14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptional presentation of history with issues, October 2, 2005
This review is from: To the Flag: The Unlikely History of the Pledge of Allegiance (Hardcover)
I hadn't expected this book to be so engaging. It's provocative, but the provocation isn't planted by the author but is inherent in the material he reveals. After years in public school reciting the Pledge, I knew little about its history. Until now, although I've read of legal challenges involving the Pledge, I had little idea of the long history of court of its challenges.
How Ellis was able to present so much history, including legal issues, in a way suitable to a lay reader such as myself, I don't know. That's his gift.
One surprise was that the flag salute so resembled the Nazi "Heil Hitler" salute that it was modified in the 1940's. Having read of recent issues with nontheists objecting to the Pledge, it was a surprise to learn that strong objections to the Pledge and had come from religious people who considered the pledge and salute to be idolatry. This led to not only violence but also, for the children, explusion from school. It was these religion objections, not those of nontheists, that led to the court decision that the pledge and salute be voluntary in 1943. Nontheists wouldn't have been likely to object at this time because it wasn't until 1954 that the words "under God" were added to the Pledge. Legal objection to that addition came not only from atheists but also from Buddhist organizations and the Unitarian Ministers Association.
Some key players in the Pledge story that Ellis cites are the ACLU, George Bush Sr, George W Bush, and Jesse Ventura. Jesse has one of the most astute comments about the Pledge I've ever heard. George Bush Sr seemed to have forgotten the "for all" portion of the Pledge when he said (quoted elsewhere): "I don't know that atheists should be considered citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God." Compare Jesse Ventura's inclusive observation that "The United State of America exist because people wanted to be free to choose."
Ellis presents many positions, expressing his concern that we distinguish between true patriotism and manipulation of our Pledge. This book is likely to get you thinking about what our country stands for and how patriotism is best learned and expressed. Wisely, Ellis doesn't spout conclusions but rather raises question that may linger with you a long while after you finish your first reading of "To The Flag". Books like this keep America strong.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
To The Flag, September 28, 2005
This review is from: To the Flag: The Unlikely History of the Pledge of Allegiance (Hardcover)
I pledge allegiance to the flag, and the divided states of America, and to the tyranny, for which it stands, one nation, under Christ, for liberty and justice for some...
As school children, we were all well versed on the pledge of allegiance, the words came naturally after the first year of instruction. We approached each morning by reaffirming our loyalty to the state, and most often, little was done in protest. The true essence of this oath however, was lost on a mere technicality. It was aimed at children who were uninterested in the real nature of the pledge, and were thus reciting it without a conscious acknowledgment of its meaning or history. Children have become so accustomed to the militaristic structure of the classroom, that the pledge has been disguised amongst the rigid class room bell, the manicured rows of seats, and the affinity for discussion initiated by a hand raising salute. Yet, Richard Ellis' book, To The Flag, raises concern about ignoring this paradoxical ritual, and having our apathetic opinions of the seemingly simple oath, go unquestioned. Ellis exposes the rich history of the pledge and thus challenges its influence on U.S. history.
Today, the pledge of allegiance continues to be a part of political discussion and controversy, yet selective memory has rarely exposed its important history. Just last week, a federal district judge in California declared the `under god' clause in the pledge to be unconstitutional. The decision was based on the fact that it violates a child's ability to seek separation from the church within the state. To The Flag chronicles the evolution of the pledge and the critical turning points which, among others, included this addition of the `under God' cause. Ellis highlights the manner by which fearful patriots amended the pledge in order to make evident the difference between the elitist American state and the evil Communist state, while also Americanizing a new generation of immigrants.
To The Flag presents the inception of the pledge by Francis Bellamy in 1892 as relatively uncontroversial and genuine, despite Bellamy's underlying racisms. At this early stage, the pledge represented the American affinity to capitalism and became one of the most effective marketing campaigns of all time. Initiated by the need for community unification, and "part of an effort to rekindle the patriotic flame of the Civil War", Francis Bellamy and his compatriots at Youth's Companion (a popular magazine of the time) wanted to solidify a united American front. They decided that one of the best ways to inspire nationalism was to promote the presence of the American flag in public space, and they used the "Four Hundredth Anniversary of the Discovery of America by Columbus" to spearhead this project. By 1889 a nationwide campaign began to enforce not only the presence of the flag in public schools, but the recitation of Bellamy's pledge of allegiance. Schools had been targeted because they "were the place for education in intelligent patriotism and citizenship" (16). Ellis reveals the way in which the General Army of the Republic and various political leaders later piggybacked on this crusade by introducing the pledge as an American staple, and thus moving the pledge into a new stage.
Bellamy's influence in establishing a greater respect for the flag became the cornerstone for a new campaign of elitists. Various patriotic veteran groups, and political organizations who were fearful of the great influx of immigrants, demanded loyalty to America. The end of World War I brought upon the need to solidify the presence of the pledge, and "pressure to standardize it increased dramatically" (58). Loyalty needed to be expressed through verbal affirmations, as well as in acceptance of more broad American traditions and ideals. Yet these patriots wanted more than to hear a pledge of allegiance, they wanted to be constantly reassured that the newcomers would embrace capitalism, industrialization, the Lord, and American law. They wanted to Americanize the new immigrants before they created "states within a state" (38). This new phase of the pledge reflects upon the anxiety of those in power over the infiltration of subversives. Since America was a very young country, Ellis offers readers the explanation of a civic state.
Its "national identity is unlike national identity in most other counties. American national identity... is rooted in shared political ideas, whereas `for most peoples, national identity is the product of a long process of historical evolution involving common ancestors, common experiences, common ethnic background, common language, common culture, and usually common religion" (213).
This idea of a civic nation makes the importance of instilling American ideals and political thought onto immigrants quite crucial. America needed to break the newcomer's tie to their homeland, of which they had a blood relationship, and replace it with a deeper love for American soil and culture. An appreciation for and understanding of diverse cultures was certainly not a characteristic of these elitist nationalists.
The pledge's racist undertones were only the beginning, as a new concern would arise leading the pledge into yet another phase. While the pledge's authors were religious men, they had never intentioned for the pledge to incorporate religion. The pledge's transformation into incorporating the `under god' clause in 1954 therefore represents a significant turning point. This very clearly reflects the limitations of freedom within the United States with regards to autonomy from a state endorsed religion. While the pledge claims to be advocating a land based on liberty, it is simultaneously preaching an imposing point of view. Ellis unfortunately saturates this section of the book with mass quantities of inconsequential case studies. This attention to detail may speak highly of his motivation in research, but its effect is damaging. The redundancy of the cases only adds uncomfortable length to these chapters thus making the intertwined conclusions trite. Evidently, despite the initial public resistance that clearly fascinated Ellis in his research, the collective conscious of Americana has grown to accept the God-infused pledge. It is now considered the original, unquestionable American staple, when in fact its history is much more controversial.
Ellis' book is effective in that it explores the way in which a society can be swayed, manipulated, and seduced into behaving and thinking in a certain way. The American people were persuaded into developing an unfounded need for Bellamy's product. This represented the strong impression of capitalism on the general public by American officials and leaders. Later on, racist fears over immigration and political diversity in the form of communist ideals, forced the pledge to undergo various changes to its structure and overall meaning. Mandating the pledge became an ironic representation of American hypocrisy. Ideally, the pledge would have "an almost mystical power to dissolve social divisions, harmonize social classes, and neutralize radicals" (71), what ended up happening was classes were divided, liberties fractured, and freedom was put in jeopardy. The pledge has become much more than a few simple words, as Ellis has constructed, and the timeline is quite telling. It has grown to be an entity of its own, representing a variety of ideals and anxieties which have morphed over time. While children may not grasp the real implications of the pledge during their morning rituals, we must take responsibility, as adults, to acknowledge the importance in unearthing this rich history. Mr. Ellis' book provides us with this opportunity, and is thus a worthy read.
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