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.
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.
Sean Penn
Sean Justin
Penn( born August 17, 1960) is an American actor, director, and filmmaker.
He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama" Mystic River"( 2003) and the biopic" Milk"( 2008).
Penn began his acting career in television, with a brief appearance in episode 112 of" Little House on the Prairie" on December 4, 1974, and directed by his father Leo Penn.
Following his film debut in the drama" Taps"( 1981), and a diverse range of film roles in the 1980s, including" Fast Times at Ridgemont High"( 1982), Penn garnered critical attention for his roles in the crime dramas" At Close Range"( 1986)," State of Grace"( 1990), and" Carlito's Way"( 1993).
He became known as a prominent leading actor with the drama" Dead Man Walking"( 1995), for which he earned his first Academy Award nomination and the Best Actor Award at the Berlin Film Festival.
Penn received another two Oscar nominations for Woody Allen's comedy- drama" Sweet and Lowdown"( 1999) and the drama" I Am Sam"( 2001), before winning his first Academy Award for Best Actor in 2003 for" Mystic River" and a second one in 2008 for" Milk".
He has also won a Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival for the Nick Cassavetes- directed" She's So Lovely"( 1997), and two Best Actor Awards at the Venice Film Festival for the indie film" Hurlyburly"( 1998) and the drama" 21 Grams"( 2003).
Penn made his feature film directorial debut with" The Indian Runner"( 1991), followed by the drama film" The Crossing Guard"( 1995) and the mystery film" The Pledge"( 2001).
Penn directed one of the 11 segments of" 11'09" 01 September 11"( 2002), a compilation film made in response to the September 11 attacks.
His fourth feature film, the biographical drama survival movie" Into the Wild"( 2007), garnered critical acclaim and two Academy Award nominations.
In addition to his film work, Penn has engaged in political and social activism, including his criticism of the George W. Bush administration, his contact with the Presidents of Cuba and Venezuela, and his humanitarian work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
Lothar Mendes
Lothar Mendes( 19 May 1894 – 24 February 1974) was a Jewish German- born screenwriter and film director. who began his career as an actor in Vienna and Berlin in Max Reinhardt's famous troupe.
He went to America in the early 1920s and there he remained until 1933, directing more than a dozen features, mostly frothy comedies, while under contract to Paramount.
His films included the last silent film made in America," The Four Feathers"( 1929) and the murder mystery" Payment Deferred"( 1933) starring British actor Charles Laughton.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Certificates of Death
Certificates of Death( German:Scheine des Todes) is a 1923 German silent film directed by Lothar Mendes and starring Alfred Abel, Eva May and Iván Petrovich.
The film's sets were designed by the art director Stefan Lhotka.
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.

Question: Are the directors of films The Pledge (Film) and Certificates Of Death both from the same country?
Answer: no