Author Topic: Pledge of Allegiance contradicts the Constitution? (Read 647 times)

miko2d · « **on:** May 28, 2003, 11:34:49 AM »

"I Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

United States - check.
Republic - check.
Under God - fine.
Liberty and Justice - check and check.
Indivisible - check.. er.. what the.. Where does it say in the Constitution that the nation is "indivisible"? Or in the Bible for that matter?

The right of States to self-determination is a basic liberty and that right has not been explicitely reserved to the Federal Government by the Constitution, hence it is reserved to the States.

Apparently a state or a group of states can legally secede from the Union - in theory, at least. Doesn't the federally mandated plege claiming that the Union (the Republic) is "indivisible" contradict the principle of the states' souvereignity?

Also, doesn't "indivisible" potentially conflict with the "under God" clause? After all, while generally approving of liberty and justice, God rearranged quite a few administrative units throughout the human history.

miko

Erlkonig · « **Reply #1 on:** May 28, 2003, 12:37:42 PM »

Nonono, it's saying that God is indivisible.

Yeager · « **Reply #2 on:** May 28, 2003, 12:51:45 PM »

No no no you dummies.......Wonder Womans plane is indivisible!

ra · « **Reply #3 on:** May 28, 2003, 12:52:24 PM »

You can check out any time you like but you can never leave.

If secession was to be permitted, I don't think the union would last very long. Imagine, for example, if Congress were to vote for war with Mexico. All the heavily Mexican southwestern states may well seceed rather than be part of that war. There are many scenarios where states might just say "later". Secession could also become a rallying cry for populist blowhards like Al Sharpton, who could probably create their own nation from a state if the right political situation were to arise. It would be very destabizing.

I don't know what the Constitution currently allows for secession, but maybe it should be amended to allow secession only after a lengthy political process, with a lot of voting and 'advise and consent', etc. That would prevent the union from being pulled apart by a brief political wind.

ra

Nifty · « **Reply #4 on:** May 28, 2003, 12:54:54 PM »

secession was tried before...

OIO · « **Reply #5 on:** May 28, 2003, 01:03:08 PM »

i think the god part is the unconstitutional portion.

Take "under god" and it reads just fine.

Saurdaukar · « **Reply #6 on:** May 28, 2003, 01:07:35 PM »

In other news, left wing congressmen find something else "wrong" with the nation. Film at eleven.

Sandman · « **Reply #7 on:** May 28, 2003, 08:06:17 PM »

The pledge of allegiance is meaningless drivel.

vorticon · « **Reply #8 on:** May 28, 2003, 08:11:54 PM »

99% of material posted on this board is meaningless drivel

and yes im proud to admit i make up 1-2 % of it:p

john9001 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 28, 2003, 08:22:47 PM »

i always thought it said"one nation under god invisable"

Chairboy · « **Reply #10 on:** May 28, 2003, 09:32:37 PM »

The 'under god' part was added in the 1950s to fight the godless commies.

Nope, not making that up.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/nat_pled1.htm

I am a patriotic citizen of this country and an atheist, so this gets in my craw.

miko2d · « **Reply #11 on:** May 29, 2003, 04:07:04 PM »

ra: I don't know what the Constitution currently allows for secession,

It doesn't - that right is reserved to the states.

but maybe it should be amended

So there is nothing to amend there. The State's constitutions are a different matter...

to allow secession only after a lengthy political process, with a lot of voting and 'advise and consent', etc.

Good idea. But I am pretty sure that State's laws and procedures currently in effect would ensure that a question of secession is thoroughly discussed at length.

miko

GrimCO · « **Reply #12 on:** May 29, 2003, 09:21:10 PM »

Yet another post created for the sole purpose of trolling.

I'm not biting on this one...

Hooligan · « **Reply #13 on:** May 29, 2003, 10:48:49 PM »

The Constitution as written was intentionally vague on the very touchy and related issues of secession and slavery. However the 2nd Constitutional Convention (i.e. the Civil War) cleared all that up.

Hooligan

Martlet · « **Reply #14 on:** May 30, 2003, 09:58:27 AM »

What an incredibly stupid thread.