The Meaning of The Pledge of Allegiance

August 17 2004
Counterbias.com
Douglass J. Griffin

With the Democratic National Convention now weeks behind us, it can be officially said, “Playtime is over!”

Gone are the days that liberals allow conservatives to define who we are and what we stand for.  We will no longer stand idly by while those on the Right outright lie to America about how we on the Left hate America and are responsible for the moral ills of this country.  We recite The Pledge just as patriotically as you do.  And we actually mean it when we do.

Do you know The Pledge of Allegiance?  I imagine that you do.  If not, it goes something like this:

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.

More importantly: Do you know what The Pledge means?

What’s the most important word or phrase in The Pledge?

It isn’t God, flag, or even America.  The absolute, most important word in The Pledge is the last word: all.  That one word is what gives true meaning to The Pledge that so many on the Right have tried to claim exclusively as their own.

Reclaiming liberalism and everthing else

Fellow Democrats, we have only ourselves to blame.  We’ve allowed Rush Limbaugh and the like to define what liberalism is to them and in the process, the conservatives’ definition of us became part of the American lexicon.

No more!

The Pledge of Allegiance – if not America herself – is based on liberal ideals: …liberty and justice for all.

According to dictionary.com:

Liberal: Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded. Not bound by orthodox tenets or established forms in political or religious philosophy; independent in opinion; not conservative;

Conservative: Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change. One who desires to maintain existing institutions and customs; also, one who holds moderate opinions in politics; -- opposed to revolutionary or radical; resistant to change.

Conservatives would have us believe that change is bad.  Jesus Christ changed religion more than any other single figure in human history.  Had Christ been comfortable with the status quo of the religion of his day, there would be no Christianity.  He was a revolutionary.  What say you to that, dear conservative?

Jesus Christ was a liberal.  That’s why he was crucified.  He taught a radical message – more love and compassion – rather than the traditionally established message of fire and brimstone of the elder Jewish theocracy of the time.  That took liberal thinking. 

Similarly this country was founded on the idea of reforming government as it was known at the time.  Conservatives use the word liberal as if it were a bad thing.  If it is, then America and Christianity being born out of liberalism are both “bad things.”  Right?  If you hate liberals, then you must hate America and Christianity.

Can’t have it both ways, Republicans.  This is our America too!  

Such was the theme of the Democratic National Convention in Boston last month.

Take back everything that we’ve allowed the neo-cons and conservatives alike to usurp.

We re-claimed our identity as Democrats with speakers like Al Gore, Jimmy Carter, the Clintons, and Rev. Al Sharpton.

We re-claimed our flag and country with speakers like Barack Obama, Wesley Clark, and Max Cleland.

And when John Kerry said, “I don't want to claim that God is on our side. As Abraham Lincoln told us, I want to pray humbly that we are on God's side,” he completed the trifecta by re-claiming God.

Democrats seem to know what The Pledge means.  The same cannot necessarily be said for Republicans.

What The Pledge really means

Also according to dictionary.com:

Pledge: A solemn binding promise to do, give, or refrain from doing something: signed a pledge never to reveal the secret; a pledge of money to a charity.

Allegiance: Loyalty or the obligation of loyalty, as to a nation, sovereign, or cause.

So by definition, The Pledge means the following:

I solemnly vow my loyalty to the American flag (Old Glory, Stars-n-Stripes), not only the flag, but also the nation that it stands for – The United States of America.  This country that I swear allegiance to is indivisible, that means we are not divided and we stand up for the rights and liberties of all our fellow citizens, especially in the name of justice.

President Bush says he wants liberty and justice for all but his actions have only proven the opposite.  This president, who claims to be a man of faith, is really only faithful to his base – the haves and the have mores.

How else do you explain tax cuts that benefit such a miniscule representation of the American people?

People that still believe George W. Bush should remain our President should stop reciting The Pledge immediately.  They have absolutely no idea what it means.  Nor do they mean it when they say it.  It seems to me that it is conservatives, especially neo-cons, who truly hate America.

…with liberty and justice for all

…with liberty and justice for all means voting rights are not toyed with for political gain.  That’s the most un-American thing I have ever witnessed.

This is a democracy.

Remember?

We can’t claim to love and defend democracy when we can’t even legitimately claim to be one anymore.  Every single American should speak out in protest about what Republicans have done and are attempting again – purging eligible Democratic voters from the rosters – because in Florida and elsewhere, there but by the grace of God go us all.  There’s that all word again.

…with liberty and justice for all means that all voices and opinions are heard.  Questioning authority is not un-patriotic, it is absolutely patriotic.  Speaking one’s mind is not anti-American.  It is one of our most American of rights.  Dissention is supposed to be welcomed.

This is still a democracy.  Have we forgotten?

Silencing political critics with character assassinations about their supposed lack of patriotism?

Arresting citizens for supporting the opposition’s candidate?

No Protest zones?

Aren’t these the sorts of things we used to expect from places like the former Soviet Union?  Does anyone remember Tiannamen Square?  September 11, 2001 did not make it okay for America to lose her identity.

…with liberty and justice for all means tolerance of someone else’s lifestyle, religious and/or political beliefs.  Tolerance does not mean agreement with.  In its simplest definition it means live and let live.

Again, this is not a monarchy or aristocracy or theocracy.  It is a democracy!

“…one nation under God” is some what exclusive of those who do not believe in a supreme being.  I don’t have a problem with the phrase but I can certainly see where Muslims, Buddhists, as well as other faiths and atheists might.  If we truly are “one nation” then “under God” sort of has a tendency to negate our solidarity.

All means all.  Not just all those that believe the same as we do, but also all those who do not.

Especially them.

As Barak Obama said at the DNC, “We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States.” 

That, ladies and gentlemen is what …with liberty and justice for all means.

We do not live in Nazi Germany.  If our neighbors’ rights are being violated in any way, shape or form, it is our duty to stand up for those rights because we made a pledge to do it, regardless of the (D) or the (R) or the Bible, or the Koran, or race, or gender, or, yes, the rainbow flag too.  We would expect no less if our own rights were violated.

We put our hands over our hearts and we pledge allegiance to the flag – and the nation it stands for – a great many times over the courses of our lives.

The question remains, do you mean it?

Or are you going to flip-flop?