https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bellamy

Francis Julius Bellamy (May 18, 1855 – August 28, 1931) was an American Christian socialist Baptist minister and author.[1] He is best known for writing the original version of the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892.

  • Omega
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    832 months ago

    Most of the people who have “we the people” plastered on their car probably don’t realize the preamble to the constitution also says “insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare”.

    • @frezik@midwest.social
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      72 months ago

      You did have the freedom, but nobody told you that you did. There aren’t a lot of perks to growing up a Jehovah’s Witness, but never having recited the pledge is one of them.

      • @lolcatnip@reddthat.com
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        22 months ago

        I didn’t think that was the kind of freedom they were referring to.

        And “made” is relative. I’m an atheist, so I skipped the “under God” part. I was in a pretty liberal school district so I’m sure I could have gotten away with not doing it at all, but peer pressure is a hell of a drug.

  • @jballs@sh.itjust.works
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    2 months ago

    If Metallica released their 1988 album And Justice for All today, MAGA would whine and accuse them of going “woke”.

      • @jballs@sh.itjust.works
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        92 months ago

        Yeah, I grew up as a huge Megadeth fan. They had a lot of anti-war, anti-religion, anti-establishment lyrics. Imagine my surprise when Dave Mustaine turned out to be a conservative.

        • @lolcatnip@reddthat.com
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          2 months ago

          I think a lot of the classic rock vibe was about being anti-establishment, with little or no care for the actual ideas behind it. MAGA people see themselves as anti-establishment (despite, you know, everything), so it makes sense that a lot of the more superficial classic rock people would adopt it as their persona.

      • @grue@lemmy.world
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        82 months ago

        Twisted Sister: “We’re not gonna take it!”

        Narrator: “They did, in fact, continue to take it.”

        • @Soggy@lemmy.world
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          52 months ago

          Dee Snider at least had the conviction to stand up in front of Congress (Along with John Denver and Frank Zappa) to defend against music censorship (fuck you Tipper Gore). He’s not exactly a radical leftist but he’s been consistently pro-Ukraine and vocally opposed to Trump (and George W. before that)

          • @grue@lemmy.world
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            32 months ago

            That’s true; I’m maybe being a little unfair to to the guy. That said, I was thinking more in terms of the song being an anthem for Gen X, and the generation as a whole letting us younger folks down.

          • @grue@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            There’s another '80s song on the tip of my tongue about how Gen X is gonna fix everything that makes me feel distinctly let down every time I hear it these days, but I can’t quite remember. It’s less metal and more pop, kinda halfway between “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “The Way It Is” by Bruce Hornsby, but I don’t think that’s it. Any ideas?

            • @samus12345@lemm.ee
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              22 months ago

              Not sure. First thing that comes to mind is Land of Confusion:

              I won’t be coming home tonight

              My generation will put it right

              We’re not just making promises

              That we know we’ll never keep

              (Fuckin’ lol) But that was the boomers.

              • @grue@lemmy.world
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                22 months ago

                Ah, yep, that was the one! I was thinking it might’ve been Phil Collins/Genesis, but when I looked through their discographies I didn’t recognize the title.

                Thanks, not being able to remember was really bothering me.

                But that was the boomers.

                Good point. Still, it was made in the '80s, by which time the Boomers should’ve known better about their [lack of] willingness to fix shit, so I hope you can understand my confusion.

  • ɔiƚoxɘup
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    272 months ago

    It was always a tool of indoctrination. As it turns out, if you say something often enough, true or not, you tend to believe it.

    To make it make sense, ask yourself “was this ever really true?” And, of course nothing is perfect, but what I mean to invoke is the idea that perhaps it was never even remotely true.

    • @damdy@lemm.ee
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      32 months ago

      Everyone on the outside is definitely wondering what the point was if you guys don’t uphold it.

      We thought it was a nuts ritual before but now it’s just cultish.

      • ɔiƚoxɘup
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        12 months ago

        Well, it appears that it’s becoming popular. Hopefully you don’t have to experience this firsthand.

  • Maeve
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    152 months ago

    Interesting read. Most people miss that Jew in the Bible sounded like a Communist. But you already know my version of my faith clashes with the Council of Nicea version, and why.

    Btw, I came across an interesting tidbit this morning in my YT meanderings I didn’t know that I thought may interest you, but didn’t know where to post it. It’s a pamphlet written by a British member of parliament, and distributed in the streets sometime in 1937. I didn’t want to creep you out by popping up in your DM unasked, if you’re interested, I can DM it to you and you can post it if you wish.

  • @eldavi@lemmy.ml
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    122 months ago

    It will never make sense so long as you keep believing that it’s either democrats or republicans.

    • @PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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      292 months ago

      Cool, I hope you’re working on the party outreach and actual organization and paperwork of your local third party of choice, because now’s the fucking time if you think voting for Dems or the GOP are indistinguishable. Or stocking up on molotovs. Or doing literally anything other than your best to sabotage the evil shitlibs without any alternative in place.

      • @eldavi@lemmy.ml
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        62 months ago

        The shitlibs are sabotaging themselves and the barest of minimums are already put me above head and shoulders above the most outspoken of them

        • @PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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          252 months ago

          The shitlibs are sabotaging themselves and the barest of minimums are already put me above head and shoulders above the most outspoken of them

          So that’s a ‘no’, then. Great. Glad to see we’ve learned absolutely nothing from the past 7 months.

          • @eldavi@lemmy.ml
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            32 months ago

            It’s been happening for the last 50+years and my actions have guaranteed a spot a good spot in the afterlife (if I believed in such nonsense) what have you done besides spreading liberal foolishness?

            • @PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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              2 months ago

              It’s been happening for the last 50+years and my actions have guaranteed a spot a good spot in the afterlife (if I believed in such nonsense)

              Thank you for demonstrating exactly the kind of attitude I’ve criticized privileged Very Serious Leftists for repeatedly on here.

                • @PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                  162 months ago

                  Keep on with your performative politics in the Christian tradition of saving one’s soul, whilst actually saving none of the marginalized groups you claim to oh-so-strongly support.

    • @Ruxias@lemmy.world
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      22 months ago

      In practice, it’s the “Just Us” system. The reality of this is just laid more bare in recent years.

  • YappyMonotheist
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    92 months ago

    “Under God” makes entire sense when you remember that, if Americans have ONE shared cultural trait, it’s being morally flexible as long as you get rich. Trying to get rich is the only command they’ll follow, the one thing they’ll all agree upon. And they surely trust in their God printed on green paper, lol.

  • Midnight Wolf
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    2 months ago

    I was skeptical about the poa by the 3rd grade. By the 5th, I was singing the Canadian anthem, because fuck this bullshit. By hs I wasn’t even standing, just sitting at my desk with that deeply annoyed look you get from customers waiting while the person in front of them takes 10 minutes to complete their transaction, and they pull out an expired coupon and their checkbook.

    E: thanks autocorrect

  • subignition
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    92 months ago

    Focus on the Undergod?

    Ỉ̴͓̲̤̪̼͑̉͐̋̓͛̚͞_̠͈a̖̬͉̼̲̮̲͉̣̘ͦ̄ͩ̐̂!̴͓͍̾͂̈́̕ I̴̠̮̲̮̼ͬ̇̄ͫͮ́́̾ͮͣͯ́ͯͦͧ͑͘͠a̢̢̽ͦ̍͛͟͡͡!͓̩̞͚̥͚̣̰̠͚̱̙̖̪̊ͫ̍́́̋̇̾̓ͪ̃̑̅̌͐͢͡ C̷̢̬̘̝̿ͯ͑̎t̵̙̦̟̳̥̬̣̩̺̞̾͂̀̂ͥ̆ͪ͗́̂̄͌ͪ̄͢͞͝͠͞͡h̢̧̜̲̫̞̺͓̬̹͓́ͦͪͬ͋̿̍̈́̍͆͑̐̒̑ͤ̅͑̽́ͤ̽̒̚͠u̶̷̶̟͎̣̹̹̼̭̥͇̳͚͕̟͇͍̿ͦ̂͂̀̐̉ͪͤ̀̈́͌̓͘͢͜͞͡͡͡ͅl̵̛̘̿̏̑ͨ͠ḥ̛̛̪̝̭̐̔̕͝͞͠u_̴̡̢̮̯̜̩̱̥͉̱̫͚̼̤͇͖̹̭ͭͯ̈̄ͦ̒̈̑̒ͧ̔̌̚͢͟͞ f̢̡̬͔̫̗̈͒̿͒̎̌ț̊ͥ̇ă̙̮̙͗͑̈̆́͢g̺̙͇̝͚̠͈̻̺̘͑̅̇̎͂̈́͋̓͜͟ḥ̥n̘͘_̶̩͎̈́̉ͭ̃͌͑!̸̛̲̗̲̲̯̫͔͔̉̉͊̄͋̔̈́́̿

  • @OBXDadLife@lemmy.world
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    72 months ago

    I should have my child add “including immigrants” to the end whenever he says it in school, committee meetings, or Scouts.

    • @Bytemeister@lemmy.world
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      72 months ago

      Have him leave out the god part. It was added to weed out communists spies from the USSR, because they totally aren’t allowed to lie about being religious…

      Frankly, minus the religion mumbojumbo, the pledge is a great thing to aspire to, especially if you consider the flag a stand-in to represent the rights and freedoms of your countrymen.

  • @duhbasser@lemm.ee
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    42 months ago

    “No see, that was before. But now you have to pledge your allegiance to one party.” - Sums up the American experience

    • @PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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      212 months ago

      “For all”, at least by American conservative estimates, would seem to fall under their label of dangerous socialist ideas.