I'd like to know also.
Here's a LP Pledge:
I pledge allegiance to freedom in the United States of America.
In the people's republic, for which we stand, one nation under human! SMILE
As one of the convention contractors (with Mike Denny), I suppose I can
answer these questions.
1. No
2. No
3. No
While we sometimes see Old Glory and the California State Flag on display at
the hotels that sponsor our conventions, they are not officially required to
be displayed and I've never seen any group (ROTC or otherwise) "present" the
flags in an official capacity.
I have never observed the Pledge of Allegiance recited at any LP convention
I've ever attended. Most Libertarians know that the Pledge of Allegiance
was only adopted in the 1950s to distinguish the U.S. from the "godless
communists" and was originally used as a marketing tool to sell flags to
public schools as a publicity campaign by the Christian Socialist publishers
of the Youth's Companion Magazine. See
http://history.vineyard.net/pledge.htm for the whole shocking story, if you
haven't already read about it.
At the first LPC convention I attended in 1993, a debate was held on the
issue of keeping or abolishing the Libertarian Party's "Pledge" or
"Non-Initiation of Force agreement" as the matter was expected to be voted
on at the national convention the following summer. The movement to
aboloish the pledge failed to obtain the necessary 2/3 majority, so we still
have the Pledge in our rules. At that same convention, our former LPC Chair
John Vernon read the Libertarian Party's Statement of Principles to open the
official business meeting, for which he received a standing ovation. John's
booming voice and eloquent diction of the basic principles of our Party made
me extremely proud to be among those delegates. I miss him very, very much,
and I will always treasure that memory.
As we respect the separation of church and state, I have never, ever seen or
heard anyone pray as a part of our "official" business, and no prayer has
ever been included in the official business of any LP convention I've ever
attended. I'm sure many people pray for us "unofficially" all the time.
As for next month's LPC Convention in San Ramon, we do have a red, white and
blue motif in our official logo, but we do not plan to fly the flag in any
official capacity. The San Ramon Valley Conference Center does have
flagpoles, and may routinely fly the Stars and Stripes as well as the
California flag, but that is their decision, not ours. We could also fly a
Libertarian flag if we wish. I may see if we can obtain a Gadsden Flag
("Don't Tread on Me") as a publicity stunt to fly alongside the traditional
flags, if it would get us more media attention!
Terry Floyd