Tuesday, July 2, 2024

ONE NATION UNDER GOD

 

With the United States approaching another birthday, (our 248th) I got to thinking this line from the Pledge of Allegiance, which in its current form is only seventy years old. (More about this pledge’s history is here.)

 

“One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

 

The reality is that our nation is in fact more than one nation, if you subscribe to the notion of it being divided by many distinctive and legally sovereign states.

 

In reality, plenty of our nationals don’t see God’s presence at all.

 

Liberty is relative, with one percent of US citizens in prison, not all of them justly. The liberty of the rest is curtailed in many ways, not all of them wisely.

 

Justice: oh, dear. Justice, especially “for all,” is elusive. Not that other nations do better. But justice for all on this earth has yet to manifest here or anywhere.

 

And then it hit me: this pledge is less a statement of how it is. and more an aspiration of how it should be.

 

Let us wish it, and strive for it, and maybe get ever closer. I can pledge my allegiance to this as an aspiration, without reservation.

Happy Birthday USA

6 comments:

Sarah Floyd said...

Great post! Yes, "I can pledge my allegiance to this as an aspiration, without reservation."

Elizabeth Varadan said...

Nice post. And great picture!

Evelyn said...

I agree. I, too, can "pledge my allegiance to this as an aspiration, without reservation."

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Lovely post, Mirka. Happy Independence Day!

Sherry Ellis said...

Well said! I hope we all aspire to make this country a place our forefathers envisioned. Happy Independence Day!

Vijaya said...

Lovely thoughts and picture, Mirka. We had a wonderful family reunion in Texas for the 4th. Faith, Family, Freedom.