Pledge

Brian Wilson

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America . . .”

In a given month, I may recite those words a dozen times or more as I attend government or civic club meetings.

The chairman running the meeting will typically ask everyone to rise and face the flag for the pledge - or in the absence of a flag follow the American Legion’s guidelines of placing your hand over your heart and facing the person leading the pledge or where the flag would normally be located.

It is noteworthy that the flag doesn’t actually need to be present for the Pledge of Allegiance, although it helps serving if nothing else as a focal point.

Over the years I estimate that I have spent the equivalent of several days reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

I will fully admit that many times my mind is elsewhere. I might be thinking about an upcoming agenda item or that I need to remember to pick up milk and eggs on my way home from the meeting.

In those times when my mind wanders, my lips and mouth carry on, reciting the lines learned by rote memorization in my elementary school days. I would venture to guess that the majority of us simply go through the motions at one time or another.

Reciting the pledge of allegiance is just one of those things you do, without thinking too much about it. Like Catholics reciting the Nicene Creed or crossing themselves when the priest comes by with the holy water or Immanuel Lutheran School children reciting Bible verses during the annual Christmas program.

Many years ago when my now wife, and I attended church in the city of Greenwood down in Clark County, it was the tradition there, that after the service everyone in the congregation would kneel and recite a mumbled prayer before leaving. Not having grown up there, we asked the priest what it was that was being said since everyone else seemed to know it and we did not. He was honest and said that he wasn’t sure and so waived over and asked one of the elder members of the congregation what the words were. Despite having said the prayer thousands of times over the years, when called on to say it out of the context of the service she got flustered and quickly excused herself.

I wonder how often reciting the Pledge of Allegiance falls into that same rut.

This is unfortunate. Lately I have been making a point to truly pay attention to the Pledge of Allegiance as being something more than a public display of patriotism and to think about the reason it is said before government and civic meetings.

There are those who complain about the Pledge. And I will admit that my own libertarian leanings make reciting what could be perceived as a loyalty oath stick in my craw a bit. You can’t measure patriotism by recitation or by who wears the most red, white and blue to the 4th of July parade.

To me, the true value of reciting the Pledge at the start of a meeting is to remind those present as audience and participants that we are all part of and answerable to a greater whole. The flag is a symbol of a united country and the ideal of what we can be at our best. It is a reminder that while there may be substantial disagreements and heated arguments as issues are faced, that we still remain united under the same banner and share the same ideals and hopes for a brighter future. At its best reciting the Pledge is a reminder that when the dust settles we are all Americans and brothers and sisters toiling toward the same goal.

Next time you attend a meeting or event where the pledge is being said, take time to listen to the words and actually hear them rather than just going through the motions.

Brian Wilson is News Editor at The Star News.