And I'm an atheist. And I feel excluded by my own Pledge of Allegiance. I wish I could say it, because I *DO* pledge allegiance, but not under God.
I have pledged to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America and I will, to the death if need be. And that Constitution says that I will not be discriminated against based on my religious choices. But every time I say the Pledge, I'm being left out. And my Hindu and Buddhist friends are too.
And I've had countless people tell me that leaving those two words out means that you're discriminating against Christians. But I say an absence does not make discrimination. A presence does, if you're not a part of that which is worded.
Wow. That came out a little more forcefully than expects, but it's still true, for all that.
-Sarah F.