The U.S. flag is a great symbol of our nation, but the principles we cherish as a country are enshrined in our Constitution. Let’s give the Constitution the allegiance it deserves.
Poor Richard`s Blog: https://bit.ly/prb-abp
#PledgeOfAllegiance #ConstitutionalOath
Daylight Saving Time starts at 2 PM on Sunday, March 9th.
What do you think... should Congress make Standard Time permanent?
#DST #SpringForward
To provide the highest standard of living for all Americans, and to remain competitive on the world stage, the U.S. needs scientific info & literacy now more than ever.
#StandUpForScience on March 7th at events nationwide!
https://standupforscience2025.org/
#ScienceForAll #ScienceNotSilence
The Benjamin Franklin Party is featured on the current episode of the Long Live Alternative Parties podcast available on Spotify, Apple, and TuneIn. Give it a listen!👂
https://open.spotify.com/episode/37btio87ceXKCExvzXnvZV
A better metaphor for U.S. politics is an orchestra, a business, or a movie, not a tribe or sports.
👉 https://bit.ly/prb-ms
Real leaders don`t spend time deflecting blame. They accept responsibility for the path forward.
You can`t lead into the past.
#WhatsThePlan
Per the U.S. Supreme Court`s 2024 presidential immunity decision, DJT`s statement applies to the President but no one else (although the President can pardon others).
#PresidentialImmunity #EndsVsMeans
Trust requires #transparency. #DOGE needs to appropriately show its work and immediately turn over any evidence of wrongdoing to the #DOJ.
Stay updated
Paid for by the Benjamin Franklin Party. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
Benjamin Franklin Party and Ben Franklin Party are registered trademarks of the Benjamin Franklin Party.
© Benjamin Franklin Party, All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Contact Us
Instagram | Bluesky | X (Twitter) | TikTok | Youtube | Facebook | LinkedIn | Change Your Political Party
Who's Poor Richard?
Benjamin Franklin, writing under the pseudonym Richard Saunders (AKA "Poor Richard"), published Poor Richard's Almanack from 1732 to 1758. The almanack provided useful information, proverbial wisdom, and humor to the American colonies.
In keeping with Franklin's legacy, Poor Richard's Blog tackles today’s complex issues and the foundations of the Franklin Party, while hopefully also dispensing some wisdom and good humor along the way.
The
Announcements
Commentary
And More
Poor Richard’s Blog
Poor Richard's Blog
Benjamin Franklin, writing under the pseudonym Richard Saunders (AKA "Poor Richard"), published Poor Richard's Almanack from 1732 to 1758. The almanack provided useful information, proverbial wisdom, and humor to the American colonies.
In keeping with Franklin's legacy, Poor Richard's Blog tackles today’s complex issues and the foundations of the Franklin Party, while hopefully also dispensing some wisdom and good humor along the way.
Welcome to the Franklin Party Newsletter!
A Better Pledge
Sometimes you do something for so long that you forget why you are doing it. What’s the original reason for blowing out candles on a birthday cake? Why is knocking on wood supposed to ward off bad luck? Why exactly do we shake hands with someone when we first meet them?
When it comes to civics in the United States, one thing we do reflexively is the Pledge of Allegiance. We recite the pledge at school and government events and seldom question what we are actually doing.
It’s a bit strange when you think about it. We pledge allegiance to the “flag” of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. The republic makes sense, but why the flag? Why not just pledge allegiance to the United States?
The flag is an important symbol, but it is odd to pledge allegiance to a symbol rather than just what the symbol represents. The United States of America defines its flag, the flag does not define the United States. We don’t add another state to the Union because a star was added to the flag. It’s the other way around. We add another star because a new state has joined.
So, what defines the United States? We the people do, through the U.S. Constitution, and our body of laws built on that Constitution. The Constitution is the bedrock of our system of government. The republic mentioned in the pledge is a constitutional republic. It is the first of its kind and the longest-running constitutional republic in world history. That is something worth pledging to.
In fact, the Oath of Allegiance, which every naturalized citizen of the United States recites to become a citizen, is an oath of allegiance to the Constitution, not the flag. And the oaths that U.S. government officials and every member of the U.S. military pledge are to the Constitution. Again, not the flag.
Indeed, the requirement that U.S. government officials take an oath to support the U.S. Constitution is written in the Constitution. You won’t find any reference to the Pledge of Allegiance in the Constitution, because the first version of the pledge wasn’t created until almost a hundred years after the Constitution was penned.
So why do we pledge allegiance to the flag? In a word, marketing. Starting in 1892, a popular children’s magazine at the time, The Youth’s Companion, began promoting the Pledge of Allegiance, along with flag sales, as a way of instilling patriotism in public school children. Congress formally recognized the Pledge of Allegiance some 50 years later, on the eve of America’s involvement in World War II, and the words “under God” were added during the Communist scare of the 1950s.
At the Benjamin Franklin Party, we are not against the Pledge of Allegiance, we just think a pledge to the Constitution of the United States is a better pledge. At the national level, we begin all of our formal meetings, hand over heart and facing the flag, with this excerpt taken from the congressional oath of office:
In the United States, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance is a comfortable tradition, but it’s important to remember what we are doing and why we are doing it. The flag is a great symbol of our nation, but the values and principles we cherish as a country are enshrined in our Constitution. Let’s consider giving the Constitution the recognition it deserves by pledging our allegiance to it.
Yours in republic keeping,
James Carroll
BFPNC Chair
Share to:
Subscribe to Poor Richard’s Blog
You may also enjoy:
Handcuffing the Lifeguard
This congressional appropriations season, please tell your U.S. Representative to oppose Rep. Biggs’ Appropriations Amendment #4 (homeopathy FDA exemption) to H.R. 4368.
Declarations
Let’s declare our independence from the modern adversaries that would rip us apart, and redeclare our interdependence to each other.
Respective Experts
Some legislators refuse to pass certain (or any) gun legislation, saying it is unconstitutional. But, this decision ignores the totality of our history and the design of our government. Read why legislators should pass good-faith gun laws, even if they are unsure of its constitutionality.