Jan 13th, 2019: Bellamy Salute

[xoxoxoBruce]

Bellamy wrote the US Pledge of Allegiance and the protocol to go with it.
This isn’t promising the Moon to get some floozy naked, this is a serious, a solid oath and commitment to the flag and Republic.
So pay attention or you'll pay later when the pop quiz comes up... yes pop quiz, do you know where your brain is?
If you fail the quiz we'll tell your mother all the mischief you've been up to... even if we have to make shit up.

The original Bellamy salute, first described in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, who authored the original Pledge, began with a military salute, and after reciting the words "to the flag," the arm was extended toward the flag.

At a signal from the Principal the pupils, in ordered ranks, hands to the side, face the Flag. Another signal is given; every pupil gives the flag the military salute — right hand lifted, palm downward, to a line with the forehead and close to it. Standing thus, all repeat together, slowly, "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands; one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."
At the words, "to my Flag," the right hand is extended gracefully, palm upward, toward the Flag, and remains in this gesture till the end of the affirmation; whereupon all hands immediately drop to the side.
The Youth's Companion, 1892

Then they decided civilians can't salute worth a shit so the changed the protocol.

Shortly thereafter, the pledge was begun with the right hand over the heart, and after reciting "to the Flag," the arm was extended toward the Flag, palm-down.
In World War II, the salute too much resembled the Nazi salute, so it was changed to keep the right hand over the heart throughout.

Yeah, no Nazi salutes, thank you. The pledge isn't very long but in grade school it dragged on forever.

link

[Clodfobble]

In my kids' school, they do the pledge in English-plus-sign-language, then Spanish, then the Texas pledge in English-plus-sign-language, then Spanish, then a moment of silence. Whole rigamarole takes like 10 minutes.

[fargon]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

In my kids' school, they do the pledge in English-plus-sign-language, then Spanish, then the Texas pledge in English-plus-sign-language, then Spanish, then a moment of silence. Whole rigamarole takes like 10 minutes.

I think that's a good idea.

[Gravdigr]

Ten minutes of the teaching day used up and gone.

Children do not understand pledges and/or oaths.

Waste of time.

[Carruthers]

This was never going to end well...

The entire English soccer team gave the Nazi salute — for diplomacy’s sake
It was part of the British government’s plan to appease Hitler

On May 14, 1938, more than 100,000 soccer fans filed into Berlin’s Olympic Stadium to watch the English team trounce Germany.
At this pre-World War II moment, the two countries were still making gestures toward diplomacy while eyeing each other warily.
During the game, swastikas and British flags flew side by side in the packed stadium, while the German national anthem blared over the loudspeakers.
Then, on the field below, the German — and the British — players raised their arms in the Nazi salute.

The British press was shocked. What were British soccer players doing making a fascist gesture?
Turns out the salute had been ordered in advance by the British Foreign Office as part of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s plan to avoid conflict by appeasing Hitler.
The bizarre gesture of diplomacy and the broader policy of appeasement toward Hitler was, of course, a mistake.
Just over a year later, Germany would invade Poland, prompting the British and French to declare war.

Link