Where’s Your Allegiance?
The sun is rising this morning here in Phoenix, and the United States is another year older. I normally don’t give it a lot of thought. This year is a little different. The country has a problem that is getting worse.
Hundreds of years ago, the world from one year to the next looked pretty much the same, year after year after year. Not so any more. Thanks to technology, this world changes at the speed of light, so to speak, year to year. There are significant changes from just last year, let alone from just 5 years ago.
What is the change that, I believe is threatening this country more than any other? WHAT HAD BETTER CHANGE OR ELSE?
Our allegiance to the United States of America. Where has it gone? Where is it?! Where is the expectation of the citizens and any desiring to come to the United States that one will pledge allegiance to the flag and the Republic for which it stands? If not, no acceptance. Period.
The blessings of living in this country come and have come with a price. That price was lives. They come and have come with an expectation. The expectation is allegiance.
Expecting allegiance to THIS country, above all others, is now politically incorrect. Unbelievable. Where is the politician, teacher, business (there are a few I’ve seen and they have been scrutinized), that are speaking to this? Just after 9-11, President Bush made a defining statement. Standing at “ground zero” and with emotion, he said, “If you are not for us, you are against us.” That is as clear as it gets. And it is that simple.
Few schools begin the day anymore having the students recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Mine did. Everyday for seven years (kindergarten – 6th grade), we started the day at school with the pledge. And our teachers expected we did it reverently with understanding.
Freedom of speech, debate, disagreement, diversity all are afforded under the most unique constitution the world has seen. Under all of it, though, is the foundation of allegiance to the country. That is the glue. We are seeing what happens when allegiance is lost.
Today, I want to remind you of the Pledge of Allegiance. Not so much the Pledge itself as much as its important message, that of loyalty to your country. This country deserves it. And those who would not recite it with conviction, are not for us.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,
and to the republic for which it stands,
one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
July 4th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
I hear you Phil and totally agree with you, we always saluted the flad and pledged allegiance to the Flag of this wonderful Free Country of ours. It’s a shame that more teachers and leaders in the commmunity don’t think it’s that important anymore, shame on them and shame on us, we should make everyone aware of how important it is to thank God every day that we live in a Free Nationa and we should be so proud of this fact!!
I feel Blessed to be living in a free Country and maybe some people should know what it’s like to live in other Countries, then they would know how I feel, having lived in Venezuela and the Philippines, it was rough!!
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all!!
God Bless America!! Thanks Phil, good blog today!!
July 5th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Thanks, Beth (Jeep)
I took my Mom to her Elks on the 4th for a rib dinner they were having and patriotism is alive and well there. They always have the band play God Bless America and they all stand for it. They also said the Pledge of Allegiance! It still means something to some Americans.
July 5th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Good challenge. I was unaware that the pledge of allegiance is not done in some of our schools these days.