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If you read TIME magazine or watch the news like I do (it's proven, I'm weird
;D), you may have heard about the controversy over the pledge of allegiance.
Back in the day, the Inquisition would have caught me for sure, because I am a
heretic and proud. I don't believe in god and the story of Jesus. To me swearing
is like curse words, not saying "Jesus Christ" when I drop a fork on my toe.
Sure, I go to my friend's churches youth groups once in a while, and I am
respectful because these people have beliefs and I'm not about to diss them for
that.
There are many people like me in this world who don't have a religion.
Unfortunately, a few of these people overreact.
The pledge didn't start out with 'under god,' you know. Back in the '50s, a
Communist leader said 'If you don't accept our beliefs we will nuke you' and
then we said 'if you nuke us we will nuke you back.' (Good thing Bush was not
U.S. president back then, eh?) Back then it seemed like Communists didn't
believe in god, so our reaction was to establish our belief as a government
mandate.
Put together, all this makes a hard concept to grasp, but it basically means
that putting 'under god' in the pledge was just an unthinking (or knee-jerk)
reaction from our government and is somewhat pointless.
Now some people want to take 'under god' out of the pledge because the threat of
Communists nuking us is not over our heads. But nowadays people are concerned
that taking 'under god' out of the pledge will make religious people angry and
annoyed.
"Heretics" want it out because they don't believe this nation is 'under god'.
Non-religious parents are concerned that their kids will be learning the "wrong"
thing and it will ruin them. This whole controversy is supposed to be "for the
kids."
Kids don't care.
Usually kids have better views about political issues if they are given facts,
not opinions. Adults are too caught up in their own worlds, so if they find one
thing wrong they will make it a huge problem just to get their point across. I
remember in 4th grade we had those annoying newspapers for kids that smelled
weird. (No, not for stinky kids, I mean the paper smelled bad!) Anyway, it said
on the back "If you could choose... who would you vote for president?" Then it
had a check box next to a picture of Bush, a picture of Gore and a check box
that had in tiny print 'other' under it.
How do you expect kids to really understand politics? I seriously doubt children
watch debates for fun and I've never seen a 10-year-old going around saying
"VOTE FOR AL GORE!" or "VOTE FOR GEORGE W. BUSH!" If they do, the kids just got
their opinions from their parents at dinnertime. They haven't even heard what
all the other candidates had to say!
I've taken the time to listen to all their ideas and opinions about what this
country needs. Personally I haven't found a decent one. Hey, and if you haven't
noticed, Whyville is helping us out for the future by these senator elections.
So, not only are they teaching us math, science and geography, they are teaching
us comprehension, thinking, and listening skills too! Props to Whyville!!!
I'm in 7th grade right now, and we say the pledge every Monday (most of the time
we forget to, though). Most middle schools and high schools don't say the pledge
every day like elementary schools do. I remember those years, oh, yes-sir-e-bob!
The thing is, I think kids do not care if they say the pledge or not, religious
or not religious. Kids do not care who is president (well, the younger ones
don't, hehe...); kids do not care about political issues like this; it's the
adults who care.
I'm not saying we don't have opinions -- it's just that kids can't understand
about everything that goes on in politics until they are much more mature.
'Under god' taken out or not, to me, this whole controversy is pointless.
What's your opinion? Post in the BBS!! I would love to hear what KIDS have to
say!
Off to a Mormon youth group with my best friend,
outgoing (formally known as g)
Sources: My mind and my mommy! =D
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