pledge allegiance to Britain

[budge]

in the news this week their have been talks of a new bank holiday to celebrate community heroes in Great Britain.
Also their has been talk of children being made to pledge allegiance to Britain . Both of these things are a good idea in my opinion. Its time we celebrated this country and encouraged children to appreciate Great Britain and what it can offer.
I hope it all goes through. It will be nice for something British to be celebrated in British schools instead of celebrating other nations traditions.

Whats everyones thoughts. Would you pledge allegiance to Britain ?

 

[Strangeness]

I don't know how well that would go down these days. I like the idea of a bank holiday or something to celebrate our culture but pledging allegiance to the queen is another thing really. You couldn't make everyone do that and I think it's a bit pointless to be honest. I don't know, I'm not against it but I just don't really see what good it will do?

 

[Sherlock]

Time was when people felt strongly about Britain. Certainly with the World Wars, the bonding people had from such globally and nationally impacting events meant that people felt more of a sense of national pride and togetherness. Hardship made people pull together to survive. We've not had hardship like that in many a year and I am thankful for that. We really don't know how lucky we are. Yet we (in general not anyone in particular) seem to be so ungrateful for all the things we have today. Yes there are families and people who know true hardship in todays society, but many are no where near it and life is still hard for them.

Our lives have become more mememememe and high tech and diversified, as families spread out, I think the structure of Britan has changed. We have hardship in some areas of life, but not in a way I think would make many appreciate what they already have. I doubt many today would take an oath seriously. It has to mean something to a person.

My grandfather joined the war effort before they even asked for people to sign up. He was just a young chap himself. I don't know how many today of the same age would be prepared to do the same if it happened again. He had pride and a belief and was prepared to die for his country. People don't have to make that ultimate sacrifice, but they do have to have a strong belief in why they would take an oath, otherwise its pointless.

 

[muppetmummy]

I'm not sure I like the idea of pledging allegiance to Britain. What if the goverment took the country in a direction I didn't agree with, say they declared war on Ireland or something for instance? It makes me think of a nation of sheep blindly following their leader without question

 

[SarahH]

no chance!!!

 

[Vickyleigh]

I'm proud to be British bring on the pledge!!!

 

[Lou]

As far as I know Americans pledge their allegiance to the flag and one nation under one god or something along them lines. If our pledge is anything to do with god then no way for me. And anyway even if it was just swearing an oath to Britian and/or the Queen whats the point? It doesn't prove how much you appreciate Britian, its just words, like the Lords prayer doesn't prove how much you love god. Its just something people say

 

[mary70]

i am not sure to be honest, i do love this country but there are also ALOT of things that i dislike about it and i think to pledge allegiance you are saying that you agree with everything and i dont think i would be prepared to do that, and i think getting kids leaving school to do it is really silly to be honest

 

[Lou]

Can someone explain what the allegience exactly is, what the words are and what it means please. I can't really discuss something I know naff all about (not that it usually stops me)

 

[SarahH]

As far as I know Americans pledge their allegiance to the flag and one nation under one god or something along them lines.

Yeah they do as I'll have to do this to get citizenship when we move there

 

[muppetmummy]

al·le·giance /əˈlidʒəns/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[uh-lee-juhns] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun 1. the loyalty of a citizen to his or her government or of a subject to his or her sovereign.
2. loyalty or devotion to some person, group, cause, or the like.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Origin: 1350–1400; ME aliegiaunce, equiv. to a- prob. a-5 + liege liege + -aunce -ance; cf. MF ligeance]


—Synonyms See loyalty.
—Antonyms 1. treason. 2. treachery.

ETA: Gah! It didn't cut and paste properly. That's from dictionary.com

 

[Happybunny]

Pledging allegiance to the Queen - an over privileged crony, I think not!

I love living in Britain, but I am worried that such nationalism will cause racial intolerance or unnecessary hatred towards other countries. Quite frankly, seeing American kids pledge allegiance to their flag makes me sick to the stomach.

Celebrate our culture, but teach and celebrate other cultures too, it is the only way to bring this fractious world closer.

 

[Lou]

As far as I know Americans pledge their allegiance to the flag and one nation under one god or something along them lines.

Yeah they do as I'll have to do this to get citizenship when we move there

Just keep your fingers crossed behind your back when you say it

 

[Misslarue]

no chance!!!

What she said!!
I thought that might be your answer hun. I would be surprised if many Scots wanted to pledge alliance to the UK after having fought for so long to gain independence from it.

A big NO for me too. Although I would happily support anything celebrating England.
Until the inequalities* of great Britain are corrected I can't support anything endorsing it. Since Devolution, the nations of Britain have been divided through political unfairness and until this is corrected (probably with independence for all nations) I see very little in which there is to celebrate/support

* just a few:
Free prescriptions for Wales and Scotland
Free hospital car parks in Wales
University fees for England
The West Lothian Question
unelected yet funded English regional assemblies

Until we are all either given independence or are all entitled to the same, I fail to see how the UK can carry on as it is.

 

[SarahH]

no chance!!!

What she said!!
I thought that might be your answer hun. I would be surprised if many Scots wanted to pledge alliance to the UK after having fought for so long to gain independence from it.

Free prescriptions for Wales and Scotland
.

Do we get free prescriptions?!?!?! Or am I being thick here?

I don't think it would have mattered whether I was Scot, English or whatever... I wouldnt pledge to anyone.

And as for having to do it to get into the States... I will be crossing my fingers... I am only doing it as I believe I will have a better life there for my family.

 

[Lou]

So to pledge allegiance means to support this country. What through saying words? Sorry I don't mean to sound awkward but I still don't understand the reason for pledging allegiance or what it achieves?

 

[muppetmummy]

The devolution issue is still bubbling away under the surface and I think in all four of the countries that make up the uk there are people who want independence. (I'm undecided on the issue myself, though I think England was wrong to take countrol of Scotland, Wales and Northern in the first place).
I wonder if the government are secretly worried about this, and this alliegiance to the uk thing is an idea to try and glue everyone together.

I don't think it's a good idea to have people swearing allegiance no matter what. I think it's healthy for people to question what their leaders are doing and challenge it when they don't agree.

 

[SarahH]

I think Scotland would crumble if it were to go independant - we dont have anything finacial to keep us stable....

fishing stocks are dwindling, farming is going down and... well... we have the oil, but it's not going to last forever... it is already starting to go on a downturn.

I would love it if we were independant.... but in realistic terms, it would never last.

 

[muppetmummy]

I agree, it would be nice to give Scotland independence but I'm not sure it would benefit either Scotland or England in the long term.

You know there's a very small minority of people in Cornwall who want Cornwall to have independence from the rest of Britain! How long would they last on their own!

 

[Misslarue]

I wonder if the government are secretly worried about this, and this alliegiance to the uk thing is an idea to try and glue everyone together.

I thought that too