Wordless Wednesday: Patriotic Cat pledges his allegiance to the flag

The Flag and The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States, symbolic of patriotism, stand tall as we celebrate the founding of the United States on the Fourth of July. Like so many issues, the Plege of Allegiance has met it’s share of controversy, much because it now contains the words ‘under God’.
Paws had no intention of writing about the flag on the Fourth. However, when we captured this photo of Lenny, standing tall, looking up to the flag, it made us wonder, ‘Where did the Pledge of Allegiance come from?”

• In 1892, The Pledge of Allegiance was originally composed by Francis Bellamy.
• In 1942, the U.S. Congress formally adopted the pledge,
• In 1945, the official name of The Pledge of Allegiance was adopted.
• In 1954, on Flag Day, the last change in language came when the words “under God” were added.

Congressional sessions as well as many local governmental and private organizational meetings open with the recital of the Pledge. It is also commonly recited in school at the beginning of every school day, although the Supreme Court has ruled on several occasions that students cannot be compelled to recite the Pledge, nor can they be punished for not doing so. This is probably because of the 1954 insertion of ‘under God’.

According to the United States Flag Code, the Pledge of Allegiance reads:
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.

According to the Flag Code, the Pledge “should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform, men should remove any non-religious headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.”

There’s nothing in the code that talks about cats. So Paws presumes Lenny is in fine order, standing tall at full attention.

A few other facts about The Pledge of Allegiance’s history:.

• The Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister and a Christian socialist.
• He was the cousin of socialist utopian novelist Edward Bellamy, author of Utopia.
• The original “Pledge of Allegiance” was published in the Sept. 8 issue of the popular children’s magazine The Youth’s Companion as part of the National Public-School Celebration of Columbus Day, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s discovering America..
• Bellamy’s original Pledge read ‘I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

How do you think your cats would do saying the Pledge of Allegiance? What do you think their pledge would be? Do you think it might have something to do with food and barbecue? They probably would like freedom of choice, as cats like to be independent. Weight in on this fun discussion and share your thoughts.