Pledge in the United States
“We find the Pledge is one of allegiance to our Republic, not of allegiance to the God or to any religion.”
(Ninth Circuit Judge Carlos T. Bea, author of the March 11 majority opinion in Newdow v. Rio Linda Unified School District, over the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance)
“No judge familiar with the history of the Pledge could in good conscience believe … that the words ‘under God’ were inserted into the Pledge for any purpose other than an explicitly and predominantly religious one.”
(Ninth Circuit Judge Stephen Reinhardt in dissent)
Practical Information
Note: Some of this information was last updated in 1982
The placement of personal property by the owner with a lender as security for a debt. Pawned articles and stocks and bonds put up as collateral for a loan are the most common pledges. Essentials of a pledge are (1) a debt or obligation to be secured; (2) the thing pledged; (3) the pledgor (the one who gives the pledge) and the pledgee (the one who receives the pledge); (4) transfer of possession of the property (if the actual physical possession is practically impossible, the pledgee may acquire constructive (in U.S. law) possession); (5) retention of title in the pledgor; (6) the pledgor’s right to redeem the pledge; (7) a contract, express or implied, covering the transaction. When stock is pledged as collateral, the pledgee has the right and is bound to collect the dividends and apply them to the loan, in the absence of an agreement to the contrary between the pledgor and the pledgee. This is the legal theory. As a matter of practice, the stockholder makes an assignment of the stock in blank and the stock is not transferred on the books of the corporation unless the pledgor defaults; the stockholder pledgor therefore continues to collect the dividends.
(Revised by Ann De Vries)
What is Pledge?
For a meaning of it, read Pledge in the Legal Dictionary here. Browse and search more U.S. and international free legal definitions and legal terms related to Pledge.
Resources
See Also
Further Reading (Articles)
`PLEDGE’ QUESTION STIRS UP TOWN MEETING DEBATE REIGNITED WITH MOVE TO ALTER PRACTICE, The Boston Globe (Boston, MA); September 3, 2006; Michael Slind, Globe Correspondent
Pledge, Encyclopaedia Judaica; January 1, 2007; Elon, Menachem
Pledges hamper compromise, Post-Tribune (IN); August 5, 2011
Pledge Recitation Routine in County Before Mandate, The Washington Post; August 23, 2001; Christina A. Samuels
Financing under A Pledge of Rolling Stock, Mondaq Business Briefing; September 10, 2013; Chikanayev, Shaimerden
Uncollected pledges vex charity, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, CO); March 4, 2001; Eric Gorski The Gazette
A Pledge That Doesn’t Need Fixing, The Washington Post; June 27, 2002; Marc Fisher
Pledge remaining in schools, AZ Daily Star; August 13, 2002; Colleen Sparks and Veronica Torrejon
Reciting pledge in any language shows patriotism, AZ Daily Star; April 9, 2008
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, School Library Media Activities Monthly; November 1, 2004; Brodie, Carolyn S
Pm’s Pledges. and the Truth; Commentary, Daily Mail (London); March 29, 2010
The pledge of allegiance: What’s all the excitement about?, New Oxford Review; November 1, 2002; Gerring, Anthony L
Pledge of Allegiance gets thumbs up at Gorham High ; The school committee authorizes the Pledge be recited daily over the school’s intercom., Portland Press Herald (Portland, ME); January 15, 2009; DENNIS HOEY By DENNIS HOEY Staff Writer
Pledge in schools: Mandatory or not? Parents and other adults are pushing for the Pledge of Allegiance to regain its prominence.(NEWS), Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN); October 13, 2001; Walsh, James
Pledge law has schools astir; Winona will opt out of the new requirement, but Minneapolis decided to comply.(NEWS), Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN); August 27, 2003; Shah, Allie
Pledge to keep SA’s flag high; A Pledge to Your Country!”I pledge my loyalty and devotion to the flag of South Africa.My heart belongs to the magnificent people for which it stands.My soul to the inspiring beauty of our land. I promise to stand up for this nation, to care for its diverse languages and cultures…….(Workplace), The Star (South Africa); August 15, 2007
MINDWORKS; PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.(VARIETY)(MINDWORKS), Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN); October 3, 2005; Baca, Maria Elena
I Pledge Allegiance To What? To Candidate With Guts on Salute.(TheFrontPage), The New York Observer (New York, NY); October 27, 2003
Antitax Pledge and Its Author Face a Big Test, Honolulu Star – Advertiser; November 20, 2012; Peters, Jeremy W.
Pledge remains controversial, Telegraph – Herald (Dubuque); June 21, 2007; EMILY KLEIN
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