Should children recite this instead of the pledge of "allegiance?"

[listenup]

America the Beautiful
Words by Katharine Lee Bates,
Melody by Samuel Ward
MIDI sequencing provided by Melody Lane

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!

O beautiful for pilgrims feet,
Whose stem impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through
wilds of thought
By pilgrim foot and knee!

O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice,
for man's avail
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!

[MrSlayer]

1. Too damn long and it has God in it.

And is there anything more annoying than little kids singing together?

[listenup]

3. more annoying than kids singing together

is anyone on American Idol.

Maybe the text could be shortened for the shorter attention spans of todays "youth"

[Katarina]

2. Children shouldn't have to recite anything

unless it's their ABC's and 123's.

[listenup]

4. why not recite love of a country?

albeit, one that may no longer exist, but the memory and recitation could possibly some day bring it back?

[slksln]

8. well, yea, but...

Unfortunately reciting it in schools is obligatory speech. Even if its optional, it would be considered coercion.

I also think that the Pledge should never have been changed.

Just me.

[Katarina]

9. And what if...

they don't love this country? No one picks the country they are born in and a child has no say in it.
A couple of months ago my high school sons "patriotism" was questioned by one of his teachers. She asked him if he didn't like this country why was he still here. Hmmm, he's 15 years old..it's not his choice and that teacher got quite the talking to from me.

[listenup]

10. that's a tough one

to instill within a child a love of his country means a love of his community. If that doesn't exist, then how can one feel comfortable?

I don't know. I no longer feel comfortable in my "own" country.

I wish you luck.

[Archae]

5. Better version.

Oh beautiful for smoggy skies
insecticided grain
for strip mined mountain majesties
above teh asphalt plain

America, America, man sheds his waste on thee
and hides the pines with billboard signs
from sea to oily sea.

-George Carlin

[fearnobush]

6. I'd just let it be. This is shaping up like a wedge issue, and

I fear we have much greater issues to fight for these days.

[listenup]

7. let it be

Beatles: old and wise:

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree,
There will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be. Yeah
There will be an answer, let it be.

And when the night is cloudy,
There is still a light that shines on me,
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be,
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.