The Pledge of Allegiance

In my classes this week we’ve been talking a lot about nationalism and how national identities are constructed and perpetuated via the education system.

As an example, I mentioned to them how surprised and disconcerted I was this past weekend when my five-year old proudly Canadian daughter suddenly began reciting perfectly the American Pledge of Allegiance. As soon as I heard that, I promptly began teaching her the words to O Canada. 🙂

Perhaps, though, I should really be teaching her this version of the Pledge, courtesy of Matt Groening’s comic Life in Hell:

I plead alignment to the flakes of the untitled snakes of a merry cow. And to the Republicans, for which they scam, one nacho, underpants, with licorice and jugs of wine for owls.