Founding Fathers Didn't Write Pledge of Allegiance

Dear editor: 

I strongly believe in the Pledge of Allegiance and well remember saying it every day as a young child in school.  It was a statement of belief in our country, especially since I was in grammar school during WWII and war was raging in Europe and the Pacific.  We would proudly, every day, face the flag in every classroom, put our right hand over our heart and say those words of pride.   

But today right wing religious fanatics want to change history to fit their needs and speak about how important this pledge was to our supposedly religious Founding Fathers (circa 1776.).  As usual they just don’t know the facts. 

The Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by the socialist minister Francis Bellamy (1855-1931.)  It was originally published in The Youth’s Companion on September, 1892.  Bellamy had hoped that the pledge would be used by citizens in any country.  In its original form it read: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” 

In 1923, after WWI, the words, “the Flag of the United States of America” were added and read: “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” That’s what we recited during WWII.  

In 1954, in response to the Communist threat of the times, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words “under God,” creating the 31 word pledge we say today: “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.” 

Does the addition of those two words add or detract from the pledge?  That’s a personal thing based upon one’s beliefs.  But for sure, no one ever took them out, and our Founding Fathers had nothing to do with it.