the RW take over Patriotism with a capital P, just like we let the Evangelical Right take over Christianity. There ought to be some way we could express our disdain for such forced, phony patriotism while making plain our fierce love of country and what it's supposed to stand for.

Maybe after every forced recitation of the pledge of allegiance we should insist on recitation of the Preamble to the Constitution, a copy of which has been helpfully left at every place-setting.

I've taken to flying a big American flag every day. I hope it confuses my Trumpist neighbors. I keep meaning to go to church, but I can't wake up in time.

[LAS14]

66. 100000000000+ Well stated.

[Zeitghost]

69. I'm with you!

It's a bit odd at Christmas dinner, but the hate here and in other threads when it comes to the flag, pledge, etc. is sad.

[FakeNoose]

100. Not sure if you're a Baby Boomer, but many of us on DU are

The whole subject of patriotism and whether Democrats are patriotic goes back to the late 60s and early 70s. Most of us Boomers were draft age then, or we had brothers and friends who were draft-age. Almost all of us protested the Vietnam War for obvious reasons, even many guys who were drafted into the military. Since that time we've identified the Democratic Party as a clear voice against war and military aggression. The Repukes and conservatives have taken that as a license to criticize Dems for being "unpatriotic," and that BS has been going on for most of my life.

[Tetrachloride]

47. The ratio of Russians to Americans in

my area is high. I haven’t met a single Western Hemisphere person since July or August.

The Pledge of Allegiance is welcome.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

50. Are you sure it wasn't a joke? Exact same action was posted constantly

As a joke on TikTok

[onecaliberal]

70. Uhm no, they're waiting for the "real" president to get back in the White House.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

86. Ah... Totally eatin up with it huh. I have a family member like that

And I swear, they are weirdly hypnotized or better stated brainwashed. I truly think it's under reported. Because these are people who may have always at least made an attempt to listen and debate pros and cons. This is completely different. It is literally like talking to a brick wall. Common sense is completely gone. They are not bad people but I sincerely think they've been brainwashed.

[onecaliberal]

112. I'm literally done with these people. The changes are shocking.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

115. But how can you disown inlaws? You just do. You

Think they'll ( and others under this spell) ever be normal again? Jeez hope so

[onecaliberal]

116. I'm not going to disown the mil. The siblings can pound sand. Thankfully we live 2 hours away.

[70sEraVet]

51. You should ask them if they say the Pledge of Allegiance before sex --

so that afterward they'll be in the mood.

[LeftInTX]

58. Good one!

[onecaliberal]

72. I don't really have one on one conversations with any of them.

I didn’t say goodbye to anyone but my MIL.

[DENVERPOPS]

105. Picture in your mind

the video of Trump going over the the flag, with a smile on his face, HUGGING THE FLAG AND FLAG POLE, and looking like he was humping it.....................

A good friend of mine, from Denmark, that enjoys traveling the world, has a Canadian flag sewn on his backpack........LOL

[gibraltar72]

52. To say the pledge

is witnessing a lie.

[onecaliberal]

61. Word.

[LeftInTX]

62. You should have brought a Biden flag

I know. I know. It was unexpected

[onecaliberal]

65. Yes. It was not expected. In retrospect, the theme should have tipped me off.

[Bettie]

68. This is why I take my Kindle to any gatherings

DH understands that sometimes, it is far better for me to walk away and find a nice, quiet place to read than to say what I am thinking.

So, I do that. But, I keep my ears open, because it is very amusing when he loses it with one of his sisters.

I'm sorry that happened.

Also, Christmas isn't enough of a theme? LOL.

[Demovictory9]

71. Yikes

[MontanaMama]

73. This reminds me...

My first employer out of college used to have all of us gather in a circle each morning and recite a "commitment to the vision". It was creepy and weird...Certainly not my vision which was to GTFO of there as soon as I could.

I'm sorry you were faced with this craziness at a holiday dinner. Glad you got out as soon as you could. What is it with these people? Bonkers.

[madinmaryland]

109. My second employer was a totally different situation...

People were smoking pot, and doing lines of coke on the job. Mind altering substances were the only thing most of the people there worshipped!

[dembotoz]

76. is the prayer circle with pledge a recent addition?

families have weird traditions
not rational traditions but traditions

people always try to recapture a norman Rockwell moment although they get it confused with goerge lincoln rockwell at times

[cannabis_flower]

78. At least they didn't mention

TFG. I can’t forget Thanksgivings 2016 when we sat in a circle and everything said what they were thankful for and my sister said she was thankful that he won the election.

[Orrex]

80. The point of such masturbatory outbursts is the opposite of unity

The only purpose is to put "the other" in their place.

It's an all-too-common exercise in tree-pissing to show who has the power in that situation.


It's deeply and intentionally offensive, and it's a good reminder of why it's foolish ever to accept "thoughts and prayers" in "the intended spirit" from that kind of person.

[onecaliberal]

120. Very well stated. Exactly my feelings about the whole thing.

It was just so bizarre to me in the moment.

[Niagara]

128. +1000

This is an excellent description. I'm going to start using that description, I hope that you don't mind.



Pre-Covid, I dreaded going over to the "in-laws" house for any birthdays and holidays. I would get headaches at the thought of going over there and having to listen to the asinine brouhaha. I talked to two other people in my circle about it and they both said it sounded like it was done on purpose. Here are a few examples.


One Easter in 2014 I had to listen how "Obamacare in now the law of the land, blah, blah, blah."


Thanksgiving 2015, I had to listen about how Obama was to blame for the Russian Warplane that was shot down on the Syria-Turkey border.


October of 2016, I had to listen to something, something Hillary. I hadn't heard exactly what was said; I looked up to see that the person wasn't talking to anyone, just yelling about Hillary.


Since Covid, there isn't anymore get-togethers, thankfully. They're not vaccinated either.

[Al Gorhythm]

82. Pledge of Allegiance

Reminds me of this scene in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I can imagine your reaction resembled Chevy Chase.

[womanofthehills]

97. That was funny!

OP - You don’t need to let stuff ruin your Christmas. You could have had fun with it - looked at your kids - and said the pledge louder than anyone with mega enjoyment. I don’t see where this is a deal breaker to never visit again.

[CTyankee]

110. Allons enfants de la patrie, le jour de gloire est arrivee...

Izzat okay?

[bringthePaine]

83. that's what doors are for...

[IcyPeas]

84. was Richard Stands one of the guests?

[mchill]

85. In the good ole days on Xmas

My dad would simply bring his own whiskey bottle to my Aunt and Uncle’s house, he a Nazarene minister, and get stern looks.

[PurgedVoter]

87. I am of a mixed opinion on this.

Since it has them pledge to the United States for which it stands. The one nation under God does not bother me. If it is true it is true regardless, if it is a myth it is meaningless. But the next part, indivisible says that all secessionists are oath breakers after they make this pledge. Then it says with liberty and justice for all. Once again, it makes the racists forsworn. It strikes at the heart of Republican fascism. So I really don't mind this pledge apart from the meaningless vow to a war banner part, it then says the flag represents the United States. In the end, I don't mind it all that much. Still, what is the value of an oath made under duress?

Or in the case of a Republican, what is the value of a promise, oath or anything they say. Unless you have compromat on a Republican, a reason for them to fear you, or they want money from you, it isn't like they will do anything for anyone. Oaths are unfair. For the decent they force behavior. For conservatives, they are entirely without meaning.

[LiberalFighter]

88. They are nuts! Sorry for you.

[MustLoveBeagles]

89. That's messed up

I would've left.

[sarisataka]

90. You're right nt

[58Sunliner]

91. There is a reason I don't live near some of my relatives.

Sorry you had to suffer that. They sound angry and coercive.

[LiberalFighter]

92. When I have to say the pledge. I replace God with a word. The reverse.

[DENVERPOPS]

102. I am old enough

that I think I remember that in the 50's the addition of, "Under God" was added after "one nation"......

In the mid sixties, my best friend was next to me in a school assembly. We stood to say the pledge of allegiance, and my friend politely stood at the end of the outer row of seats, put his hands at his sides and did not recite the pledge to the U.S. of America.
A teacher standing next to him, one of those rah rah America assholes, grabbed him and threw him against the wall, hit him several times and cursed him in front of the other 1500 students as a hippy, anti-American, anti Vietnam asshole and grabbed him and took him to the Asst. Principals office and they both continued their verbal assault on him........He politely asked to use the phone to call his father.
They said yea, get him in here, we want to have a talk with him too!!!!!!! My friend called his father, explained how he was being physically and verbally abused for not saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America........
He told the teacher and the Asst. Principal that his father said his father would drop everything, and be there in fifteen minutes.
The Asst Principal's office windows did not face the front of the building or he and the teacher would have literally shit their pants to see a Chauffeured driven Limousine pull up in front of the school, displaying the canadian flags waving on all bumpers.
Long story short, his father was head of the Canadian Government's Office for the City of Denver.........My friend was a Canadian citizen.
His father demanded a written apology from each of the two, and a letter of apology from Kenneth Oberholtzer the superintendent of the entire Denver Public Schools to be on his desk by four that afternoon. Period. All three letters arrived before four.

True Story...............

Another story re: that same Assistant Principal, Erik Holland, (who actually even looked like an arian nation Nazi Officer.........)
The editor of our school newspaper wrote an op-ed regarding one of Holland's actions he implemented at our High School.....
It was well written, very tactful and diplomatically questioning (not criticizing) Erik Holland's actions. Erik Holland got wind of the article, met the news paper's printer's delivery van at the un-loading dock, and had 3000 copies of that edition of the school newspaper taken by custodians down to the furnace and burned.

LOLOLOL........The student editor had kept copies of the op-ed he wrote. That same afternoon, after school, the student editor took a copy downtown to the Editor of the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News and told them Erik Holland, Assistant Principal of Washington High school, had burned every single newspaper earlier that day because of his article...........Their reaction was un-believeable, writing a front page article, in their next editions, about what had happened, and questioning if the Assistant Principal, who had a Doctorate degree, had ever the read the U.S. Constitution, particularly the parts about freedom of the Press, and Freedom of Speech.........(And that Assistant Principal STILL didn't get demoted or fired for censoring the "press".....)

Another True Story......

[LiberalFighter]

103. I believe under god was added when I was born.

[LiberalFighter]

104. Too many don't receive the full punishment.

[Iggo]

108. I pledged my allegiance to this country back in the 60s.

No reason to ever do it again.

[dflprincess]

95. Sounds like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

When the elderly aunt is asked to say grace & receites the Pledge.

[NNadir]

96. I've been dealing with that sort of thing for decades, not quite as bad though.

There's always a prayer session before dinner at my Sister's-in-law house. (She has the most room to accommodate all of us.)

No pledge of allegiance though.

My sister-in-law is in a kind of religious cult, but what's interesting is that she's a very solid Democrat. After the prayer session, there was a long discussion on what a great President Joe Biden is and what an ass Trump is.

My niece, out of her mother's view, who lives in Texas, but was visiting, was talking about how they're trying to build a pro-choice set of options for women; her roommate is a choice activist.

I learned to be tolerant of it all a long time ago. I was the first person in my large extended family to reject phenomenological Christianity, although certain bits of Christian ethics, particularly with respect to the humanity of the poor, remain with me.

My stepmother is an extremely religious woman, as was my birth mother, and in fact, my father. I loved all three of them very much, even though they had a hard time accepting my religious views. My stepmother is still alive at the age of 95. When my father was dying, I joined her in her prayer session when she really needed it, even though I clearly understood that molecular biology, and not Jesus, was determining my father's fate.

Ultimately, I decided I had no more right to argue my views than they had to argue theirs, even though they always do so. It could only hurt them, and these are people I love. I let them say what they're going to say, and let my lack of a response speak for itself. I, um, "turn the other cheek," and say nothing.

[onecaliberal]

114. I've been married to my husband for 37 years. I've have plenty of experience with them.

They’ve always been repukes, and we don’t talk about politics.

[NNadir]

123. That's how long I've been married as well. Best 37 years of my life, so...

...the religious stuff is a small price to pay.

My side of the family is all Republicans, except, obviously me. We don't discuss politics with them, and they've never formally raised the point of being Republicans, but we can guess. No flag waving or anything like that, no open expressions of racism; it's all about money and taxes with those people. (We only see them once a year, unless someone dies.)

[Iggo]

107. My family knows to never try that with me again.

[Renew Deal]

111. Did they then say "Blessed be our New Founding Fathers"

[LudwigPastorius]

117. Next year, suggest they follow up the Pledge with a heartwarming little ditty.

If you're lucky, they might even get the point of your suggestion

[Skittles]

121. sometimes I think family is very overrated

this is one of those times

[ecstatic]

134. Was alcohol involved?

Although it kind of makes sense (in a cheesy way) that the pledge would be included in a red, white, and blue event. I guess the more interesting question is, are they trumpers?