Pledge

* Letter writer Charles F. Day cites the “one nation under God” phrase from the Pledge of Allegiance to support his belief in the compatibility of “divinity and democracy” (June 1). The pledge was conceived in the late 19th century by a Boston patriotic society and popularized during the nationalistic fervor preceding and following the Spanish-American War.

When I attended elementary school in the 1930s, we placed our hands on our hearts only during the first three words, “I pledge allegiance.” On the words “to the flag,” we extended our arms, palms up, toward the flag and did not lower them until the end. When World War II began, the arm extension was eliminated because of its similarity to the Nazi “Heil, Hitler” salute. During the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, with the threat of communism on everyone’s mind, “under God” was added.

The pledge has no religious or legal foundation. It is an arbitrary statement that changes to conform to the political climate; and the reference to God is relatively recent.

FORREST G. WOOD

Bakersfield