Debbie Lord explains: "5 things you didn't know about the Pledge of Allegiance"

Debbie Lord penned this highly interesting article about the Pledge of Allegiance and there are five things you may not know about this short ceremony we've all stood up for many times. Here are the abbreviated 5 things you probably don't know:

1. The pledge was written in August 1892 by Francis Bellamy. Bellamy was a socialist. [emphasis added]
2. There was a pledge written five years before Bellamy wrote the one we use today. Col. George Blach’s pledge, which was used as often as Bellamy’s until 1923, read: "We give our heads and hearts to God and our country; one country, one language, one flag!"
3. In 1923, the words, "the Flag of the United States of America" were added to Bellamy’s original pledge.
4. In 1954, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words "under God," to the pledge.
5. The pledge consists of 31 words, and, according to the U.S. Flag Code, "should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart."

The City of Lake Worth starts all City Commission meetings with the roll call, then the "Invocation" followed by the pledge. The Pledge of Allegiance is here to stay although that's been challenged many times over the years.

The image above is from the City agenda for December 8th.

The invocation may soon become a thing of the past in the City and you'll hear about that when the agenda for January 5th's meeting is made public. If what I'm hearing is correct there just might be a lot of angry people when they find out who is giving the first invocation of 2016. Stay tuned.