The Pledge of Allegiance

Patriotic Americans of tender disposition, you may wish to skip this post.

I don’t know if this is universal, but my children stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning at the beginning of the school day. It goes like this:

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.

After we’d been in the US for a week or so, I received a note home from 6-yo’s kindergarten teacher. It was very kind. It explained how the children recite the Pledge daily, and said “I’m sure 6-yo feels a little awkward standing in silence, so here are the words for him to learn”. I read the note to 6-yo and he said “I know the words already. I don’t want to say it, and I don’t feel awkward at all.” He then proceeded to give a word perfect rendition of the Pledge. When I say “word perfect”, I mean he gave a rendition that showed me that he knew it word perfect. In actual fact, (patriotic Americans, you have been warned) he replaced a few of the keys words with words pertaining to the bodily functions that small boys find so amusing. Shocking behaviour. I didn't laugh. Obviously. Not even when his rising crescendo finished in the joyous flourish "liberty and *** for all!" accompanied by a long, triumphant and carefree laugh - the kind of laugh you would want to hear from your child when he has just moved continents and started a new school.

What would you have done in my situation? Insisted that he recite the Pledge along with his classmates in a respectful manner? Told him just to say the words but cross his fingers so that it didn’t count? Just be glad he chose to keep silent rather than recite his own personal version? I thought long and hard. We are, after all, guests here in the US, and as such, I think we should respect its people’s values and traditions. But should we pledge allegiance? That’s strong stuff. We pay taxes but we don’t get a vote. If the government doesn’t like us, they can require us to leave. There’s no long-term guarantee of a continuing relationship. And anyway, doesn’t freedom of speech, a tenet so firmly entrenched in the American mind, also imply freedom to remain quiet? In the end, I decided to leave it up to 6-yo (mostly on philosophical and political grounds, but partly on the basis that I didn’t have any way of policing him anyway). I asked him the other day if he says the Pledge, and he was vague and slippery in his reply, so I expect he doesn’t (although he might just have been bored by the question – one never knows with children). I admire him hugely, actually. To be so firm in your views and so ready to stand apart from your peers, to be so protective of your own identity at the age of 6: this is the stuff of heroes. Spiderman, eat your heart out.

The daily reciting of the Pledge is led by one of the fifth graders, who goes to the office, and addresses the school through the microphone, under the eagle eye of the Principal. The job is billed as something of an honour, although I think they all get a turn if they want one. This week, 10-yo has the honour. He brought the scripts for the week home. It’s a bit “’Morning, Campers” at the beginning, but by the time he reaches the Pledge, he knows he has to use the appropriate serious tone. So yesterday, for example, you would have heard him announce the following:

“Good morning, Panthers [that’s the school mascot.] This is 10-yo. Today is Monday, September 24. We will be eating Country Fried Steak for lunch. It was the first day of fall yesterday, so please look out for all the lovely colours on the trees. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

[The Pledge.]

Goodbye, everyone. Have a magnificent Monday.”

(This becomes terrific Tuesday, wonderful Wednesday, etc.)

There is one thing that giving the daily announcement has done for 10-yo. He hasn’t seen the Pledge written down before – he just picked it up verbally in his early days here. Now he has done so, he realizes that the USA is one nation under God. “I thought it was under guard”, he told me.

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