Ugh.. the pledge.. I had a group of first graders the other day (i'm a den leader for cub scouts) and asked them what the pledge meant. Noone knew. I asked what form of government we have? (it's stated in the pledge) Noone knew, except for one parent (got it spot-on, Constitutional Republic). Also asked if anyone knew what liberty meant. No clue. One parent said freedom, but then I went on to explain that it's much more than a word, it's a philosophy. And I tried to explain as best I could to a group of 6-year olds the philosophy of self-ownership & liberty. Ugh..
Anyways, I think this is where we need to try to make a difference. If you have children, get involved for craps sake and help "uneducate" these kids before we have another generation like our own.