Full Text of HR0091 94th General Assembly
HR0091 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, In its original form, the Pledge of Allegiance - | 3 |
| written by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist Minister, and first | 4 |
| published in the September 8, 1892 issue of the Youth's | 5 |
| Companion - read "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the | 6 |
| Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with | 7 |
| liberty and justice for all"; and
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| WHEREAS, With two revisions between 1892 and 1924, the | 9 |
| Pledge of Allegiance read "I pledge allegiance to the flag of | 10 |
| the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it | 11 |
| stands; one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for | 12 |
| all"; and
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| WHEREAS, On Flag Day, June 14, 1954, after a campaign by | 14 |
| the Knights of Columbus and with public support, Congress | 15 |
| passed and President Eisenhower signed into law a statute that | 16 |
| amended the Pledge of Allegiance to read "one nation under God, | 17 |
| indivisible"; and
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| WHEREAS, The Pledge of Allegiance (Pledge) is a verbal | 19 |
| expression, the effect of which is to instill support for the | 20 |
| nation, the flag, and the principles for which the flag stands; | 21 |
| its recitation is not a religious exercise; and
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| WHEREAS, The Pledge, including the phrase "one Nation under | 23 |
| God", reflects the historical fact that a belief in God | 24 |
| permeated the founding and development of our Nation; it is a | 25 |
| recognition of the fact that many people believe in God and the | 26 |
| value that our culture has traditionally placed on the role of | 27 |
| religion in our founding and our culture; and
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| WHEREAS, The First Amendment to the Constitution embodies | 29 |
| principles intended to guarantee freedom of religion both | 30 |
| through the free exercise thereof and by prohibiting the |
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| government establishing a religion; and
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| WHEREAS, The Supreme Court has recognized that | 3 |
| governmental entities may, consistent with the First | 4 |
| Amendment, recognize the religious heritage of America; and
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| WHEREAS, Patriotic songs, engravings on U.S. legal tender, | 6 |
| and engravings on federal buildings contain general references | 7 |
| to "God"; and
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| WHEREAS, Congress has consistently supported the Pledge by | 9 |
| starting each session with its recitation; and
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| WHEREAS, The Pledge is recited, on average, tens of | 11 |
| millions of times a day, largely by students in schools across | 12 |
| America; and
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| WHEREAS, The practice of voluntarily reciting the Pledge in | 14 |
| public school classrooms should not only continue but should be | 15 |
| encouraged by the policies of Congress, the various states, | 16 |
| municipalities, and public school officials; and
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| WHEREAS, Those who do not share the beliefs expressed in | 18 |
| the Pledge or who do not wish to pledge allegiance to the flag | 19 |
| have the right to refrain from its recitation; and
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| WHEREAS, The phrase "one Nation under God" reflects that | 21 |
| religious faith was central to the Founding Fathers, and thus | 22 |
| to the founding of the Nation; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 24 |
| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 25 |
| we revere the United States flag and the Pledge of Allegiance; | 26 |
| and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That we support the continued use of the phrase |
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| "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.
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