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The United States Pledge of Allegiance

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It’s endured a lot in its history. The basic tenets of the symbol remain constant.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Last month I volunteered to lead a group in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag. The words of this pledge have haunted me for at least the past four years. Each time they’re uttered, either mentally or aloud, their meanings challenge my thought processes. Are these utterances actually reflective of the true state of being in this country? I had difficulty responding in the affirmative.

It was time to share my thoughts in this regard in a subtle way. It was time to allow others to reflect on the words and take the steps toward giving cognition to their meaning and value. Just precisely what promise is being made? Why is this oath of loyalty being made? Does this country truly represent the things it purports to promise to all of its population? Perhaps Colin Kaepernick was correct in drawing attention to the inconsistencies of citizenship rights and justices. However, Kaepernick’s symbolic speech had to do with the National Anthem, not the pledge to the flag.

Still, there are some troubling parallels between the symbolic protest related to the song, the difficulties with believing the words that promise fealty to a country and its flag, and the realities brought to the fore of the Black Lives Matter (“BLM”) movement. It makes one ponder whether people are actually cognizant of the import of the words, the force they carry, or whether they are merely and mindlessly parroting a set of words as part of a ritual; there’s no appreciation of what’s being said or done.

As I contemplated the date of the meeting and how the pledge would be recited by the group, my life was impacted by various elements around me. It was publicized that hate crimes were being perpetrated against those who support the BLM movement. Rusted nails are being left in various parts of their property. Some of those instances impacted my residence. A very legitimate concern about the efficacy of reporting these and other violations of my personal safety became matters that needed a decision. They begged the question of whether any report or follow-up action would be taken.

Police chiefs in several U.S. cities were asked to retire because of their lack of action and demonstrated slack enforcement of peace during rallies. The one occupying the White House praised demonstrators (identified and admitted White Supremists) who inflicted harm and death upon peaceful demonstrators. And then there were speeches fomenting hate and instigating uprisings and violence. These begged the question of whether the vow of allegiance was deserved if the country could not serve all of its people in an equitable manner.

It was time to draw on my musical background. It was time to carve out the words in phrases that would allow the speaker to consider the many aspects of what the words actually mean contrasted to whether or not those words actually have meaning and substance based on reality.

So the meeting’s Pledge of Allegiance was composed as though it was a sheet of music to be sung. It hailed back to pre-1954 when President Eisenhower inserted the phrase “under God” so that the original text could be appreciated. It was spaced as though poetry. And before it was recited by the group, the members were asked to assume the discipline of an orchestra being led by a conductor. They were asked to repeat the words I had spoken and wait for the next phrase. The recitation that came about was:

I pledge allegiance
to the flag of the United States of America
and to the republic for which it stands
one nation,
indivisible,
with liberty and justice
for all.

Polling the group for their impressions of the words was not appropriate. That was not the purpose of reciting the pledge. No doubt that exercise did leave the members considering the words that were just recited. Is it possible there were some who wanted to question the reasoning for the style and the rudiments of the content?

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Making Sense of Senselessness

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Facebook’s prompt on one’s profile is “What’s on your mind?” I wrote what was on my mind but the thoughts didn’t stop. Realizing how temporal the feed (even on one’s personal profile) tends to be, I wanted to put those thoughts in a place that has more permanence.

What provoked all of this exercise was the news of the shootings that occurred yesterday in quiet Redlands, California. The day after the Paris shootings, I was awakened to reportage of the incident and its horror. It was then that I posted to Facebook’s prompt that I envisioned this was the beginning of warfare on various parts of United States soil. It appears that day is dawning.

For a time, there were several who read this blog (and my others) who pleasantly encouraged me to add graphics in order to make the content “pop.” I’ve been following the suggestion. However, searching for the appropriate graphic takes a huge amount of time and sometimes the actual writing of the thoughts is deferred. There must be a good balance.

Nevertheless, I searched for a graphic for this post. My search term was “gun.” The results were astounding but also a reflection of how guns, danger, threats, and intrigue have overtaken our society in any location. What the images said to me is that guns are sexy. That was the predominant theme. Guns represent power. They can constrain action and inflict fear. They set the one who has the gun in a position of authority. They represent an “anything goes” environment similar to the Wild West. They (and their holder) create a sense of intrigue. Yet we feed on these subliminals each time we watch a TV drama or subscribe to the ticket for the next James Bond-type movie.

We feed on the danger and intrigue.

Young thug with gun isolated on white

It wasn’t until last night that I learned of the shooting in Redlands. So sad. So tragic. So senseless.

Now I’m remembering the counsel of the Parisian father to his young son. And as I sit here recuperating from yesterday’s illness, I’m also remembering the lyrics from a Nat Cole song,

“The greatest thing,
you’ll ever learn
is just to love
and be loved
in return.”
[From Nature Boy]

Perhaps that’s the reason why we have the superficial relationships that we do.

And as I reflect on the actions of some (and actions I struggle with myself, at times) there is envy and resentment of one who has succeeded in their own endeavors.

We forget that our Life agenda is completely different from anyone else’s. And we forget that their successes have been accompanied by numerous attempts that failed. Yet they turned their faces to the sun with the determination to press forward and find a way to succeed. Their persistence and creativity to find alternatives to the well beaten path were the factors that got them to that particular plateau.

Finally, we forget that those who announce their successes not only need the cheering section to boost them to the next attainment. What we also forget is that the announcement is the exposure to a model for the rest of us who aspire to something similar but part of our own agenda.

I’m glad that the neighbors did not report the activities of the shooters. The reportage was they did not want it to appear that there was racial profiling because their community is very inclusive. How many communities can genuinely say that? In light of the pronouncements of those vying for the Republican Presidential candidate nomination, it seems few of them can step up to the plate. Yes, it’s time for us to speak of many things, fools and kings, and who can competently lead.

Yes, Nat, the greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return. But that, in turn, requires communication: actual listening to what someone else is saying and actually being heard through not just words but also through actions (because the words have proven to be unheard).

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