Happy Independence Day
It is 4 July, and it is a rather slow news day. Little is being discussed, in depth, today other than to commemorate the founding of this great nation. Make no mistake: This is the greatest, freest nation Earth. This, despite the recent actions of our lawmakers and judges, this is still my nation and my home, and I stand up for what is right and just on a daily basis. And as this day unfolded, I was reminded of something from the past. A few years ago, the local oldies station here in Phoenix played something on Independence Day, then. It was a piece recorded by John Wayne. It was written by Francis Bellamy and John Mitchum. The piece, which I still have recorded on an old tape, is called "The Pledge of Allegiance." And I’m sure many people remember this.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS--ONE NATION UNDER GOD,
INDIVISIBLE,
WITH LIBERTYAND JUSTICE
FOR ALL.
"I pledge allegiance to the flag"
What do those words mean to you? To me they say, "Thank you, America, for your strength, your courage and your freedom...which has been a beacon to the world for two hundred years."
"Of the United States of America"
Whose bright stars are fifty states...each bearing its own stamp of individuality. People...two hundred million strong...people who have come to her from all corners of the earth.
"And to the republic for which it stands"
A land of laws...with an ingenious system of checks and balances that allows no man to become a tyrant...and lets no group prevail...if their power is not tempered with a real concern for the governed...A land where the right of dissent and of free speech is jealously guarded...where the ballot box is the sword...and the people its wielder.
"One nation under God"
A land where freedom of worship is a cornerstone of her being...A land graced with temples and churches, synagogues and altars that rise in profusion to embrace all the religions of the world.
"Indivisible"
A land forged by the hot steel of raw courage...and formed forever...by the awful crucible of civil war.
"With liberty"
Where man in pursuit of an honest life will not be denied his chance...where her citizens move freely within her vast borders without hindrance or fear...A land brimming with opportunity...where freedom of choice is the guide for all.
"And justice"
The courts of our land are open to all. Its wheels of justice grind for all couses...all people. They look to every avenue for justice...every concern of the law...and they temper their reasoning with mercy...
"For all!"
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG...OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS...ONE NATION UNDER GOD...INDIVISIBLE...WITH LIBERTY...AND JUSTICE...FOR ALL.
This was a great piece recited by the "Duke." But what was even better was later, after I recorded that piece, I found the following: John Wayne had written his thoughts down about the piece he recited, and his memories of the Pledge from his childhood.
I can well remember as a little boy standing up in my classroom every morning and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Shucks, I didn't know and I didn't care that the pledge was first published in 1892 and that it was the result of a dream to have "a flag in every school." All I knew at the time was that for some dog-gone reason I had to hide my feelings from my classmates. The inner excitement that took over me when I clasped my hand over my heart and said "I pledge allegiance" was so great I just couldn't share it with anybody. All that I knew then was that somehow, mysteriously, I belonged. I belonged to something far too profound for my young mind to comprehend. But, I belonged. As I grew older, the mystery began to unfold. I wasn't just talking about some nebulous place a long way off, I was talking about the ground I was standing on. Ground that stretched from California to my Iowa homeland and beyond.
When I was five years old, my parents moved from Winterset, Iowa, to Lancaster, California. Imagine a five-year-old from the flat plains of Iowa being plunked down in a land that had huge mountains looming over its western rim and that stretched for hundreds of miles eastward--The Mojave Desert.
On to Glendale--high school--became involved in dramatics, football. My horizons widened, so did my love and yes my awe of my country. When I was sixteen I had a really personal feeling about a change that occurred in the "Pledge" at that time. It originally read, "I pledge allegiance to my flag': in 1923 the National Flag Conference changed that to read, "I pledge allegiance to the flag." At sixteen I sort of took it personally that my flag had been deleted, until I realized that it really does belong to all of us.
Now, after having traveled extensively throughout the world, every word of that Pledge is precious to me. For hidden in its simplicity there lies a tremendous power. For our Republic stands for the innate dignity of all mankind, and our one nation, which became the United States of America at the hideous cost of the Civil War, is under God. We are indivisible and ever since 1776 all the world is aware of our hunger for individual liberty and our thirst for justice.
The next time you say those words, let your mind wander back to those days when you stood in your classrooms and recited the Pledge of Allegiance, for they were your first real commitment to your nation. Your first real step toward a bright new world.
It is rare in this day and age to see such honesty in someone who shares a love for their nation. John Wayne was an unabashed patriot, and a symbol of strength in this nation. He toured with the USO to support the troops in harm’s way protecting this nation. So, I use his wisdom today to reflect what this day means to me.
"Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." This is a line of wisdom that I remember every time troops are committed to the field. These people go where they are sent, and don’t ask questions. They have orders, they have a mission, and they carry it out to the best of their ability. These are the people that should be honored today. Not simply because they’re in the military, but because these are the people who hold the line against the wolves in the world that wish to do us—individually and nationally—harm.
But whereas war has it’s uses, we are always reminded of the cost. I watched a few of the commemoration ceremonies on TV this morning, and it is sobering reminder. Not just for what has happened now, in the present, but what sacrifices we made in the past for freedom and liberty. From the Revolutionary War to the Global War On Terror, we should remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom and liberty.
So, on this Independence Day, in honor of those who have fallen in freedom’s name I am reminded of a special passage from the Bible:
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his brothers."—John 15:13
Publius II
Addendum: This post is dedicated to all the men and women who are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other duty stations around the world, and for all those have served this nation with honor and distiction in wars past. Further, it is dedicated to the men killed in action in Afghanistan this past week.
SEAL Delivery Vehicle, Team One, Pearly Harbor, Hawaii
Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel R. Healy, 36, of Exeter, N.H.
Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric S. Patton, 22, of Boulder City, Nev.
SEAL Team Ten, Little Creek, VA
Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen, 33, of San Diego, Calif.
Lt. Michael M. McGreevy, Jr., 30, of Portville, N.Y.
Chief Petty Officer Jacques J. Fontan, 36, of New Orleans, La.
Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffery A. Lucas, 33, of Corbett, Ore.
Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey S. Taylor, 30, of Midway, W.Va.
3rd Bn./160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
Maj. Stephen C. Reich, 34, of Washington Depot, Conn
Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach, 40, of Jacksonville, Fla.
Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature, 35, of Clarks Grove, Minn.
MSgt James W. Ponder III, 36, of Franklin, Tenn.
Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles, 33, of Shelbyville, Ind.
Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell, 31, of Stafford, Va.
SSgt. Shamus O. Goare, 29, of Danville, Ohio
Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby, 21, of Pompano Beach, Fla.
God-speed, gentlemen. You served this nation with honor, and you will never be forgotten. Your sacrifice will not be in vain.
Publius II
It is 4 July, and it is a rather slow news day. Little is being discussed, in depth, today other than to commemorate the founding of this great nation. Make no mistake: This is the greatest, freest nation Earth. This, despite the recent actions of our lawmakers and judges, this is still my nation and my home, and I stand up for what is right and just on a daily basis. And as this day unfolded, I was reminded of something from the past. A few years ago, the local oldies station here in Phoenix played something on Independence Day, then. It was a piece recorded by John Wayne. It was written by Francis Bellamy and John Mitchum. The piece, which I still have recorded on an old tape, is called "The Pledge of Allegiance." And I’m sure many people remember this.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS--ONE NATION UNDER GOD,
INDIVISIBLE,
WITH LIBERTYAND JUSTICE
FOR ALL.
"I pledge allegiance to the flag"
What do those words mean to you? To me they say, "Thank you, America, for your strength, your courage and your freedom...which has been a beacon to the world for two hundred years."
"Of the United States of America"
Whose bright stars are fifty states...each bearing its own stamp of individuality. People...two hundred million strong...people who have come to her from all corners of the earth.
"And to the republic for which it stands"
A land of laws...with an ingenious system of checks and balances that allows no man to become a tyrant...and lets no group prevail...if their power is not tempered with a real concern for the governed...A land where the right of dissent and of free speech is jealously guarded...where the ballot box is the sword...and the people its wielder.
"One nation under God"
A land where freedom of worship is a cornerstone of her being...A land graced with temples and churches, synagogues and altars that rise in profusion to embrace all the religions of the world.
"Indivisible"
A land forged by the hot steel of raw courage...and formed forever...by the awful crucible of civil war.
"With liberty"
Where man in pursuit of an honest life will not be denied his chance...where her citizens move freely within her vast borders without hindrance or fear...A land brimming with opportunity...where freedom of choice is the guide for all.
"And justice"
The courts of our land are open to all. Its wheels of justice grind for all couses...all people. They look to every avenue for justice...every concern of the law...and they temper their reasoning with mercy...
"For all!"
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG...OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS...ONE NATION UNDER GOD...INDIVISIBLE...WITH LIBERTY...AND JUSTICE...FOR ALL.
This was a great piece recited by the "Duke." But what was even better was later, after I recorded that piece, I found the following: John Wayne had written his thoughts down about the piece he recited, and his memories of the Pledge from his childhood.
I can well remember as a little boy standing up in my classroom every morning and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Shucks, I didn't know and I didn't care that the pledge was first published in 1892 and that it was the result of a dream to have "a flag in every school." All I knew at the time was that for some dog-gone reason I had to hide my feelings from my classmates. The inner excitement that took over me when I clasped my hand over my heart and said "I pledge allegiance" was so great I just couldn't share it with anybody. All that I knew then was that somehow, mysteriously, I belonged. I belonged to something far too profound for my young mind to comprehend. But, I belonged. As I grew older, the mystery began to unfold. I wasn't just talking about some nebulous place a long way off, I was talking about the ground I was standing on. Ground that stretched from California to my Iowa homeland and beyond.
When I was five years old, my parents moved from Winterset, Iowa, to Lancaster, California. Imagine a five-year-old from the flat plains of Iowa being plunked down in a land that had huge mountains looming over its western rim and that stretched for hundreds of miles eastward--The Mojave Desert.
On to Glendale--high school--became involved in dramatics, football. My horizons widened, so did my love and yes my awe of my country. When I was sixteen I had a really personal feeling about a change that occurred in the "Pledge" at that time. It originally read, "I pledge allegiance to my flag': in 1923 the National Flag Conference changed that to read, "I pledge allegiance to the flag." At sixteen I sort of took it personally that my flag had been deleted, until I realized that it really does belong to all of us.
Now, after having traveled extensively throughout the world, every word of that Pledge is precious to me. For hidden in its simplicity there lies a tremendous power. For our Republic stands for the innate dignity of all mankind, and our one nation, which became the United States of America at the hideous cost of the Civil War, is under God. We are indivisible and ever since 1776 all the world is aware of our hunger for individual liberty and our thirst for justice.
The next time you say those words, let your mind wander back to those days when you stood in your classrooms and recited the Pledge of Allegiance, for they were your first real commitment to your nation. Your first real step toward a bright new world.
It is rare in this day and age to see such honesty in someone who shares a love for their nation. John Wayne was an unabashed patriot, and a symbol of strength in this nation. He toured with the USO to support the troops in harm’s way protecting this nation. So, I use his wisdom today to reflect what this day means to me.
"Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." This is a line of wisdom that I remember every time troops are committed to the field. These people go where they are sent, and don’t ask questions. They have orders, they have a mission, and they carry it out to the best of their ability. These are the people that should be honored today. Not simply because they’re in the military, but because these are the people who hold the line against the wolves in the world that wish to do us—individually and nationally—harm.
But whereas war has it’s uses, we are always reminded of the cost. I watched a few of the commemoration ceremonies on TV this morning, and it is sobering reminder. Not just for what has happened now, in the present, but what sacrifices we made in the past for freedom and liberty. From the Revolutionary War to the Global War On Terror, we should remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom and liberty.
So, on this Independence Day, in honor of those who have fallen in freedom’s name I am reminded of a special passage from the Bible:
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his brothers."—John 15:13
Publius II
Addendum: This post is dedicated to all the men and women who are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other duty stations around the world, and for all those have served this nation with honor and distiction in wars past. Further, it is dedicated to the men killed in action in Afghanistan this past week.
SEAL Delivery Vehicle, Team One, Pearly Harbor, Hawaii
Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel R. Healy, 36, of Exeter, N.H.
Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric S. Patton, 22, of Boulder City, Nev.
SEAL Team Ten, Little Creek, VA
Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen, 33, of San Diego, Calif.
Lt. Michael M. McGreevy, Jr., 30, of Portville, N.Y.
Chief Petty Officer Jacques J. Fontan, 36, of New Orleans, La.
Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffery A. Lucas, 33, of Corbett, Ore.
Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey S. Taylor, 30, of Midway, W.Va.
3rd Bn./160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
Maj. Stephen C. Reich, 34, of Washington Depot, Conn
Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach, 40, of Jacksonville, Fla.
Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature, 35, of Clarks Grove, Minn.
MSgt James W. Ponder III, 36, of Franklin, Tenn.
Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles, 33, of Shelbyville, Ind.
Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell, 31, of Stafford, Va.
SSgt. Shamus O. Goare, 29, of Danville, Ohio
Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby, 21, of Pompano Beach, Fla.
God-speed, gentlemen. You served this nation with honor, and you will never be forgotten. Your sacrifice will not be in vain.
Publius II
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 1:48 PM
4 Comments:
Publius,
On this day you have garnered the wisdom of your years and shown why this nation is great. I love that piece by John Wayne as much as I love the one done by Red Skelton so many years ago about the Pledge.
And thank you for reminding every one of your readers about the role of the military; they don't ask to go where they go. They simply go there to do their ordered job. All the expect in return is our heartfelt thanks, and today should not be the only day where the rhetoric is toned down to honor them.
They should be honored everyday.
And I can only surmise that the deaths this past week hit you in a way it does not hit others. Did you have a friend who died, or are you just reminding us that freedom isn't gained through appeasement and touchy-feely, PC crap?
A wise man once wrote that freedom was not ensured by the stroke of a pen, but rather through the blood and courgae of patriots past.
Mistress Pundit
Mistress:
The military only expect the support from the homeland in the object of victory over our enemies. We would be wise to remember that, and not to crap all over them as the Left is so adept at doing.
As for those that died...A long time ago, in another stage of my life, I wanted to be a SEAL. I wanted to be one so bad I could taste it. Unfortunately, my body--constantly abused by myself as a kid--wasn't going to make it through basic, nor through BUD/S training. Add to the fact that I where glasses, and I'm not trusting of any sort of surgery with my eyes, ruled me out right away.
So, I set about the task of learning all I could about the SEALs and the Spec-Ops groups of this nation. I do have a friend in the SEALs that graduated with me. So, naturally I worry about him, but I trust in him and his training.
"Bunny" has a brother in the Army Rangers, so she, too, has a connection to the Spec-Ops community. Granted, it is not the type of link people would normally associate with that idea, but trust me when I tell you that she worries, too. Last week was no picnic with conflicting reports of the soldiers on that chopper, and her not knowing if her brother was among the dead. Thank God, he wasn't.
But that doesn't make everyone breathe easier. We still must remember the fallen brothers that did no less than what our Founding Fathers did so many years before.
"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred honor."
Amen, and God-speed guys. See you in the next life.
Thomas
First off, the picture at the top is fitting for this special day of celebration. Very good blog. Unfortunately, today is marred by five justices that amended our constitution to give another one's property-the most sacred property right in which all of our other rights is based. This is not something I fought for. Rawriter
To Rawriter:
You are correct. The Day-By-Day cartoon was quite fitting for the day commemorating the birth of this great nation.
A side bit of trivia for all those that read the comments: The first president "of the world" was George Washington; no other nation had ever elected a "president" before we did.
As to your point of this not being the country you fought for, first let me thank you for your honorable service to this nation in it's time of need; you are the reason we still exist.
This nation is also not the nation that my father, my grandfather, my great-grandfather, and great-uncle fought for, either. My father--a lawyer like me--is incensed over the utter audacity the Supreme Court has exhibited in the recent years. The removal of our property rights, the granting of enemy combabtants access to our legal system, the upholding of abortion, the restrictions put on the death penalty, and the curtailing of our religious rights are just a few of the idiotic decisions the Supreme Court has handed down.
It is recounted in history that George Washington refused the title of king because this nation answers to only one king, in his opinion, and that was "King Jesus." Yet we have nine unelected "kings" sitting on the bench making decisions that affect every facet of our lives. I will grant detractors this much: No, men do not endure pregnancy or abortions, but 100% of America endures all other decisions rendered by these nine people.
We are still fighting. My father and I fight in the courtroom, and if these two continue on their way in their studies, I am sure we will have two allies joining our side, soon. But regardless, they fight now as we all can: Through our united voices when stupid decisions are handed down like the one that ripped away our property rights. That is right here on the 'Net, in blogs and other outlets of the "alternative media," and unified in other ways in a grass-roots format.
We will not go away quietly into the night. Our voices will be heard, in one way or another. We have provisions for the "other." Trust me, it is not a prospect that politicians embrace, nor look forward to.
Mistress Pundit
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