The link. In a nutshell (emphasis on “nut”)- the Texas Legislature has added the phrase “one state under God” to the (mandatory for students) Texas pledge.
First off, I grew up in Texas, spent most of my adult life there, and I had no idea that Texas had a state pledge. Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention.
Second, how the hell could something like this pass? I can understand how it got proposed- State Rep. Debbie Riddle wants to look pious, or something. But why the heck didn’t anyone say, “Hey, isn’t this pretty much exactly what we’re NOT supposed to do?”
I guess it’s not completely mandatory for students to add the extra deity-fellating phrase, since they can always bring in a note from mommy or daddy excusing them from saying it. Still, though- why is this even fucking necessary? Is God going to forget about the second-largest state in the union just because they don’t say his name every damn morning?
I’m so glad I moved, three years ago. I just wish that they wouldn’t keep reminding me WHY I’m so glad I moved. It’s gotten so that I’m embarrassed to tell people where I was born.
Apart from the reference to a deity in the pledge, I object to it being made compulsory without a “written note from home excusing them from participating”. Many students in Texas schools are not US citizens: why should they need a note from home saying that they should not pledge allegiance to a foreign country.
(My youngest son - a non US citizen – spent 2 years in middle and high school in Ohio, where they had the pledge of allegiance. He told me that there was no problem with him not reciting it. Are teachers in Texas really supposed to go round from student to student to see if each is actually saying the words?)
Apparently they now have to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the US and to Texas. Even if they’re not US citizens, they probably have to live in Texas to attend school there. I don’t think reciting pledges, with or without “God” in them, should be part of school. I never heard of the legislation to require the Texas pledge or this “One state under God” business, I guess since I don’t have any kids.
So, when they get done doing all this pledging, is there much time left for any of that thar book-learnin’?
At least they didn’t add: One state, under our Lord and only True Savior Jesus Christ…
Any idea by what margin this thing passed in the state legislature? I wouldn’t be surprised if there were only a few who had the balls to vote against it.
Ugg. The first time I heard the Texas Pledge of Allegiance (dropping one of my kids off to school a few minutes late) I almost burst out laughing. Are you serious? Good on them for throwing “under God” into it; it really pushes the silly factor right over the edge.
When I was at elementary school - at two different schools - in Texas in the early 70s, I was compelled to say the pledge every morning, despite being of proud Redcoat stock.
I’m so glad they made me pledge allegiance to the USA every morning of my school career, otherwise I might have ended up some kind of athiest liberal, like the sad characters that infest this board. Oh, wait, I ended up an atheist liberal anyway. Never mind.
ETA: now kids gotta pledge to the state? What about their county and municipality as well? Can’t leave them out, can we?
I’m everlastingly happy that I left Texas back in 1963; it might just have been the smartest thing I ever did for myself. Since I was in school in the 1940s and 1950s, I never had to pledge allegiance to the wretched place.
Yep, I did, too. Yet I’ve never been religious, never flown a flag in front of my house…even the Texas flag. For all I know, there might be the Ten Commandments at the county courthouse. And if there are, you know what? I still won’t ever be a believer. Imagine that.
Amen. I pledged to the US flag, the Christian flag, and the Bible every morning. (Dad thought that the LA School District was substandard and sent us to a Baptist Elementary School.) Might be something less than liberal, but I’m definitely atheist. So I can’t get too worked up about kids reciting things.
Maybe I’ll talk about my revelation of death after death sometime.
As I kid, I went mostly to Catholic schools. I had no idea what half the words were in those prayers. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. That doesn’t mean much to a 6-year-old, especially when it comes out: Blessed is the fruit of Thiume Jesus. I had no idea what “Thiume” was. And the only fruit I knew was the kind you ate.
If you want something to take on absolutely no meaning, make kids say it over and over again every day of their lives.
Tell you what, though, I’ve never had a bad time in Texas, and nearly everyone I’ve met there - when I lived there as a kid, and on many repeat visits - has been friendly, generous, and hospitable.
Oh, why doesn’t it just secede already and go back to being a country (yes, we all know about it-please don’t bore us to tears by telling us again. We all know just how “special” Texas is…*)? Please, Texas–just ram some major dynamite against Oklahoma, and the other bordering states and blast yourselves to Kingdom Come. You could use all that high hair and hot air as cushioning, not to mention a few bibles.
:rolleyes:
*this is not a specific “you”.
