Stupid dog tricks

Segments of both "ends" of the USA's rather short political spectrum possess certain shibboleths that they cannot set aside, even when it is in their interest to do so. Those of us who lean more or less to the left can recite many of the other side's obsessions, whilst being blind to our own. I've commented several times on a couple of those articles of faith. I won't belabour them now. This comment is about the small group of the Brookline faithful working to ban the pledge of allegiance from classrooms.

I'm not outraged by the idea. I'm not incensed. I'm just shaking my head at the obstinacy of an (apparently) tiny group of people whose primary objective seems to be picking a fight with conservatives and reactionaries. Their actual motives seem unclear, perhaps because the objectives vary with the personal agenda of the supporters.

As I recall it, the pledge was a mindless morning ritual, and would probably remain so for the kids if adults would just keep their hands off it. I'm old enough to remember when "under god" was added. I was in first or second grade, and my chief reaction was resentment at having to add a new phrase to something I'd learnt by heart.

My advice to both sides is to stay off these energy-wasting bombasts. Either pick real fights or lay the fights aside to help the one country out of this mess. If you don't, there'll be no question of "love it or leave it," because more than likely the country will be leaving you. "One nation indivisible" is more a pious hope than a reality just now.