Forced Oaths to Pieces of Cloth

[Trei, Peter]

> Bill Frantz[SMTP:frantz at pwpconsult.com]
	[...]
> Unfortunately having started to question the relation between the pledge
> and the ideals of the country, I started to wonder why I was pledging to
> the flag, instead of the country.  So over the years, I have a somewhat
> edited version (removed parts in brackets):
[...]

One interesting variation  {and a suggestion of an alternative) comes from
naval diplomacy.

When there's an official US/UK naval dinner, toasts are drunk (at least on 
shore or on British ships - I think US ships are dry). The Americans
always toast the British Monarch. The Brits in return propose a toast
to the US Constitution.

While I have a lot of problem with the Pledge in any form, I think it
would be greatly improved if it were made to the Constitution, rather
than the flag.

Peter Trei