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Judge Napolitano explains the sordid history of the American Pledge of Allegiance and the forgotten history of America’s first salute.
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Does the government work for us -- -- we worked for the government.
Our true patriots guided by symbolism such as flag waving and pledges or by their commitment to personal freedoms tonight summer soldiers.
And summertime patriots.
At this fourth of July we pause to remember the birth of this great country it is a story every school child knows the British government tax that's without representation.
It devalued our currency -- sentence soldiers and to our homes without legal search warrants and -- process for criticizing the British king.
The first law enacted by the first US congress while we were still subject of the -- was the declaration of independence it's still the law today.
It declares that our freedoms come from our humanity which is a gift from god they don't come from the government the British -- believe that our freedoms came from him.
And he claimed the power to expand them -- shrink them a seesaw affect and I was out we fought a revolution we won the revolution we wrote a constitution.
The constitution is the supreme law of the land it was written to create and to limit the federal government we know that because the framers famously feared big government.
-- they -- the bill of rights to the constitution.
The bill of rights is intended to keep the government off our backs by making it unlawful for the government.
To interfere with our freedoms our inalienable rights -- Jefferson called them.
This is not an academic argument.
If the declaration of independence and the constitution mean what they say.
That we should be able to rely on our own free choices as we move through life on earth and not on the commands of the government.
George Washington -- believe that the individual is greater than the state.
Because the individual has a divinely created immortal soul and the state is a mere human creation based on force.
As creatures of god and as rational thinking beings we have a right to live in a right to exercise all of our freedoms one.
Of the quintessentially American freedoms is the right to be left alone the right to be yourself a right to be different the right not to conform.
This right was recently played out in Eugene city Oregon where the governing body had a -- dust up last week over -- proposed ban.
I'm reciting the pledge of allegiance at the start of every town council meeting.
After repeated arguments about and a blanket ban was passed sparking another battle -- -- the mayor of the town rescind the ban to allow the pledge to be recited during national holidays.
The mayor was quoted as saying this.
If there's one thing the flag stands for it's that people don't have to be compelled to say the pledge of allegiance or anything else.
Under the law the mayor is right.
Pledge of allegiance was written in 1892 by France's development.
A socialist who was hired to write the pledge to help sell American flags it wasn't created out of some noble attempt at national unity or patriotism.
But for the commercial activity so despised by today's socialists.
Earning money.
Now here's something they don't teach school the socialist mr.
Bellamy also created a salute to accompany the pledge.
But it wasn't the hand over the heart as we have today.
The Bellamy salute was an extended arm.
And it became very popular in the early nineteen hundreds it was so popular in fact that Italian fascists.
And German national socialists.
We call the Nazis appropriated for their -- salute.
When president Woodrow Wilson insisted that all school children recite the pledge he led them into doing so using this now justly hated salute.
About you never saw a picture of himself picture of them doing back.
One can imagine that after World War II the Bellamy salute that Wilson -- will quickly become very unpopular.
Among American people who were tired of fighting fascism and socialism abroad and preparing to fight it here at home.
Samuel Johnson once remarked that patriotism as often the last refuge of a scoundrel.
And indeed many of our leaders today you are really scoundrels.
And swore an oath to uphold the constitution often hide behind the flag waving celebrations.
When the call to defend freedom goes up and American liberties are at risk.
They often betrayed their solemn notes just yesterday for example President Obama claimed he can start a war on his own.
In defiance of the constitution -- swore to uphold just by declaring that dropping bombs and killing people is not a war.
How then can politicians who don't respect their own votes demand that we take an -- to a flag and question the patriotism of those.
Who dare to be different.
I believe in god and then the basic decency of all persons.
I believe that America has provided the greatest venue for freedom and prosperity that the world has ever known.
But if the government can ignore the declaration of independence and reject the constitution.
If -- can force people to speak when they prefer to remain silent.
At this great venue for freedom we'll pass away.
On this fourth of July I pledge my gratitude to the framers who gave us the declaration of independence and the constitution.
And who believe in the primacy of the individual.
And the -- and ability of our personal freedoms.
I also pray that today's politicians.
Will soon yeah.
