Are You Still Pledging Allegiance?

Did you grow up “pledging allegiance to the flag… and to the republic to which it stands” as I did? 

Did you simply repeat what you were taught without even knowing the definitions of words and such?

Do you know what “pledging allegiance” means?  Let’s find out, shall we?  Let’s start with the word “pledge.”

Here's how this particular pledge has changed over the years.( wikipedia source )

Here's a very insightful, historical and factual review of the pledge ( scroll down a bit until you see the Amerikan flag next to a British looking flag ).  This site is worth an entire read, btw.

Pledge.
A bailment or delivery of goods by a debtor to his creditor, to be kept until the debt is discharged.

Pledge is a deposit of personal property by way of security for the performance of another act.

So the word pledge has to do with establishing a relationship between a debtor and a creditor ( to the pure legal definition of the word ), putting something up as ‘security’ in return for something else.

Now let’s look at “allegiance.”

Allegiance.
By allegiance is meant the obligation of fidelity and obedience which the individual owes to the government under which he lives, or to his sovereign in return for the protection he receives.  It may be an absolute and permanent obligation, or it may be a qualified and temporary one.  The citizen or subject owes an absolute and permanent allegiance to his government or sovereign, or at least until, by some open and distinct act, he renounces it and becomes a citizen or subject of another government or another sovereign…

“The tie or ligamen which binds the subject [ or citizen ] to the king [ or government ] in return for that protection in which the king [ or the government ] affords the subject, [ or citizen.” ]  1 Bl. Comm. 366.  It consists in a “true and faithful obedience of the subject due to his sovereign.” 7 Coke, 4b.

Allegiance is the obligation of fidelity and obedience which every citizen owes to the state.  Pol. Code Ca. 55.

I don’t think I need to go any further with the definition of allegiance.

Let’s now see what a “republic” is by legal definition:

Republic.
A commonwealth; a state in which the exercise of sovereign power is lodged in the representatives elected by the people.  Webster.

In a wider sense, the state, the common wealth, the whole organized political community, without reference to the form of government.

Notice how in the second sentence of the above definition, it does not 'reference' the 'form' of governemnt.  Isn't that interesting...

Now the term "republican government."

Republican Government.
A government in the republican form; a government of the people; a government by representatives chosen by the people.  Cooley, Constitutional Law, 194.

Taking a break from dissecting the pledge of allegiance for a moment, let's look at the term "Democracy" and other terms for a broader view of political ideologies.

Democracy.
That form of government in which the sovereign power resides in and is exercised by the whole body of free citizens; as distinguished from a monarchy, aristocracy, or oligarchy.  According to the theory of a pure democracy, every citizen should participate directly in the business of governing, and the legislative assembly should comprise the whole people.  But the ultimate lodgment of the sovereignty being the distinguishing feature, the introduction of the representative system does not remove a government from this type.  However, a government of the latter kind is sometimes specifically described as a “representative democracy.”

Oligarchy.
A form of government wherein the administration of affairs is lodged in the hands of a few persons.

Monarchy.
A government in which the supreme power is vested in a single person.

Aristocracy. 
A government in which a class of men rule supreme.  A form of government which is lodged in a council composed of select members or nobles, without a monarch, and exclusive of the people.

Can you relate any of the previous three terms ( Oligarchy, Monarchy and Aristocracy ) with any certain persons or frames of thought you hear and read about today in Amerika?


I noticed the word “lodgment” or “lodged” in some definitions above, let’s see what this word means:

Lodger.
One who occupies hired apartments in another’s house; a tenant of part of another’s house.
A tenant, with the right of exclusive possession of a part of a house, the landlord, by himself or an agent, retaining general dominion over the house itself.

And the following term after "Lodger:"

Lodgings.
Habitation in another’s house; apartments in another’s house, furnished or unfurnished, occupied for habitation; the occupier being termed a “lodger.”

Do you remember learning in history class that only land owners had the right to vote?

Do you remember this 'right' resided with men who were of white western European decent?

Going a bit further regarding the right to choose representative ( what is done today ) and considering that campaign contributions and lobbying gets the political attention, persuades the making of legislation and continues forwarding the management of a country like a corporation, utilizing people's labor as a commodity and their voice nothing much more than ravel, did you also know if you 'fail' to pay your property taxes, the state will take that which you believed was free and clear ( your property / house ) and sell it to someone who will the tribute ( I mean property tax )??

I write the forgoing paragraph / run-on sentence to hopefully give you an idea where you stand in the greater scheme of things... when you are pledging allegiance to such a system.  

I could go on with other certain words within these definitions, but perhaps your own comprehension will begin to grant you clearer view of these terms and help you make decisions as to what kind of system you would consent to be governed by.

So again: are you still pledging allegiance? 

Do you pledge allegiance ( promise to obey and be subject to ) a system which listens to you only if you pay enough in contribution or lobby enough money to get laws passed to further your business interests? 

Do you pledge allegiance to a government who leads you to believe you are in a democracy when in fact you are in a republic, but a republic not directed by the voice of the people but rather the select few who take their orders from a wealthy class ( resembling more the definition of "aristocracy" and "oligarchy" )??

I personally would suggest, "IF" you're going to gather for yourselves a government, to pursue what is called a direct democracy,. for that is, by definition, a tool in which you can leverage your Right among those who would desire to remove your rights, not having it 'lodged' with a class of people who obviously only [re]present larger interests than the regular Joe.

I would further and foremost suggest you cease pledging allegiance to any organization or creation of man, period…. and before all things pledge allegiance to the only King worthy of full obedience and fidelity ( the Creator / King of kings )... pledge your true allegiance to His Holy demands and perfect law of loving they neighbor as well as thy 'enemy,' and cease the need pledging allegiance to creations of men, for the means and ends of men, which have nothing to do with the good news of Yeshua. 

Time to clean house and take inventory and look into the clear definitions of what things really mean.  Expel the notion of following and obeying supposed 'leaders' who are nothing more than agents / hired hands of capital interests... nothing more than mis-managers of the innocent... namely bad shepherds.

All terms sourced from Black's Law Dictionary 1st Edition ( take a look and learn for yourselves ).

Wiki entry link in reference to the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Wiki entry link of criticism of the Pledge of Allegiance.