Old Glory (nickname for our flag)
I just got back from a Cub Scout pack meeting. The kids wore Halloween costumes. N's den got to do the flag ceremony today. They've been learning what the pledge means, how to take care of the flag, how to do the flag ceremony, etc. at their last couple den meetings.
N's friend whose mom is a friend of mine and N's friend's dad is Irish. His mom met him when she was a foreign exchange student in college. He has had no desire to become an American so he can't vote here. Other than that, he has all the other rights of Americans. His son just joined N's cub scout den this fall, and I saw him at the first den meeting. Mr. K couldn't go because he had to meet a tenant. Anyway, he seemed a teeny bit pained at all the flag stuff, but I just figured he was sad because it was the American flag his son was swearing allegiance to, and not the Irish (sort of like I'm sad at each Catholic milestone my kids go through--so far just baptism--because they aren't Protestant). I've also seen him at PTA meetings, which begin with the pledge, and he looks a bit uncomfortable, but I just figured it was because he wasn't comfortable taking part since it wasn't his flag.
Anyway N's friend came with his mom to the pack meeting tonight, so I asked her what Paul (her husband) thought of all this flag stuff. She said he finds it hard because the Irish don't treat their flag the same way. Displaying the flag is more of an act of aggression. Here it is done with pride and with a sense of celebration. Most Americans love standing up and doing the pledge (and hearing our national anthem). Ordinary flag recognition has nothing to do with aggression. We are tickled pink to be Americans, and we love to stand up proudly to salute our flag.
2 Comments:
We don't swear allegiance to our flag either. We also don't swear allegiance to the Queen anymore and we don't have to swear on a bible or swear to God. We do swear allegiance to our country and her values but only if you are an immigrant becoming a citizen.
I'm surprised that the school my kids attend still have a line in the school pledge that says "Love of God" and it hasn't been removed.... yet!! It has in most schools as most schools are multicultural. Most schools say this pledge.
"This is our school, Let peace dwell here,
Let the rooms be filled with contentment,
Let love abide here, Love of one another, love of human kind and love of life itself,
Let us remember that,as many hands build a house,
So many hearts make a school."
Where most schools say 'love of human kind' ours still says 'love of God'
I had a little chuckle about your kids Catholic milestones.... I have to ask, how do you go with saying the Lords Prayer? I shelve books in the school library during Catholic scripture and I just can't help myself I have to mutter the rest of the prayer as I'm working. The scripture teacher has given me the evil eye occasionally but it sounds incomplete to me. :-)
We don't have a school pledge. The school has the kids to "The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America" every day at school, just as I did when I was in elementary school.
"I pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of American,
And to the republic
For which it stands,
One nation,
Under God,
With liberty and justice for all."
It does include the line, "under God," in it, as you can see. Naturally, there is an element in our society that would like to see that gone, but I'm in favor of keeping it.
The Cub Scouts have their own pledge. Mr. K thinks it also mentions God.
I think it's lovely that God hasn't been kicked out of your school yet.
I do find it aggravating when the Lord's Prayer gets that interruption by the priest while I'm ready to just finish up the prayer. My mom went to mass once, and it caught her by surprise.
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