Doesn't bother me in the slightest.
My true faith and allegiance is to the support and defense of the Constitution. The president swore an oath to support and defend the constitution. The constitution creates the republic. Congress, the Presidency, and the Courts are all parts of that republic.
My allegiance is not necessarily to the republic. Congress and the Office of the Presidency can, and have, created and enacted laws that violate the constitution. I feel that a pledge of allegiance to the flag and the republic has the potential to conflict with my oath to support and defend the constitution.
I believe it is for this reason that Military personnel are not permitted to recite the pledge while in uniform. (4 U.S.C. ? 4, AR 600-25, AFI 34-1201, NTP 13(B), MCO P10520.3B)
Frankly, I find the entire idea of a pledge of allegiance rather disturbing, especially one that is codified in law. A pledge has no meaning where it is compulsory. Granted, the law does not actually proscribe conduct, and no penalty or punishment is specified in the flag code. Instead, this code is considered "declaratory and advisory".
I positively despise the Jehovah's Witnesses for their position that death is preferable to blood transfusion. But, their stance on the pledge is in line with my own. A pledge should be taken freely, without reservation. It is more respectful for a person to refrain from making such a pledge than to ritualistically recite a string of words without contemplating their meaning.
BUT I DIGRESS:
Feelings
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