The Corporation and Test Acts Re: A poor leftist

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

>In a message dated 06/03/2002 3:20:42 PM Central Daylight Time,
>jkschw at hotmail.com writes:
>
>  > Years ago, when I was much more on the left than I am now (though in fact I
>  > do not think thatmy substantive views are all that different), I 
>desperately
>  > offended my mom by refusing to stand for the SSB at my little sister's
>  > graduation. She barely spoke to me for two months. I don't think it was
>  > worth it to make a point. In fact, I think the point could have been better
>>   made without teeing her off. As I say, I'm a poor leftist.
>
>In my work as a museum curator, I sometimes give talks to groups like the
>Kiwanis.  The meetings of such organizations typically begin and end with
>some sort of patriotic exercise, such as the pledge of allegiance or the
>singing of "My Country 'Tis of Thee."  When I am the guest of such an
>organization, I join in, though I do so with considerable mental reservation.
>My political views (DSA-ish, though toward the left end of DSA) are no doubt
>fairly mild in terms of this list, but where I live and work, they make me a
>raving Bolshevik.  If I were a REAL leftist, I suppose I would clam up and
>adopt a disdainful sneer when my hosts recite the pledge.  Trouble is, if I
>did that they probably wouldn't listen very closely to what I said later
>about, say, agrarian protest movements in the 19th century midwest, or labor
>conflict in the New England textile industry in the 1840s.  They'd think I
>was rude or snobbish.  If they didn't listen closely to my talk, they
>probably wouldn't get the connections I try to make between these historical
>phenomena and the world of today.  So, count me a poor leftist, too.
>
>Jacob Conrad

There's a great deal of difference between refusing to recite the 
pledge of allegiance or to pay obeisance to official symbols of 
nationalism at ceremonial occasions and adopting "a disdainful sneer" 
towards others who do so.  No one is recommending the latter here, 
though some insist on confusing the former with the latter.  You 
don't take the sacrament according to the rites of the Church of 
England unless you belong to the Church, but Anglicans should have no 
reason to take offense at your not joining in (at least not since the 
repeal of the Corporation and Test Acts).

Oftentimes, though, peer pressures, if not laws, make it feel as if 
we were living in the times of the Corporation and Test Acts (Cf. 
<http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Ltest.htm>) -- you either take 
the sacrament of patriotism ritualistically or else will be at least 
excluded from public office, Kiwanis clubs, etc. (or worse).
-- 
Yoshie

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