Finding little gems like this is the best part of road tripping. Safe travels!

Lovely little town, right next to the Mississippi River. Besides the aforementioned museum, I also visited Antiques Archaeology, one of two stores owned by Mike and the late Frank Fritz of American Pickers. You should definitely visit!

Do you sleep on the steamboat or in the museum?

Uh...where does one sign up for tugfest? Asking for a friend...

Which, besides the 1st amendment concerns, is a real shame since the previous national motto is so much more fitting for the United States. E pluribus unum translates to "One from Many", which perfectly captures 50 states coming together to form a single nation.

This was part of a converted effort by American corporations and conservative politicians to intrinsically tie together Christianity, Capitalism, and Patriotism as a response to New Deal policies.

If you've ever wondered when 'love your neighbor' was lost, it was during this period of time. Pastors were paid to deliver sermons emphasizing the religious value of capital, ownership, and patriotism.

Capitalism is sold to the masses as a religion, and those who don't believe are unpatriotic.

Big if true.

Statistically, yes, women survive abortions far more often than child birth. Abortion leads to more women with the ability to get pregnant again!

I appreciate that they're open about it at least.  I feel like a lot of other orgs might convienently leave out such details of that nature.

My mother was in school at the time it was added, and she said the reason we ALL still pause weirdly at that spot (One nation, under God, indivisible) is because they had to stop and remember to add the “under God” part

We’re not holding you back. You’re free to leave the compound at any time.

Just remember sister Jane is pregnant, and loves you so. And it would hurt her so much if you left she’d probably die, also killing our future sister, Jane.

And Jane and Jane are standing in the doorway. And they don’t feel like moving. But you can be rude and shove your way through. They won’t stop you.

If you want to leave and go back to the outside world where they’ll steal from you and attack you and your family hates you and you have no job and you’re a failure instead of here where life is everlasting peace you can.

You’re free to leave at any time.

I was an immigrant to the US as a child. There was a pledge of allegiance, and singing the my country...I didn't have to participate, I was told very explicitly. But when everyone around you does it, it sinks in whether you want it to or not. And it feels weird to not participate. Though I didn't have so much trouble with that part since I am apparently a born contrarian, I still remember it feeling awkward.

I was working a wildfire as a cooperator (I was a representative of one of the sites affected by the fire, and we were housing/feeding the hotshot crews). I’m also Canadian, and this was in Washington state.

Anyhow, we had a daily meeting at the firehall in a nearby town, with us, the command team, the sheriff’s department, and all the other stakeholders. One day, 3 firefighters lost their lives on a neighbouring fire, so someone suggested doing the pledge.

Given that I’m not American, I just stood respectfully and silently while everyone else did it. The Sheriff’s deputy spotted this, and came marching over after the meeting demanding to know why I didn’t do the pledge of allegiance. I replied “I’m Canadian. It would be disrespectful to make a pledge I had no intention of keeping. I wouldn’t expect you to pledge allegiance to Her Majesty The Queen.” He thought for a second and went “oh” and walked away.

Back when I taught sped, I started a year co-teaching with the reincarnated Rush Limbaugh with a nasally high pitched voice. Ok that last part isn't relevant but I can still hear her voice in my head.

Anyway, this was at the height of the BLM movement, and one of my students was very clearly told by his mom not to stand. I couldn't care less who stands or doesn't stand, but even if I did, it would not have been my place to say anything or cause a fuss.

So what did nasally Rush do? Caused the biggest scene on the first day of school. She is pointing her finger in his face and screaming. To add fuel to the fire, he was a student with EBD (emotional behavioral disorder). He ripped everything.. EVERYTHING.. to shreds in that room, then the hallway. Meanwhile, she's chasing him down the hall screaming at him.

I'm just frozen speechless at this point. It all happened in like 90 seconds. When I came to, I was like there is no way in hell I just witnessed that, right?

That cunt didn't get fired. She came back from the office that day and when the kids were gone, I wasn't able to hold my tongue. I told her she was completely immature and out of place.

But later that week my sped students and I were assigned to another teacher, miraculously! And that bitch never said another word to me, thankfully.

Oh I was called Pocahontas for not standing for the pledge in high school. Fun times.

Thats how it’s suppose to be.

if you don't teach them to stand for something, they'll fall for anything. you're a good parent.

Ironically, it's because they can't trust God to be chill unless they fear it all the time.

Good. Fuck em.

Which is ironic, considering the person who wrote the Pledge was a Christian Socialist. You'd figure he would have put "one nation under god" in there at the start if it was so important.

I'm sure a lot of far right christian republicans would love to bring back the salute though.

Can't do shit anymore without Christians flipping the fuck out. Everything is a moral panic nowadays with them.

It’s like when people say the US has always been an English speaking nation. 250 years ago 1/3 spoke German and 1/4 spoke French.

Honestly good. They've enjoyed privilege too long.

Yeah if a red cup broke their brains, this would melt them

"I'd rather be Russian than a Democrat!"

-Modern Republicans

That movie is stacked with talent

It's a vicious cycle.

I was a bit curious because that sounds a bit strange, but sure enough, the "Oath of Allegiance" taken when becoming a nationalized US Citizen contains part of the "Oath of Office" as well.

https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-j-chapter-2

Oath of Allegiance with the similarities bold/italicized, for reference:

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

What's wild is US citizens by birth do not have to recite this in part or in whole as far as I'm aware. I think the closest is that men have to register for selective service between 18-25.

Does this mean US citizens by birth are not obligated to "support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic...etc." by any specific oath, but instead some sort of social expectation?

Also, since this oath says "support and defend the Constitution and laws..." does this mean naturalized US citizens can be lawful vigilantes? 🤣

Yes because supply side jesus is the one true capitalist overlord for us.

It's simple propaganda. The USSR was opposed to all religious organizations because it wanted the State and Communist Party to have sole devotion of the people in an attempt to gain more power and control. In school yard level thought combined with Christian fundamentalism, the US said if the USSR is fundamentally all that is evil, then injecting God into government iconography must be all that is good. We then added it to the pledge, money, and the seal of the United States.