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Democrats may have recited the Pledge of Allegiance this week during the Democratic National Convention, but with a glaring omission.
Videos posted to social media showed separate caucus meetings with DNC delegates that began with an altered version of the pledge which dropped the phrase “under God.” The videos, one of a Muslim meeting and the other from an LGBT Caucus, were shared by Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody on Twitter Wednesday afternoon.
NEW! Democrats leave out, “Under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance at the #DemocraticNationalConvention Muslim Caucus meeting this week. Watch delegate AJ Durrani skip it. Featured speakers at the event were @BernieSanders @RashidaTlaib & @TomPerez @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/Ra4SX2cqNy
— David Brody (@DavidBrodyCBN) August 19, 2020
The Muslim assembly, which reportedly featured Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Rashida Tlaib and DNC Chairman Tom Perez, began with delegate A.J. Durrani deliberately leaving out the words “under God” during the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands. One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” Durrani said at the DNC’s “Muslim Delegates and Allies Assembly.”
In another video, Dr. Marisa Richmond led the LGBT assembly with the modified pledge. Richmond, a DNC delegate who identifies as transgender, added a perceptible pause at the point the “under God” phrase should have been recited.
NEW VIDEO: At the #DemocraticNationalConvention , LGBT Caucus purposely leaves out the words, “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance. Watch. This now makes twice that two key constituencies of the Democratic Party have done this. See my earlier tweet about DNC Muslim Caucus pic.twitter.com/2GIDcCMq1F
— David Brody (@DavidBrodyCBN) August 19, 2020
The delegate, who teaches women’s studies at Middle Tennessee State University, held the American flag and gay pride flag during the pledge.
The original Pledge, made official by Congress in 1942, did not initially include the words “under God,” which were added by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in a bill signed in 1954.
“From this day forward, the millions of our school children will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural school house, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty,” Eisenhower wrote. “In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource, in peace or in war.”
While Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is trying to court voters of faith with his “Believers for Biden” effort, it seems there are significant portions of the party’s left wing that have their own agenda. The Democratic National Committee platform no longer includes the words “God-given,” which were removed in 2012.
At its summer convention in San Francisco last year, the DNC unanimously passed a resolution declaring that “religiously unaffiliated” Americans are the “largest religious group within the Democratic Party.”
The resolution also stated that “nonreligious Americans made up 17% of the electorate in 2018 and have the potential to deliver millions more votes for Democrats in 2020.”
The caucus videos shared Wednesday set off a wave of reactions on Twitter.
“Whenever @realDonaldTrump says Christianity is under siege from Democrats, the media disputes it,” Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel tweeted. “How much more proof do they need?
Many liberals and Democrats seemed perfectly fine with dropping “under God” during the pledge as could be seen in the comments to the videos posted by Brody.
Good. I always leave out that part anyway. It’s nonsense.
— BoundarySeeker, In COVID HotSpot🌵🦎 🐎🌊🌊🌊 (@BoundarySeeker) August 19, 2020
Great!
Should have never been added to the pledge. Time we remove it and remove in “god” we trust from currency as well.
— Jenna loves social distancing and so should you (@Seitanic_Panic_) August 19, 2020
“under God” is a McCarthyite addition to the Pledge and its inclusion is offensive to, among others, Orthodox Jews, Atheists, some Christian sects, some Muslims, and polytheists. It was deliberately inserted into the Pledge to offend at least one of those groups and likely more.
— Warren Terra (@warren__terra) August 19, 2020
Many others on Twitter just saw it as another “sad” example of the culture and what Democrats are really about.
Truly sad
— Steven Rowe (@SRowe1978) August 19, 2020
Unbelievable. What’s next to go?
— Max (@genmaximus53) August 20, 2020
And there’s your sign! Vote carefully…
— Christine Huwart (@ChristineHuwart) August 20, 2020
They just finally say it aloud
— Benita 🇺🇸 (@Benita98435857) August 20, 2020
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Frieda@bizpacreview.com
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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