It's funny what we all take for granted.
A home, a school, a family.
Many children of the world aren't blessed enough to even dream of such luxuries.
Yet we overlook, and even scorn our own bed of roses.
I'm a Boy Scout. During our camp outs and meetings, we learn to love and respect America and the freedom that comes with our citizenship. Remember this as I go on to state how disappointed I was during the Pledge of Allegiance yesterday.
The speakers blared on and told us to please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I stood and placed my hand over my heart. At the signal of "Ready, begin" I began to recite.
"I pledge allegiance-"
I quickly stopped.
Besides my voice, and the droning of the speaker, the room was silent.
Shocked, I looked around. A girl to the left of me was quickly jotting down some unfinished homework with her other hand limp by her chest. A boy to the right of her silently mouthed the words as his gaze wandered around the classroom. In the back corner, two girls were quietly chatting. A few students behind me were muttering the Pledge under their breath. The boy in front of me had his hands stuffed in his pocket with his shoulders slumped.
I was disgusted.
Don't these kids have any American pride? Don't they know how lucky we are to have our basic rights? Don't they know how free we really are? Why aren't they respecting all the soldiers that have died and are still dying for our country? Can't they remember how united America had to stand after repeated tragedies? Pearl Harbor. The World Trade Center. Is it all meaningless? Have not countless individuals died for our freedom? Can't we just show a little respect and recite a simple paragraph?
But then, my anger was quenched and I was overcome with shame.
For I, too, had fallen silent.
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7 comments:
It is so easy to take things for granted; we have so much going for us – people would risk their lives to be in our shoes – and yet we hardly think twice of our blessings.
Beautiful post.
To each his own I guess.
-shrugs-
I say it loud and proud.
I yell the pledge.
I may be the only one saying it.
And at the end when all is said and done I say with the last ounce of breath I have left from holding it for too long and say "Amen."
Wow. Beautiful post and beautiful scenario.
I've never been in a situation like that; everyone stands up and pledges. I've always had an urge to sit down just to be rebellious and see what would happen.
But then I wouldn't know how to justify myself.
interesting... i never really thought about that. like, at my school sure they have flags in the room, but we never say the pledge of alligence.
You know, (well, actually, you don't), whenever I say the pledge, think about it too. However, I often wonder why we recite the pledge so much. Yes, I know, it's for pride and to continually remember those who died valiantly for our freedom (and I am REALLY NOT one of those people, those ungratefuls, who believe that we really aren't free that protest everything that comes their way) but I find that the more I repeat it, the less it seems to mean. I believe that there's a word for it - a phrase used so many times that it's worthless - I can't think of it though. The pledge of allegiance isn't worthless, but people today have recited it so many times that it looses its meaning.
Ah hah.
That's where I'm going.
We take it for granted.
I'm not sure if that's the right thing to say in reference to myself, though.
It is taken for granted.
But this is the way I feel.
I am tired of saying the pledge of allegiance. But I am so, very, very proud of my country. I don't believe that I need to say it, every Wednesday (back in middle school and elementary school it was every day) just to prove it.
Note these lines from the play "Julius Caesar":
Cassius:
An let us swear our resolution.
Brutus:
No, not an oath. If not the face of men, the sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse –
If these be motives weak, break off betimes, and every man hence to his idle bed. So let high-sighted tyranny range on till each man drop by lottery. But if these be (as I am sure they do) bear fire enough to kindle cowards and to steel with valor the melting spirits of women, then, countrymen, what need we any spur but our own cause to prick us to redress? What other bond than secret Romans that have spoke the word and will not palter? And what other oath than honesty to honesty engaged that this shall be or we will fall for it? Swear priests and cowards and men cautelous, old feeble carrions, and such suffering souls that welcome wrongs; unto bad causes swear such creatures as men doubt; but do not stain the even virtue of our enterprise, not th' insuppressive mettle of our spirits, to think that or our cause or our performance did need an oath, when every drop of blood that every Roman bears, and nobly bears, is guilty of a several bastardly if he do break the smallest particle of any promise that hath passed from him.
end quote
I am not a traitor as Brutus was, nor do I see any wrongs done here in our country. The point of including this quote is to exaggerate my point that we don't need to swear our allegiance to our United States of America to be devout and proud of it, as I am.
That's what I think when I say the pledge.
I am the kid whose gaze wanders around the classroom.
I who look at the faces and wonder...
Who really means it?
By the way, I really liked your post, Isme Nuran.
Why was Zack's post from November 29, 2007 8:38 PM removed by the author? What did Zack say that it had to be removed? I find it ironic. Here we have a blog today, based on the premise of freedom ...
... and yet Zack was not free to express his words?
Because the words were offensive to someone, they were removed? Which -- let's face it -- is an act of infringement upon Zack's freedom.
Is that what America is really all about?
Say one thing ... but mean another?
[sigh]
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