Pelosi: With Pledge Bill, GOP Once Again Undermines Constitution

[RedEarth]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke today on the House floor in strong opposition to the Pledge Protection Act, H.R. 2028. Below are her remarks as prepared for delivery:

"Mr. Speaker, with our troops in harm's way in Iraq, and with our country facing the clear and present danger of terrorism, there are great and grave issues that Congress must address. But what are we doing here today? Are we debating the 9/11 Commission recommendations to secure our nation? Are we providing health insurance to the millions of Americans who have lost their insurance under this President, providing jobs to the millions of unemployed Americans, and fully funding our schools?

"No, Mr. Speaker, instead we are gathering here once again to debate undermining the Constitution of the United States and dishonoring the oath of office that we take to protect and defend the Constitution.

"The bill before us claims to protect the Pledge of Allegiance. But protect the Pledge from what? Our Supreme Court has not undermined the constitutionality of the pledge. With the reversal of the Newdow case, there is only one major appeals court decision that has addressed the constitutionality of the pledge, and that court -- in the Seventh Circuit -- has upheld the Pledge.

"This is a piece of legislation in search of a solution for a problem that does not exist.

http://interestalert.com/brand/siteia.shtml?Story=st/sn/09230008aaa05be1.prn&Sys=siteia&Fid=POLITICS&Type=News&Filter=Politics

[flyingfysh]

1. I have one question

Why does a free society even need a loyalty oath?

[Ezlivin]

2. How else are we going to tell if you're "with us" or "against us"? N/T

[KurtNYC]

4. Kids have to say it daily so they will know if any have

gone commie over night.

It was written by a Socialist btw.

Francis Bellamy (1855 - 1931), a Baptist minister, wrote the original Pledge in August 1892. He was a Christian Socialist. In his Pledge, he is expressing the ideas of his first cousin, Edward Bellamy, author of the American socialist utopian novels, Looking Backward (1888) and Equality (1897).

Francis Bellamy in his sermons and lectures and Edward Bellamy in his novels and articles described in detail how the middle class could create a planned economy with political, social and economic equality for all. The government would run a peace time economy similar to our present military industrial complex.

more: http://history.vineyard.net/pledge.htm

[Journeyman]

7. You'd do well to read the history of "The Glorious Loyalty Oath Crusade".

which is recounted in full in the "Captain Black" chapter of Joseph Heller's Catch 22.

Here's an excerpt. . .


Almost overnight the Glorious Loyalty Oath Crusade was in full flower, and Captain Black was enraptured to discover himself spearheading it. He had really hit on something. All the enlisted men and officers on combat duty had to sign a loyalty oath to get their map cases from the intelligence tent, a second loyalty oath to receive their flak suits and parachutes from the parachute tent, a third loyalty oath for Lieutenant Balkington, the motor vehicle officer, to be allowed to ride from the squadron to the airfield in one of the trucks. Every time they turned around there was another loyalty oath to be signed.They signed a loyalty oath to get their pay from the finance officer, to obtain their PX supplies, to have their hair cut by the Italian barbers.

To Captain Black, every officer who supported his Glorious Loyalty Oath Crusade was a competitor, and he planned and plotted twnety-four hours a day to keep one step ahead. He would stand second to none in his devotion to country. When other officers had followed his urging and introduced loyalty oaths of their own, he went them one better by making every son of a bitch who came to his intelligence tent sign two loyalty oaths, then three, then four; then he introduced the pledge of allegiance, and after that "The Star-Spangled Banner," one chorus, two choruses, three choruses, four choruses. Each time Captain Black forged ahead of his competitors, he swung upon them scornfully for their failure to follow his example. Each time they followed his example, he retreated with concern and racked his brain for some new strategem that would enable him to turn upon them scornfully again.

Without realizing how it had come about, the combat men in the squandron discovered themselves dominated by the administrators appointed to serve them. They were bullied, insulted, harassed and shoved about all day long by one after the other. When they voiced objection, Captain Black replied that people who were loyal would not mind signing all the loyalty oaths they had to. To anyone who questioned the effectiveness of the loyalty oaths, he replied that people who really did owe allegiance to their country would be proud to pledge it as often as he forced them to. And to anyone who questioned the morality, he replied that "The Star-Spangled Banner" was the greatest piece of music ever composed. The more loyalty oaths a person signed, the more loyal he was; to Captain Black it was as simple as that, and he had Corporal Kolodny sign hundreds with his name each day so that he could always prove he was more loyal than anyone else.

"The important thing is to keep them pledging," he explained to his cohorts. "It doesn't matter whether they mean it or not. That's why they make little kids pledge allegiance even before they know what 'pledge' and 'allegiance' mean."

[Roy Robertson]

20. Thank you ever so much for that!

We are a nation that no longer reads, and we are led by people who actually brag about not reading, as if it were a sign of grave weakness to open up your mind to someone else's thoughts.

Catch-22 was a "coming of age" book for me, back in the mid-sixties. It changed my life. Our current crop of clueless leaders have no idea how ridiculous they look, viewed through that lens.

We have paid a terrible price for some of the lessons we have learned. By not reading, we throw those lessons away, and have to learn them all over again, the hard way, a generation or two later. Like now.

And who will be our (Blank) DeCoverly?... "Gimme eat! Give EVERYBODY eat!!"

[Endangered Specie]

9. Dont you just love oaths of loyalty?...

SA Oath 1921:
As a member of the storm troop of the NSDAP I pledge myself by its flag ; to be always ready to stake life and limb in the struggle for the aims of the movement; to give absolute military obedience to my military superiors and leaders; to bear myself honorably in and out of service; to be always companionable towards other comrades!

SS Oath :
I swear to you, Adolf Hitler, as Fuehrer and Reichs Chancellor, loyalty, and bravery. I vow to you, and to those you have named to command me, obedience unto death, so help me God.


Hitler youth Jungvolk Oath :
In the presence of this blood banner, which represents our Führer, I swear to devote all my energies and my strength to the savior of our country, Adolf Hitler. I am willing and ready to give up my life for him, so help me God


NSDAP Oath : ( from the 1936 party handbook)
I pledge Allegiance to my Fuehrer Adolf Hitler. I promise at all times to show respect and obedience to him and to any leaders he may appoint for me.


edit: more...

The oath of public officals will be:
' I swear: I shall be loyal and obedient to Adolf Hitler, the Führer of the German Reich and people, respect the laws and fulfill my official duties conscientiously, so help me God.'

The oath of service of the soldiers of the Armed forces shall be:
"I swear by God this scared oath: I will render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler, the Führer of the German nation and people, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and will be ready as a brave solider to risk my life at my time for this oath.'

[MadcityRock]

17. New Bushtian pledge

Schoolchildren will be required to draw their guns, light up a smoke and extend their right arms up towards Our Great Leader's portrait before reciting this morning prayer like good Bushtians:

I pledge allegiance to the rich
unindicted snakes of America,
and to the republicans
and corporate brands,
one party, under Bush, indeposable,
with poverty, injustice our call.

[beyurslf]

3. I am so glad Rep leaders in Congress spend time on the important

issues facing us.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

5. Nancy Pelosi is a REAL LEADER and a TRUE AMERICAN!!!

[Endangered Specie]

8. She has more spine and balls than Daschle

[ChrisK]

6. This line is perfect..

"This is a piece of legislation in search of a solution for a problem that does not exist."

That just about says it all..the Republicans are trying to pass a bill that has basically no real need whatsoever.

Personally I don't think there is a need for the "Under god" line in the pledge but that's just my opinion.

You would think with a President and Vice-President campaigning out there that we are going to be attacked again and SOON they would move to get bills in place that would protect this country and let bills like H.R. 2028 wait till a better time,why are they not pay attention to what Ms Pelosi was saying about all the current problems we as a country are facing and wasting time on fluff?


Who are the Republicans REALLY working for? Because I don't think it's for the citizens of the United States

[Dhalgren]

10. Actually, there is no need for the pledge, at all.

I am a citizen of the United States of America, I do not have to take loyalty oaths to anyone or anything. If I am guilty of some sort of crime, then prosecute me - a loyalty oath would have no bearing on that, one way or the other. I stopped pleging aliegence and standing for the anthem in high school (back in the sixties)and there is even less reason to do so now.

[ChrisK]

12. Good point Dhalgren

For all these years (34) I have never seen it that way, I have to say I does seem odd to have to pledge one's oath to a country that one was born in. Thank you :)

[onenote]

11. have you looked at this piece o' crap bill?

Its amazing. It strips the federal courts of any jurisdiction to consider any case concerning the interpretation or validity of the pledge, or its recitation. So, if Congress rewrote the pledge to say, One Nation under Jesus Christ our Lord", nobody could challenge it. Or, more realistically, if a teacher or principal made recitation of the pledge mandatory, or punished a student for refusing to state the full pledge with "under God"...forget about going to the ACLU for relief, since you can't bring a case concerning the `recitation" of the pledge. Nice bit of fascism.

onenote

[theblasmo]

13. Not Constitutional

There's no way the law would hold up under Supreme Court scrutiny. It would, in essence, say that Congress can create Constitutional Amendments without the proper channels. Isn't it great when the morons act on people's Nationalist tendancies for easy points? Go ahead, focus on the ridiculous crap while my parents' Medicare skyrockets. They're headed for self-destrcution, these facists. BTW, what's with the "Star Trek Frank Gorshin-esque black and white aliens" look for all the avatars lately?
David Murphy

[Amigust]

14. Jurisdiction stripping is GOP's new strategy to limit "activist judges"

Good background article at The Hill.

[truthisfreedom]

15. leave it to the rethugs to put symbolism and sayings above people.

they need 'em to lie. that's all they need 'em for.

[Massacure]

16. lol half of our class sits during the pledge.

It pisses our teacher off, but it's a fight he knows he can't win. :P

[Raiden]

18. Pelosi for Speaker!

Nancy Pelosi has led the Democrats through some rough times and whenever we recapture the House, she needs to recieve the position. Daschle, however, needs to be stripped of his position of Senate Minority Leader. WTF is a Blue Dog Democrat from a red state doing leading Senate Democrats anyhow? It's no wonder Republicans have been so successful over the past few years!

[Democat]

19. Daschle is worthless as Senate Dem leader!

He's worse than worthless, he's a fucking negative for Dems.

Daschle may be great for his home state, but he should not be allowed to hold onto his leadership roll - his record shows that he has been a miserable failure as Dem Senate leader during Bush's term.