I pledge allegiance….
Upon my life and
honor, I promise to be loyal, to defend her and to seek only her best.
to the flag of the
United States of America…
not the cotton
batting or threads of which it’s made, but to the ideas, ideals, rights and the
great country it represents. It is what
it represents that deserves this pledge.
And to the republic
for which it stands….
Not a monarchy,
not a democracy, but a representative republic.
The first nation in the history of the world founded upon the principles
“that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit
of Happiness”, and to the Constitution and Bill of Rights created to insure,
protect and guarantee those rights. Being
a government “of the people, by the people and for the people”, she’s not
perfect, but she is worthy of my allegiance and defense.
One Nation….
What makes and
keeps millions of people, with different backgrounds and experiences, one? It is our common belief in the ideals of our
founding fathers; those rights given to us by our Creator. It is an understanding, even by those of
other religions, that our founding principles are based in Judeo-Christian
values and in the great history of western civilization, such as the Magna
Carta and the rule of law and capitalism to give a few examples. It is a common language, English. It is a distinctly American culture.
Under God….
It is the
recognition that our rights come not from 1776, but are rights given us by our
Creator, and to whom we rely for all things good.
Indivisible…
Like many
families, Americans are always arguing and struggling for what each deems to be
the best in their eyes, but as demonstrated in our own Civil War, we must
remember, we are one. However, we must
cultivate that oneness by teaching about, and adherence to, our founding
principles, the Constitution and our unique history and culture.
With liberty and
justice for all…
It is freedom for each and every person to
live their life and pursue happiness while not impeding on the rights of any
other citizen. It is equal treatment
under the law. It is not a guarantee of
equal results or even equal happiness, because to attempt to guarantee that
would require that some citizen’s rights be impinged.
