Crazy Old Cat Lady

I went to the URL for CatLady to see who got my preferred URL name and it's just one useless entry and then I checked out my next preferred URL name of CrazyCatLady (son#1 calls me "Crazy Lady" and the rest of the world calls me "Cat Lady" so I thought a URL was born) and she's a great writer, but I can't find any way to add a comment telling her so. So my URL ended up being CrazyOldCatLady. My web page is http://cvanhorn.homestead.com/

Friday, June 24, 2005

Pepsi and the Pledge of Allegiance

I received an email yesterday from a friend promoting a boycott of Pepsi products because Pepsi is putting out a patriotic can with the Pledge of Allegiance MINUS the words "Under God".

Oh boy, he pushed one of my buttons. I have been mad for 50 years that they changed the ORIGINAL Pledge version and put those words in!

I remember reciting the original version that was so elegant and powerful and flowed so beautifully. One was able to think of the meaning and try to understand the pledge.

Then they added the words that caused so many people to pause or not pause, twice in succession, (Under God, indivisible) so that the ending becomes a cacaphony of noise. One can't pay attention to the words when one is trying to remember "Do I pause?", If so, how long should I pause?", "Do I pause again then?" and the ending is lost in the babble.

I hope that seeing it on the Pepsi can will show younger people and remind us older people just how simple and powerful the original words are.

I don't like to see a great tradition diminished. I'm looking for the petition to restore it to its former elegance.

(Don't think I am signing petitions to take out "Under God" from our money and to tear down emblems and statues. That's ridiculous. Just leave things alone. I'm hoping this "Political Correctness" mania will wear itself out soon. Have you noticed that the media are using bad grammar to be PC? It's driving this old English teacher crazy. I know----that's no drive; it's a short putt.)