*I am collectively calling these OP title actions “personal commitments.” How seriously should they be taken? Are they important? Are they a matter of taste, interpretation? Reflective of personal integrity? For example, let me tell you a personal story regarding how I feel about commitments. Then we’ll get to my OP questions.
I’ve been thinking about the Pledge of Allegiance again. I see the Senate group all say it in unison, each new day of the Impeachment Trial, after a prayer is offer up by the Senate Chaplain. The last time someone requested that I say the Pledge of Allegiance, it was at the judge’s request during my jury duty, about 3-4 years ago. At the time, I just stood there; I didn’t do it. I’m sure those around me, in my VERY “red” district, figured I was a communist or something. But I just couldn’t do something that didn’t sit well with me at the time. It still really doesn’t. I’ve still got too many questions.
When I was a kid, I remember how we used to “pledge allegiance to the wall,” a la Simon and Garfunkel (“My Little Town”). Heck, I didn’t know what allegiance meant; all I knew was that we were supposed to face the wall, put our hands over our hearts, look at the flag, and “just do it®”. I’m guessing I couldn’t even pronounce some of the words correctly. The “Republic” for which it stands? Indivisible (that sounds like arithmetic)? Liberty (I think I saw that word on money)? Huh?? Just big words that sounded important. But such is the indoctrination of kids. Get ‘em early. :D
Now that I’m an adult, and with a lifetime of bigger words under my belt ;), let’s take a look at what that Pledge actually says, in more detail:
I pledge allegiance
-What is “allegiance” anyway? Webster defines it as “loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior or of an individual to a group or cause.” Synonyms, “faithfulness, loyalty, obedience, fealty, etc.” As a free-spirit type, I’m not really one to mindlessly “obey,” etc. I don’t even like the sound of that word. I understand commitment, and I am committed to many things in my life. I’m committed to my marriage. I’m committed to my vegetarianism. I’m committed to my personal “principles” (which is what brings this question up here in the first place). But am I committed to the flag? Well, sort of; I mean, it’s the flag of my home country. Can someone be “sort of” committed to something? And if so, is that really “commitment?” Let’s stick a pin in this, as Rachel would say. Moving on…
To the flag of the United States of America.
-Yeah, it’s the flag of the U.S. alright. That part is definitely true.
And to the Republic
-Republic. What is a “Republic?” Wikipedia defines it as “A republic (Latin: res publica, meaning "public affair") is a form of government in which "power is held by the people and their elected representatives". In republics, the country is considered a "public matter", not the private concern or property of the rulers.
IOW, I think this means “government representatives” of/for/in the stead of the people to do the “peoples’ business.” You know… senators, representatives, I guess even the judicial and the executive branches would qualify. These all (except for the judicial) are elected representatives. And the executive (duly elected POTUS) is our proxy for nominating the judges. So in a way, he (it’s always been a he so far) is the/our elected rep for naming judges.
So yeah. I wouldn’t dispute this as not being a truth.
For which it [the flag] stands,
-Again true. The flag stands for the Republic. We got a lot of other flags (state flags, city flags, flags people put on their cars when their sports team wins, etc.). But the U.S. Flag is the one that is supposedly the ultimate unifier. Again, I’d say this statement is true.
One nation
-Geographically, again true. We are all connected, as least in name, as a “United” States. Or as Obama called it, “We’re not the red states, or the blue states, but the United States.” So, I can philosophically accept this. That could be a way of “getting around” the claim; to look at it philosophically. But this is NOT the end of the “one nation” story.
Under God
-Oops, Houston we got a problem. Someone is trying to skew the pledge and infiltrate it with religion. I guess it was just to put that Final Authority Figure (The Chairman of the Board and Final Decider) behind the power of the Pledge; a Seal of Approval. What happened to separation of church and state? That’s supposed to be a truism also. I’m still Oops-ing here. The peoples’ Pledge is beginning to crack, even though it’s ironically and disingenuously attempting to be bolstered by Almighty God. :-O We needed to call in God as a Reinforcement?
Indivisible
-Indivisible? No that’s NOT really true. We are very divided. In fact, that “division” is supposed to be one of our so-called strengths; a beautiful coalition of races, creeds/ideologies, colors, ethnicity/heritage, etc., all coming together toward one end: a majestic melting pot of commradory and community. All for one and one for all. E Pluribus Unum. So, this indivisible adjective does not fly here. It barely walks.
With liberty and justice for all.
-Ok, now we’re really pushing the envelope here. We all know that such (liberty and justice) is a goal, but too often just a dream, a hopeful dream we wanna believe; that the “moral arc of the universe is long, but it [should/will] bends towards justice.” But… often not the case. Sorry, no can do. I can’t give this phrase a pass either.
Wow. That’s a lot to lay on a person; some heavy stuff. So I ask myself, how committed am I to this Pledge? Some of it is right and true. Some of it is not right and not true. Do I just say the parts that are true and stay silent on the parts that I believe are not? Do I say it all, knowing it is a false Pledge I’m making/committing to? *Should* the principles behind pledges mean that much/be that important? I can rote-ly recite it, even though it is so disingenuous, faulty? Am I just too touchy/feely about what I will compromise on, and what I won’t? Should I swim with the rest of the fishes (no mafia reference intended ;) and just, as mom and dad finally insisted… “because!!”? How does this whole thing work exactly? Where are my “lines” drawn?
Well, I hope I typed that out OK and that it was coherent. I'm going to quickly peruse it but don’t want to go back and polish it up, as I’m running a bit late and want to catch the Trial again today. I put this out on the fly as I “typed out loud.” Anyway…
Now for the questions:
- Are commitments important?
- How seriously do you personally take them?
- Do you discriminate/compromise between those you take “half-heartedly,” and those you “really mean?”
- Finally, regarding the Trial of Impeached President Donald J. Trump, do you trust that the senators took their impeachment oath** seriously? Or was it just some kind of blithe formality?
Let’s discuss. And thanks for recommending. BBL.
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**“solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of (the president’s name), President of the United States, now pending, I will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws: so help me God.”
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