# "Small government" conservative goes after NBC for altering the Pledge of Allegiance. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 22, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483 "2011-06-22T20:36:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/41 "2011-06-23T15:01:36Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > True. But what business does a U.S. senator have asking a private organization to explain “its decision-making process in this matter…why these specific words were omitted, and what actions NBC intends to take to prevent such inappropriate edits from occurring in the future.” Same business any of us have. Free country and all that. Has he scheduled a hearing? Has he referred this matter to any relevant committees in Congress? Doesn’t look to me like he has. NBC is free to respond to this letter any way it chooses - it could throw it away if it wants to. It could answer promptly. Their call. And let’s remember that the original apology was driven by feedback that came from lots of people who for the most part were not senators. Would you say they had no business asking what was up? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/42 "2011-06-23T15:01:45Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > I disagree. If they had made a decision to show none of the pledge ceremony, nobody probably would have noticed or cared. Since they decided to show it, they should have committed to showing the whole thing - especially since the parts they excised were the parts that people would have noticed and gotten angry about. > > Whoever was weighing risk-aversion in their head and decided that this needed to be done was a fool - far fewer people would be offended by showing the whole pledge than would be offended by this editing job. > > NBC made a mistake and was right to apologize. Anyone who was offended was a retard. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/43 "2011-06-23T15:05:16Z")
Always classy, **Dio**. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/44 "2011-06-23T15:06:27Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Same business any of us have. Free country and all that. > > Has he scheduled a hearing? Has he referred this matter to any relevant committees in Congress? Doesn’t look to me like he has. He’s not acting as a private citizen, he’s acting as a agent of the government. If President Obama wrote a letter to Fox News demanding that they “explain their decision making process” and assuring him they would not do something again, the righties would be screaming their heads off. > [@](#): > > NBC is free to respond to this letter any way it chooses - it could throw it away if it wants to. It could answer promptly. Their call. And let’s remember that the original apology was driven by feedback that came from lots of people who for the most part were not senators. > > Would you say they had no business asking what was up? As a matter of fact, no. It was not their fucking business. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/45 "2011-06-23T15:08:40Z")
You know, the really unclassy people here are the people who think that because they’re christian, everyone in the country should be christian and those who dislike that are immoral and base. I’m tired of people gasping and clutching their pearls any time someone ‘secularizes’ an aspect of american life and I feel no guilt or shame in calling them retards until they show some sign of understanding that it’s not all about them. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/46 "2011-06-23T15:11:19Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > As a matter of fact, no. It was not their fucking business. That would make it awfully hard for the company to make any money, then - since it depends on people to watch it’s shows and other companies to buy its ad time. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/47 "2011-06-23T15:13:40Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I always understood the “under God” part in a sexual sense anyway – some find it objectionable?! Come on, He’s had a hard day! Be reasonable, it’s not that hard, go to church, get on your knees, smile and think about your canning, it’s over in an hour. A rejected version proposed “one nation under God, writhing and moaning, indivisible…” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/48 "2011-06-23T15:14:49Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > You know, the really unclassy people here are the people who think that because they’re christian, everyone in the country should be christian and those who dislike that are immoral and base. I’m tired of people gasping and clutching their pearls any time someone ‘secularizes’ an aspect of american life and I feel no guilt or shame in calling them retards until they show some sign of understanding that it’s not all about them. Uh, no. You do not need to say the pledge at all. It is not required - indeed, this case law came down even before “under God” was added. You can sit the whole thing out. But if you as a broadcast network decide to show it, you ought to show the whole thing. That isn’t terribly hard to understand. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/49 "2011-06-23T15:16:13Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > So, I guess he never read the _original_ Pledge of Allegiance, which did not include the phrase “Under God”. It was added in the 1950s. I didn’t know that. Cool. Makes the senator seem like a real ignorant douche, but then I already surmised that from the thread title. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/50 "2011-06-23T15:17:32Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > That would make it awfully hard for the company to make any money, then - since it depends on people to watch it’s shows and other companies to buy its ad time. Those people are still retards, and it’s still not their business. Just because a customer can make a scene and harass a business doesn’t meanthey’re right to, and the government sure as hell doesn’t have a right to. It’s not a Christian country, dude. People don’t owe you or the government explanations for not worshipping your god. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/51 "2011-06-23T15:18:14Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Uh, no. > > You do not need to say the pledge at all. It is not required - indeed, this case law came down even before “under God” was added. You can sit the whole thing out. > > But if you as a broadcast network decide to show it, you ought to show the whole thing. That isn’t terribly hard to understand. Is there some list of “Things That May Not Be Edited” or is the Pledge of Allegiance just special? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/52 "2011-06-23T15:19:09Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Uh, no. > > You do not need to say the pledge at all. It is not required - indeed, this case law came down even before “under God” was added. You can sit the whole thing out. > > But if you as a broadcast network decide to show it, you ought to show the whole thing. That isn’t terribly hard to understand. I don’t understand it at all. Please explain. Why “should” a broadcast network say the pledge the way you want it? How are you harmed if they leave out the gratuitously religiose, anti-American part? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/53 "2011-06-23T15:19:27Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > But if you as a broadcast network decide to show it, you ought to show the whole thing. Why? No, scratch that, I contend that they did show the whole thing. What some pissant Commie-scared idiots did in the 1950s means nothing to me. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/54 "2011-06-23T15:25:42Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > You know, the really unclassy people here are the people who think that because they’re christian, everyone in the country should be christian and those who dislike that are immoral and base. I’m tired of people gasping and clutching their pearls any time someone ‘secularizes’ an aspect of american life and I feel no guilt or shame in calling them retards until they show some sign of understanding that it’s not all about them. I was trying to think of a good way to respond to some of the posts in this thread but couldn’t think of a way to say it succinctly. Due to the above, now I don’t have to. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/55 "2011-06-23T15:26:20Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Why? > > No, scratch that, I contend that they did show the whole thing. What some pissant Commie-scared idiots did in the 1950s means nothing to me. No, you are wrong. Even if we concede the “under God” part, that still leaves the fact that NBC also edited out “indivisible” which nobody can explain. [Link.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/nbcs-pledge-of-allegiance-omission-draws-criticism/2011/06/20/AGxBYscH_blog.html) ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/56 "2011-06-23T15:29:33Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > No, you are wrong. Even if we concede the “under God” part, that still leaves the fact that NBC also edited out “indivisible” which nobody can explain. > > [Link.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/nbcs-pledge-of-allegiance-omission-draws-criticism/2011/06/20/AGxBYscH_blog.html) Who cares? Stuff gets edited for TV all the time. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/57 "2011-06-23T15:31:02Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > … that still leaves the fact that NBC also edited out “indivisible” which nobody can explain. Or needs to. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/58 "2011-06-23T15:40:47Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Who cares? Stuff gets edited for TV all the time. Golf aired that day on NBC from 1:30 to 7:30 ET. Six hours of coverage. If they were so concerned about filling that massive block of time, perhaps they shouldn’t have shown the pledge at all, like I said before. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/59 "2011-06-23T15:42:43Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Golf aired that day on NBC from 1:30 to 7:30 ET. Six hours of coverage. > > If they were so concerned about filling that massive block of time, perhaps they shouldn’t have shown the pledge at all, like I said before. And like I said before, who cares? Do you think they showed every second of that golf game without any edits? If not, do you think a US Congressman should start writing angry letters demanding that NBC explain its decision? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483/60 "2011-06-23T15:46:09Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > No, you are wrong. Even if we concede the “under God” part, that still leaves the fact that NBC also edited out “indivisible” which nobody can explain. Why does it have to be explained? Who gives a shit? Hopw are you harmed by it. It sounds like it was probably a time issue. You don’t actually think that NBC intended the editing to further some kind of anti-God, anti-American agenda, do you? Or do you? Incidentally, nobody has less respect for the “indivisible” part than the right wing media. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-government-conservative-goes-after-nbc-for-altering-the-pledge-of-allegiance/586483.md?page=4)