Newcomers to the Cove: The Pledge

Mark Twain is credited with writing, “Patriotism is supporting your country all of the time and your government when it deserves it.”

There is some logic in that statement. Mark Twain knew the foibles of government, but he was also a patriotic soul. As newcomers to Morrisons Cove, we see an obvious sign of a patriotic population: Old Glory flies proudly over businesses and individual homes.

With July 4 celebrations coming, perhaps a review of our Pledge of Alliance to that grand old flag would be worthwhile. It’s been a while since we’ve been in school, but Nancy and I still accurately recall the Pledge of Allegiance after saying it every morning in class for many years.

The Pledge was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister from New York. His original pledge was, “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” the Rev. Bellamy quickly added “to” so “to the Republic” resulted.

Further revisions added capitalization, punctuation, and references to the United States, America, and God to create the final version:

“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.”

The addition of “under God” was the last revision made to the Pledge and the history of that modification is interesting. A lawyer from Illinois, Albert Bowman, first suggested adding “under God” around 1948. He noted the words were included in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Many Americans supported adding a reference to the Almighty during the Cold War as a way to distinguish the United States from state-sponsored atheism of Communist countries.

As an example, in 1951 the Knights of Columbus began including “under God” when they recited the Pledge. The idea spread rapidly. In 1952, the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council resolved to make the change permanent. Copies of the resolution were sent to the President, Vice President, and Speaker of the House in Washington. In 1953, Representative Louis Rabaut of Michigan sponsored a resolution to add “under God” to the Pledge.

But nothing happened.

Another minister, Rev. George McPherson was the catalyst. In February 1954, President Eisenhower attended the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington. Rev. McPherson’s sermon was titled “A New Birth of Freedom” and was based on Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address because this Sunday happened to be the closest to Lincoln’s birthday of Feb. 12. Rev McPherson argued that the power of the United States was not in weapons but in a higher purpose and spirit. The Reverend noted the current Pledge of Allegiance could apply to any nation, not just the United States.

He said, “There was something missing in the pledge, and that which was missing was the characteristic and definitive factor in the American way of life.” Reverend McPherson referred to Lincoln’s words “under God” as words that define the United States. President Eisenhower seized the suggestion.

Another representative from Michigan, Charles Oakman, introduced a bill adding “under God” and the 83rd Congress passed the legislation. President Eisenhower signed the bill into law on Flag Day, June 14, 1954.

The President remarked, “From this day forward, the millions of our school children will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural school house, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty. In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource, in peace or in war.”

In October of 1954 the American Legion adopted a resolution to formally recognize the Knights of Columbus for their role in amending the Pledge of Allegiance.

The movement to insert “under God” into the Pledge began with a private religious organization and resulted in an affirmation of America’s faith in country, flag, and God. That’s what we, as newcomers, see in the Cove.