As a public school teacher in Virginia, every work day begins with the reading of the Pledge of Allegiance over the PA system. No one is required to act in any certain manner, but the expectation for students and staff is to at least stand, face the flag located in each room, and stand respectfully. That said, should one of my students not wish to stand, I do not try to force them nor even encourage them to do so. That is their choice and right to exercise their own free expression.
But I do stand, put my right hand over my heart, and belt out the words every weekday morning, with my own slight variation (adding an -ess to the end of the “under god” phrase). I do this not because I love the government in its current iteration or think America is perfect and can do no wrong. I recognize and condemn the brutalization of Native Americans and the eradication of my land’s indigenous culture, along with the history of slavery, discrimination, world policing, and meddling in other countries’ business. In many ways, the power and prosperity of these United States are built on these dark foundations. They are a part of the legacy and collective karma of the nation. I do not deny any of these things.
That said, I will not go as far to say that the USA has only been a force of evil in the world. Our citizens still enjoy liberties not allowed in many other first-world countries. There are more opportunities for economic upward mobility here than just about anywhere else in the world no matter what a person’s ethnic, racial, or religious background may be. Real reasons exist for people from all corners of the globe seeking to migrate to this country. Also, despite all the recent talk and controversy, America still lets in more legal immigrants than any other nation on the planet.
But this is still not why I recite the pledge. Before I get to that though, let’s discuss flags and symbols in general. Symbols do not have any universal, indisputable meaning. What we see when we look at a symbol depends on our own life experiences and education. This is even the case for that most notorious of symbols, the swastika. When I lived in China, the world’s current #2 superpower (that bans certain websites from their internet and arrests people routinely for speaking out against the government by the way), I saw countless instances of this ancient symbol adorning Buddhist temples. However, most in the Western world will only see hate and oppression in it. Are Chinese Buddhists secretly Nazi sympathizers? Of course not. These swastikas are different constructs and from a different time, but a similar example can be found closer to my era and location. Most think only of slavery and treason when presented with the Confederate battle flag, but that does not mean that this symbol cannot stand for the history, family, or regional pride of others. Some might even see it as representing standing up to a tyrannical government. I’m not saying I agree with them, but that does not make their interpretation any less legitimate to me. To be clear, I’m not saying I think the two are the same thing, but in the Star Wars saga, how would an empire loyalist view someone flying the flag of the Rebel Alliance? The meanings of symbols are not defined by consensus (and neither is science, fyi).
So while I understand that when many look at the Stars and Stripes, they see America’s bloodstained history, the oppression of certain groups, and/or the failure to live up to the lofty principles set out in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, that is not what I think of. Rather, I see those ideals the country was founded on even if their application has been inconsistent throughout its short history. Prior to 1776, a nation had never been established on shared values of its people, much less such noble ones. The United States of America was not born out just shared ethnic background, religious affiliation, culture, or geographic location. We have never had a monarch wielding the divine mandate to take care of his or her people. America was birthed by a group of people that united against an empire to say that no one man or woman or government has sovereignty over us; we are all sovereigns of our own lives.
These ideals I am speaking of also include self-determination (for both a people and the individual), independence (not relying on or being beholden to any other), due process (innocent until proven guilty), and, yes, the right to bear arms (a government willing to trust its citizens with the ultimate responsibility of defending themselves and not rely on the state to do so). In a word, it all boils down to freedom: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, a free market (which in its simplest form just means you are entitled to own and enjoy the fruits of your labor and to trade and associate with whomever you wish), free to pursue your own perception of what happiness means to you, free to do whatever you want restricted only to the point that it makes another less free in their choices.
I also see when I look at the flag a country literally founded on standing up to tyranny. Forefront in many of the founders’ minds at the inception of America was the recognition that government in general is bad for the people and most individuals put in places of power will tend to abuse it. Even a good government or line of rulers has not over the course of history stayed that way for long. The many safeguards and checks and balances are built into the Constitution to limit the damage corrupt and self-serving individuals can do to the whole. Again, these ideals have never been applied perfectly, but nothing formed by human hands is perfect. Still, it is these ideas that stand behind the pledge and the flag, not a government body or a single man or woman, which I gladly swear allegiance to each morning.
People like to talk about America in the terms of it being a young country, and while the people and country as defined today have been around only a few centuries, I would argue that many of the problems we see today are a result of our form of government being too old and too long unchanged. I ask you, what other countries have maintained one state for a longer period of time? China and Russia had their communist revolutions. Germany and Italy have only been around since the 1800’s and have gone through various coups and transitions during that period. France, Japan, India, Spain? Nope. The only longer lasting steady form of government is ironically Great Britain’s: the one American won Her freedom from. I believe that over the near 242 years the United States of America has existed, the people’s protections have been gradually eroded and the loopholes in the system have been discovered, exploited, and widened. As Thomas Jefferson said,
"God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion.
The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is
wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts
they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions,
it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ...
And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not
warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of
resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as
to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost
in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from
time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
It is its natural manure."
The American experiment is rooted in the blood of the indigenous peoples of this continent, and of African slaves, and legions of others abused and oppressed. There is no denying any of that. But, to me, that does not tarnish any of the ideas proclaimed by the founders at my country’s birth. Just because people err and fall short of living up to their own lofty ideals does not make those ideals worthless. I believe America has a destiny and will one day again become the standard bearer of humanity for the world once more. And also believe that day is fast approaching. But hey, I’ve always been an optimist.
Thanks for reading! Light & Love, y’all!