National Anthem

[ionnsaigh]

All together now

Lord grant that Marshall Wade
May be thy mighty aid
Victory bring
May he sedition hush
And like a torrent rush
Rebellious Scots to crush
God save the Queen.

All together now.

[general jack o'niell]

would asking what you think of the plan to have school leavers have a US style graduation where they swear an oath of allegience to the crown, be off topic?

saw it on news this morning, couldn't believe my ears, i know two kids that won't be swearing any oaths, other than "away and get tae ........." if thats suggested to them, the only thing they're loyal to is family, and definitely not any monarchy, i took a straw poll, ie asked them, they told me since they want an independant scotland theres no way they'd swear allegience to the crown, they weren't as polite as that but i've edited so as not to offend any members south of the border. officially worse than their faither

[Annie]

WTF?!?!?! Who thought up that frecking idea? I can't see that being very popular!

It is nice though for the kids to have graduation though and have all their family there and a nice wee party afterwards!

When lots of us "graduated" we all went to the Lowland Church, sang the school hymn, were blessed and chucked out into the world without nery a pat on the back, nevermind "diplomas."

When I wanted to go to colllege in Virginia, I had a hoora time getting a "transcript" from the grammar, or even a confirmation that I even attended CGS, never mind graduate! And as for O levels and A levels - they don't even know what they are any more! Geesh!

Sorry to get a bit off topic there!

However, if the "oath" is only a suggestion, then it will become a moot point with our schools - I hope!

Sorry, no royalist here!!!

[ionnsaigh]

Fiona killed herself laughing - as I broke the news this morning- nice to see a smile on her bonnie face.
Josh our grandsons - other granddad - has a picture of the Queen in the living room. Sitting below an urn with the ashes of a former pet dog named ( Winston ) I kid you not. He is a stout Rangers Man - and a leading member of the Orange lodge in Drumchapel. Poor wee Josh stuck between a loyalist and a auld republican. Dae ye think we should call fur sum help - jist noo. Dinnae worry - a will teach the wee fella - awe that is good aboot being a Scot.
He can make up his ain mind withoot any bloody school trying tae indoctrinate him. over mae deid body.

[bill]

The idea of children swearing allegiance came from a report to "promote the meaning and significance of citizenship within modern Britain".

Surely though, as this country is a Monarchy,we are not citizens but infact subjects ?

[Sweltered]

[general jack o'niell]

we have a similiar oath thing in our house, every time we see another news report of school shootings or hurricanes or just general la la land carry on, we all say "thank feck we're naw american"

does it still start " i pledge allegience to these united states"? i'm sure i've heard that on something, if so what happened to the other united states that they aren't pledging to? those, them thar.

[ionnsaigh]

I just found out the other day that my 2 do the pledge of allegiance every morning at school

Just goes to show how much interest we pay to our children's education - strictly speaking oaths or pledges of allegiance - are forms of indoctrination -nothing to do with education - in my humble catholic indoctrinated opinion.

[general jack o'niell]

the only benefit of your choice of religion, absolution, like a get out of jail free card on lifes monopoly board. well not really but i thought it sounded deep and meaningful.

is this not the reason school assemblies changed? to remove the religious element, used to be a surefire way to spot the catholics, they were absent from school assemblies, having their own with a priest, we always imagined them getting a good doze of guilt laid on them and even self flagilation for having to mix with the rest of us for the rest of the day. nobody ever bothered to ask our beliefs, you were either catholic minority or "the rest" i'm sure there must have been a few who weren't church of scotland prods, but they never had a say in it. as for us athiests? think we had this thread already.

i pledge allegience to the decleration of arbroath.

[ionnsaigh]

Not - unfortunately my choice of religion - A should not even talk to you - as it is a Mortal Sin - or is it venial
Absolution well I'm not really sure of that aspect of theology - one good thing about a catholic upbringing - you get hard knees with all that kneeling - along with the mandatory bowing and shutting your eyes. Christ I had enough aged Eight years - I have always been a slow learner. I made a conscious decision never to send any of my children to a catholic school or church. They grew up with Atheist parents - and you know what - Two of the finest young men - even if I say so myself.
It remains a difficult monkey to shake off your back - me I'm away to self flagellate. now where the hell is that snake belt.

[Sweltered]

[general jack o'niell]

heres one for you, according to his mother and auntie, the wee boy in this clip looks like sweltered's son, didn't see it myself but she just showed me the missing matching teeth pic and there is a slight resemblance


http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid ... ue&bbcws=2

[Bobbie En Tejas]

general, its "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the.. " etc..

Kids say that just like some kids parrot any number of things before the start of the school day around the world. Most of the time it is lip service. I don't believe I have actually said the pledge of allegiance since I was a kid, can't recall even saying it in the military (maybe when I was being sworn in).

That is not to say that I am not patriotic, or that the symbolization of what the flag is really supposed to mean doesn't mean something to me.

[Sweltered]

[EMDEE]

I've always thought that the tune of the British national anthem is one of the most dreadful funereal dirges that was ever written.

So far as the words are concerned, people might find it more inspiring if it was actually about the country and they could relate to it.

It is mainly about saving the monarch. What a forelock-tugging low self-esteeming lot we must be.

God save the queen and bugger everybody else!

Billy Connolly once said that the Archers theme would make a great tune for the national anthem and I wholeheartedly agree with that. Time somebody put words to it.

Flower of Scotland is just about as bad as a Scottish national anthem. You don’t need to be an Anglophobe to be patriotic.