Criticism of the Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States has been criticized on several grounds.
It s use in government funded schools has been the most controversial, as critics contend that a government- sanctioned endorsement of religion violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Arguments against the pledge include that the pledge itself is incompatible with democracy and freedom, pledges of allegiance are features of totalitarian states such as Nazi Germany, and that the pledge was written to honor Christopher Columbus and to sell flags.
Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine Flag
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine Flag is the pledge to the flag of the Philippines.
It is one of two national pledges, the other being the Patriotic Oath, which is the Philippine national pledge.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine Flag is recited at flag ceremonies immediately after the Patriotic Oath or, if the Patriotic Oath is not recited, after the national anthem.
The pledge was legalized under Executive Order No. 343, finalized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts from a draft prepared by the Commission on the Filipino Language, approved by then- President Fidel V. Ramos on Independence Day( June 12), 1996, and subsequently by the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, or Republic Act No. 8491.
The law requires the pledge to be recited while standing with the right hand with palm open raised shoulder high.
The law makes no statement of what language the pledge must be recited in, but the pledge is written( and therefore recited) in Filipino.
Libertarian pledge
The Libertarian pledge, a statement individuals must sign in order to join the Libertarian Party of the United States, declares," I hereby certify that I do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of achieving political or social goals."
Libertarian Party founder David Nolan created the pledge in 1971.
His goal was to convince government authorities that the LP was inherently not a violent organization, during a time when many political groups were using terroristic tactics.
The pledge is required by Section 5.1 of the national bylaws and many state affiliates of the Libertarian Party also have bylaw provisions requiring it.
At the 2006 Libertarian National Convention, the Libertarian Reform Caucus attempted to repeal the pledge but failed to obtain the necessary two- thirds vote.
There have been many proposals to change or eliminate the pledge.
A reference to the pledge was made on April 17, 2001 when, in response to Timothy McVeigh's description of himself as a libertarian, Libertarian Party national director Steve Dasbach said:
Virgin Islands pledge
The Virgin Islands pledge is a pledge of allegiance to the Virgin Islands, a British overseas territory.
It was officially adopted by the territory's House of Assembly on 23 June 2016.
It's intended to be commonly recited by Virgin Islanders in unison at public events, especially in schools, and during public celebrations.
The pledge was first publicly recited on 1 July 2016 at Territory Day celebrations by Premier Dr. D. Orlando Smith and members of the government.
The pledge reads: Adoption of the pledge was a project of Myron Walwyn, the territory's Minister for Education and Culture.
He explained that its adoption was part of the government's efforts" to build a nation of citizens and residents that understand and have deep reverence for our heritage as Virgin Islanders".
In the same vein the government adopted a territorial song and an official territorial uniform.
The government also erected flagpoles at each school and public schoolchildren now sing the territorial song as they raise the UK and VI flags each school day morning.
The pledge has received a mixed reaction.
Some questioned the need for a pledge at all.
The reference to God in the pledge is a source of some element of controversy too.
House of Assembly member, Alvera Maduro- Caines argued it was appropriate.
She said she saw' nothing wrong with God being a part of the pledge as we are a Christian and God fearing society'.
Others felt the overtly religious reference infringed their rights.
The leader of the People ’s Empowerment Party, Natalio D. Wheatley, said there was a" glaring problem" with the pledge: that it is" oxymoronic" to refer to a territory as a country.
The use of the capitalised term" Territory" suggests the word is part of the territory's name when it's not.
Grammatically, the reference to" these Virgin Islands" rather than" the Virgin Islands" at the end of the pledge renders the pledge ungrammatical when recited outside the territory.
There was little public engagement concerning the wording of the pledge before its adoption.
Mother of George
Mother of George is a 2013 Nigerian drama film directed by Andrew Dosunmu and tells the story of a newly married Nigerian couple in Brooklyn who own and manage a small restaurant while struggling with fertility issues.
The film was produced by Patrick S. Cunningham and Rhea Scott.
The film premièred in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.
Cinematographer Bradford Young won Sundance 2013's Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic for his work on this film and" Ai n't Them Bodies SaintsMother of George" was also selected as the closing night film at the 2013 Maryland Film Festival.
The film has been acquired for U.S. distribution by Oscilloscope Laboratories.
Pledge of Allegiance (South Korea)
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Korean Flag is the pledge to the national flag of South Korea.
The pledge is recited at flag ceremonies immediately before the South Korean national anthem.
Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility
The Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility has been offered since 1987 at colleges and universities throughout the United States and the world.
The Pledge states: "I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work.
" The purpose of the Pledge is to encourage graduating students to be mindful of the social and environmental impacts of their employment as they enter the workforce or continue their education.
It is up to students to define for themselves what socially and environmentally responsible means.
Over one hundred Universities and colleges as well as some high schools use the pledge to some extent.
There are several different types of schools involved, including the following:
Students who voluntarily sign the pledge seek out employment that reflects their values, sometimes turning down jobs with which they do not feel comfortable.
Others work to make changes after they are on the job.
Some examples include promoting recycling at their workplace, removing discriminatory language from training materials, working for gender equality in athletics, and helping to convince employers to reject contracts that would clearly have negative impacts on society or the environment.
The Pledge was first established at Humboldt State University, California, in 1987.
Manchester University in Indiana hosted the effort from 1996 to 2007, at which time Bentley University near Boston became the host.
The project takes shape in different ways depending on the institution.
At some colleges, for example, students sign wallet-sized cards with the Pledge written on them that they can keep as a reminder of the commitment they've made.
Some institutions put the Pledge into the formal program for their Commencement ceremonies.
At other institutions, pledge signers wear green ribbons or green tassels at Commencement to signify their commitment (some schools use a different color of ribbon).
At Bentley University the pledge is a "capstone" of its four-year Civic Leadership Program and at Humboldt State University, the student government funds a student Pledge coordinator internship.
The Pledge serves to promote social and environmental responsibility on three different levels: Students and alumni who are making choices about employment; schools including values and citizenship in their curriculum as opposed to just knowledge and skills; and the workplaces and wider society being concerned about issues beyond just the bottom line.
The Graduation Pledge Alliance maintains a web site for campus organizers and those who have signed the Pledge.
Pledge Protection Act
The Pledge Protection Act is proposed legislation in the United States Congress that seeks to deprive all Federal courts, including the Supreme Court, of jurisdiction to hear constitutional challenges to the Pledge of Allegiance or its recitation.
The bill was first introduced in response to a constitutional challenge to the Pledge by atheist Michael Newdow.
The Pledge (film)
The Pledge is a 2001 American neo- noir mystery drama film directed by Sean Penn.
The film features an ensemble cast, starring Jack Nicholson, Aaron Eckhart, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn, Vanessa Redgrave, Sam Shepard, Mickey Rourke, and Benicio del Toro.
It is based on Friedrich Dürrenmatt's 1958 novella.
Dürrenmatt wrote" The Pledge" to refine the theme he originally developed in the screenplay for the 1958 German film" It Happened in Broad Daylight" with Heinz Rühmann.
Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of allegiance to the flag of the United States and the republic of the United States of America.
Such a pledge was first composed, with a text different from the one used at present, by Captain George Thatcher Balch, a Union Army Officer during the Civil War and later a teacher of patriotism in New York City schools.
The form of the pledge used today was largely devised by Francis Bellamy in 1892, and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942.
The official name of" The Pledge of Allegiance" was adopted in 1945.
The most recent alteration of its wording came on Flag Day in 1954, when the words" under God" were added.

Question: Are both The Pledge (Film) and Mother Of George from the same country?
Answer: yes