"I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which it stands
-- one nation indivisible -- with liberty and justice for all."
The original salute to the flag while reciting the pledge was the
straight-armed salute now associated with fascism.
I little more on the above. The quoted pledge is what I learned and
what we did in school every morning. The straight arm salute as you
call it - was not quite that.
It started with the right hand over your heart, palm open. at the
phrase .."and to the Republic for which it stands..." your arm swung out
with palm at a maybe 45 deg angle and completed the pledge with your
hand pointing to the flag. Not in a faschist salute, where the palm is
down and the whole arm held higher than the shoulder.
I believe the faschists were using the salute of the Romans - Ave
Imperator. Which is depicted in pictures and acting with the arm
stiffly raised, plam down. Never did know what "Sieg Heil" meant. Heil
probably means 'hail'. Trivia at its extreme.
Canada Day was the first and National Day in France is the 14th -
Bastille Day! So to our Sinclair cousins in both places - A salute!
[ This is the Sinclair family discussion list, sinclair@quarterman.org
[ To get off or on the list, see http://sinclair.quarterman.org/list.html