PREVIEW: The Friday Edition. - I don’t pledge allegiance to the flag.

Summary

Tangle Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: Tangle
Host: Isaac Saul (with this episode's essay read by Contributing Editor Isaac Wood)
Episode: PREVIEW: The Friday Edition. - I don’t pledge allegiance to the flag.
Date: August 7, 2026

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Overview

This episode features a personal essay from Tangle's Contributing Editor, Isaac Wood, delving into his evolving relationship with the Pledge of Allegiance and more broadly, the meaning of ceremonial patriotism. He recounts his discomfort with rituals like the pledge, explores family and religious contexts, and questions the genuine value of such ceremonies in shaping citizens. The conversation touches on moral formation, the tension between patriotism and personal belief, and the deeper purpose of shared traditions.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Early Experiences with the Pledge

• Childhood Pressure & Discomfort:

  • Wood describes his grade school experiences, specifically Veterans Day programs, where all students were expected to participate in patriotic ceremonies. He recalls "lots of prepubescent pit stains," and the anxiety induced by the unspoken pressure to conform.

    "Coerced is too strong a word, but I definitely felt a lot of pressure. The expectation that everyone participate wholeheartedly in honoring our country and its symbols was unspoken, but its presence was heavy." (03:03)

• Comparison to Religious Ceremonies:

  • He likens the experience to attending church for the first time, highlighting discomfort with collective displays that feel performative rather than heartfelt.

    "It reminded me of walking into a new church for the first time and feeling scrutinizing, eyes on your back as you fumble to find the right page in the hymnal." (03:53)

Teenage Resistance and Family Context

• Personal and Intergenerational Resistance:

  • Wood’s discomfort led to quiet forms of resistance, like mouthing the words or simply staying silent. He later learned that family members had found their own subtle ways to opt out—a tradition of non-participation stretching back decades.

    "Looking back, it's bizarre to think about how every morning at the buzz of an intercom, 25 children in each schoolroom would robotically rise and recite a 15 second oath of devotion." (08:58)

• Influence of Music, Books & Faith:

  • Cites Pink Floyd, George Orwell’s 1984, and Emerson’s Self Reliance as inspirations for questioning conformity, especially in acts like the pledge.
  • Family member avoids the pledge due to religious convictions, placing loyalty to Christ above country:

    "If Christ and country ever collide, he will pick Christ without question. The pledge very explicitly expresses a devotion to the republic, and for him, that's just not true." (09:35)

  • Mentions historical and religious precedents for refusing civic oaths.

• Jehovah’s Witnesses Supreme Court Case:

  • References West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943), which upheld the right not to say the pledge on religious grounds.

    "In 1943, Walter Barnett, a Jehovah's Witness, won a Supreme Court case defending the right to not say the Pledge of Allegiance on religious grounds." (10:25)

Reflection on Patriotism, Citizenship, and Ceremonies

• Observing Modern-Day Ceremonies:

  • Wood describes attending recent graduations, noticing his own conflicting feelings when others didn’t observe ceremonial protocol. This led to questions about what respect for country and symbols really means.

    "Why do I expect others to honor the flag during the posting of the colors, but at the same time I refuse to pledge allegiance to the flag myself?" (06:24)

• Ceremonies as Moral Formation:

  • Despite his reservations about the pledge, Wood expresses an appreciation for tradition and shared ceremonies, seeing them as tools for shaping communal values—citing writers and philosophers who explored the social function of rituals.

    "I'm actually a big fan of ceremony and tradition [...] I like a ceremony that directs a group of people's attention, binding us together for one shared purpose." (13:27)

    • Highlights insights from David Brooks (on lack of communal moral formation), Alasdair MacIntyre (on shared stories), and Aristotle (on habits and virtue).

• Reason for Non-Participation:

  • Wood’s thoughtful resistance: he doesn’t recite the pledge "for the same reason I value silence during the posting of the colors. Traditions and ceremonies shape us," and should not be undertaken thoughtlessly.

    "I refuse to say the pledge for the same reason I value silence during the posting of the colors. Traditions and ceremonies shape us. That's what is happening, but the how is more interesting." (13:57)

What Makes a Good Citizen?

• Deeper Questions of Citizenship:
  • Raises the question whether being a good citizen is about outward displays of loyalty—like voting and honoring the flag—or something deeper.

    "What does it actually mean to bring up a generation of good citizens? Is it just about teaching kids that they should vote, respect the flag and honor the country? Or is it something else entirely?" (05:13)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the Unspoken Pressure:

  "Coerced is too strong a word, but I definitely felt a lot of pressure... the expectation was unspoken, but its presence was heavy." (03:03)

• On Contradictions and Self-Reflection:

  "Why do I expect others to honor the flag during the posting of the colors, but at the same time I refuse to pledge allegiance to the flag myself?" (06:24)

• On Family’s Religious Dilemma:

  "He considers himself loyal to America, but if Christ and country ever collide, he will pick Christ without question." (09:35)

• On Ceremonial Power:

  "I like a ceremony that directs a group of people's attention, binding us together for one shared purpose. If that purpose is shared with a long line of people who came before us, even better." (13:32)

• On Why He Refuses the Pledge:

  "I refuse to say the pledge for the same reason I value silence during the posting of the colors. Traditions and ceremonies shape us." (13:57)

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Important Timestamps

• [01:50] – Introduction to the topic by Isaac Wood; setting up the theme with school memories
• [03:03] – Recollections about pressure to participate in patriotic ceremonies
• [06:24] – Internal conflict after a graduation ceremony; questioning his own standards
• [09:35] – Religious reasoning for not pledging allegiance; loyalty to Christ vs. country
• [10:25] – Historical context: Supreme Court case on religious abstention from the pledge
• [13:27] – Wood’s love for ceremony and tradition despite his refusal to join the pledge
• [13:57] – Refusal to say the pledge grounded in thoughtful engagement with the power of rituals

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Tone and Style

The essay is deeply personal, reflective, and thoughtful, weaving anecdotes with philosophical and historical references. Wood’s tone is searching, honest, and non-confrontational, inviting listeners to consider their own views on patriotism and tradition.

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Conclusion

This episode of Tangle offers a nuanced, introspective look into the complexities of patriotism, ritual, and personal conscience in America. Rather than settle for easy answers, Isaac Wood examines the forces that shape loyalty and belief, both as individuals and communities. The discussion is timely, resonant, and challenges the audience to think critically about what it really means to be a good citizen.

Transcript

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[D]

Hey, this is contributing editor Isaac Wood. Here is this week's Friday edition, which is about why I don't pledge allegiance to the flag. I remember sweating a lot in grade school. Lots of prepubescent pit stains and perspiratory cafeteria conversations over chicken patties. But the sweat was always especially profuse at the annual Veterans Day program. Every year, all the elementary school students piled into buses and gathered in the junior high gym. The school choruses sang America the Beautiful, the school band played patriotic songs, and the smart students read poems and led the Pledge of Allegiance. And even now, as I think back to 15 years ago, I can feel the faint onset of nerves. Coerced is too strong a word, but I definitely felt a lot of pressure. The expectation that everyone participate wholeheartedly in honoring our country and its symbols was unspoken, but its presence was heavy. It reminded me of walking into a new church for the first time and feeling scrutinizing, eyes on your back as you fumble to find the right page in the hymnal. Singing hymns isn't necessarily a bad thing. I like singing hymns, but that sense of pressure and judgment feels terrible. My discomfort with flag centered ceremonies like processions and pledges grew stronger with time. The traditions continued to feel forced, and I started feeling a disconnect. Are these bouncy songs and fervent flag wavings really the best way to raise good citizens? Does verbally pledging allegiance to my country actually make me a better American? Before I knew it, my sweaty school aged self was shifting my weight nervously at my desk and mouthing the words without conviction. Over a decade later, I now don't say the pledge at all. But then something happened this spring at a cousin's high school graduation, parents in the audience cheered for their graduating children during the posting of the colors, a violation of flag etiquette and ceremonial protocol which calls for facing the flag and standing at attention. I found myself shaking my head, thinking, who are they to not respect the flag? But then a moment of internal embarrassment. Why do I expect others to honor the flag during the posting of the colors, but at the same time I refuse to pledge allegiance to the flag myself? I attended three other graduations for friends and family this spring, so I've had plenty of opportunity during other pledges, anthems and processions to mull this question over. Watching young graduates walk across the stage and hearing speeches about their futures began an internal dialogue about allegiant citizenship and patriotism. What does it actually mean to bring up a generation of good citizens? Is it just about teaching kids that they should vote, respect the flag and honor the country? Or is it something else entirely? The shortest distance I traveled for graduation was to a small school just across my city in East Tennessee. My wife teaches there, and a good friend's daughter was graduating from the eighth grade. The teachers and students processed in and an administrator led the Pledge of Allegiance. Rows of adults instinctively rose, turned the flag, put their hands over their hearts, and declared their allegiance. Not everyone, though. My friend beside me kept his hand by his side. Then I noticed he wasn't saying the words of the pledge either. It was a nice moment of hey, you too. This reminded me why I resist pledging allegiance to the flag in my middle school and high school years. In typical teenage fashion, I started listening to music and reading books that gave teeth to the resistance I felt during those Veterans Day programs. Pink Floyd and 1984 by George Orwell crystallized the feeling that I was being forced to think and act in certain ways. Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Joe Pug's Nation of Heat album convinced me, for better and worse, that I should listen to my own thoughts rather than following the herd. All of a sudden, those forced pledges really did feel coercive, and I've never been able to shake that feeling. Looking back, it's bizarre to think about how every morning at the buzz of an intercom, 25 children in each schoolroom would robotically rise and recite a 15 second oath of devotion. I was a teenager, so I thought I was the first person to discover these connections and resist them. But it turns out I come from a long line of people who resisted the pledge of A distant relative of mine began his high school teaching career during the tumultuous 1970s, and he would position his desk at the back of his classroom so that his students wouldn't notice. When he didn't say the pledge, another family member came up with a cheeky solution. If you don't say the words I pledge allegiance, then the sentence magically becomes a nonsensical fragment, rendering the whole thing meaningless. This fic scratches my grammar nerd brain. Real nice. You may find that arbitrary, but for him it resolves a serious concern stemming from his Christian faith. His ultimate commitment, loyalty and devotion are to Christ. He considers himself loyal to America, but if Christ and country ever collide, he will pick Christ without question. The pledge very explicitly expresses a devotion to the republic, and for him, that's just not true. To pledge allegiance to the republic would make his word meaningless, so he doesn't say it. My family members are not the first Christians to contend with this tension between loyalties. Early Christians were martyred for swearing fidelity to Christ instead of the Roman Emperor. Some Christians in 17th century Japan were executed for choosing not to step on an image of Jesus. Luckily, I'm not at the whims of the Romans or the Tokugawa Shogunate, but the principle stands. Since Christianity's beginning, its adherents have made decisions about where their ultimate loyalty lies. In 1943, Walter Barnett, a Jehovah's Witness, won a Supreme Court case defending the right to not say the Pledge of Allegiance on religious grounds. Jehovah's Witnesses still abstain from saying the Pledge because it contains wording that promises devotion to a country above all else. They therefore cannot in good conscience participate in such ceremonies. My feelings towards the pledge at this point are also pretty tied up with my relationship to religion. I was raised by a youth minister and worship minister who were themselves raised in Christian households in my George Orwell and Ralph Waldo Emerson years. I also doubted what all that Jesus stuff meant and interrogated why I should listen to a book from thousands of years ago. Those were tough years as my whole worldview had been shaped by the stories and teachings of that old book. If I threw it all out, the world wouldn't make much sense. As I navigated some choppy religious waters, an unknown journey was lurking around the corner trying to sort through my understanding of civic duty and patriotism for another graduation My wife and I drove a few hours over the Appalachian range for my cousin's commencement. I mentioned earlier he went to a huge high school Near Winston Salem, N.C. the school's student enrollment is literally half the number of my hometown's population, and the ceremony was held in the Wake Forest University basketball arena. We were all settled in with aunts, uncles and cousins when the ceremony of 533 graduates began. Then came the posting of the colors. As we watched three young military recruits process the flags, the room remained loud. Parents and grandparents all throughout the stadium were cheering, calling out the names of their graduates. I was immediately flummoxed, if not downright angry, which of course led to that question when I refused to say the pledge. Am I not being just as disrespectful Foreign.

[E]

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[D]

I'm actually a big fan of ceremony and tradition. An old prayer, a holiday, a song, a sport. Don't get me started on processions. I like a ceremony that directs a group of people's attention, binding us together for one shared purpose. If that purpose is shared with a long line of people who came before us, even better. I love that at every wedding I attend, I stand with everyone else at attention to honor and express support for the bride as the couple begins their life together. Anything that's lasted hundreds or thousands of years immediately earns my respect. And on top of that, I just think it's plain cool. The pledge isn't thousands of years old, but it is 134 years old, or at least most of it. So when I make the decision not to say the Pledge, I don't make it lightly, but in a roundabout way. I refuse to say the pledge for the same reason. I value silence during the posting of the colors. Traditions and ceremonies shape us. That's what is happening, but the how is more interesting. Shared actions and shared words. They're present in the Pledge of Allegiance, hand over heart, recite the script, and during other rituals, like singing hymns or belting team chants at soccer games. These activities express shared interests and values, but they also form them. Writers have considered the importance of shared activity for centuries. Writing recently, David Brooks thinks a lack of communal moral formation causes sadness and meanness in Americans in the 20th century. Alastair Macindyre believed people's moral imaginations are shaped by the shared stories and practices of their communities. Aristotle wrote about how habits or stable, active conditions form virtue, shared activities and traditions shape people, and patriotic ceremonies are no different. That's really why the Pledge of Allegiance was written in the first place.

[G]

Hey everybody, this is John, Executive Producer for Tangle. We hope you enjoyed this preview of our latest episode. If you are not currently a newsletter subscriber or a premium podcast subscriber and you are enjoying this content and would to like to finish it, you can go to readtangle.com and sign up for a newsletter subscription. Or you can sign up for a podcast subscription or a bundled subscription which gets you both the podcast and the newsletter and unlocks the rest of this episode as well as ad free daily podcasts, more Friday editions, Sunday editions, bonus content, interviews and so much more. Most importantly, we just want to say thank you so much for your support. We're working hard to bring you much more content and more offerings, so stay tuned. I will join you again for the daily podcast. For the rest of the crew, this is John Law signing off. Have a great day, y'.

[F]

All.

[G]

Peace.

[E]

Our Executive Editor and founder is me, Isaac Saul and our Executive producer is John Law. Today's episode was edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Our editorial staff is led by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman with Senior Editor Will Kbach and Associate Editors Audrey Moorhead and Bailey. Song music for the podcast was produced by Diet75. To learn more about Tangle and to sign up for a membership, please visit our [e-mail].

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