Geez, I thought we beat this to death with the flag bit...

If people objecting to "under God" were reasonable like you, no one would have a problem. The problem is those whose motivations are simply anti-patriotic, and would probably be against the pledge with or without that phrase (for the record, the Pledge is normally considered legitimate either way. Also for the record, our local elementary school recites it without a problem every morning, complete with nasty God phrase, and you haven't seen multicultural until you've seen my neighborhood.)

Unfortunately, without more information, there is no way to find out which category the school board falls into, although their irritation with the "militaristic" lyrics of the Star Spangled Banner are a clue. Okay, around verse 3 it gets a bit messy, but cripes, there are probably five people in this country who could sing anything other that the first verse.

The School Board, a cross-section of society if ever I saw it, no sarcasm intended. Unfortunately, the last set of minutes available on line is July 16, so I don't know what was actually said at the meeting. I am, as always, suspicious of the media account.

* * *

From The Pledge of Allegiance: A Short History

...In 1892 Francis Bellamy was also a chairman of a committee of state superintendents of education in the National Education Association. As its chairman, he prepared the program for the public schools' quadricentennial celebration for Columbus Day in 1892. He structured this public school program around a flag raising ceremony and a flag salute - his 'Pledge of Allegiance.'



His original Pledge read as follows: 'I pledge allegiance to my Flag and (to*) the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.' He considered placing the word, 'equality,' in his Pledge, but knew that the state superintendents of education on his committee were against equality for women and African Americans. [* 'to' added in October, 1892.]



If it ain't one thing, it's another. It is rumored that these superintendents still hobble in with IVs and wheelchairs to serve on Mary Anne's Board of Education... ;)

For the rest of the history, see here.

Note that the phrase "under God" was added at the request of the Knights of Columbus, not, as may be suspected, Joseph McCarthy. The idea that communist spies would resist that phrase is as stupid as assuming that a Taliban terrorist would never put a flag in his car window.

.....How the heck do you hobble in a wheelchair?