“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.”
The original Pledge of Allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy (1855 – 1931), a Baptist minister, in August 1892. To this day these words are a cornerstone to our values. American values. Our flag is worth all we can bring it as it is a symbol of democracy.
Oh say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket’s red glare, the bomb bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there, O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream, ‘Tis the star-spangled banner – O long may it wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave! And where is that band who so vauntingly swore, That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion A home and a Country should leave us no more? Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave, And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave. O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand Between their lov’d home and the war’s desolation! Blest with vict’ry and peace may the heav’n rescued land Praise the power that hath made and preserv’d us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto – “In God is our trust,” And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
“The Star Spangled Banner” (our national anthem) –Francis Scott Key
Practically no other nation (with the exception of Israel our great ally and friend who proudly display the American flag in their Prime Minster’s office. There is also a 9/11 Living Memorial Plaza is a cenotaph located on a hill in Arazim Valley of Ramot, Jerusalem. The plaza, built on 5 acres (2.0 ha), is to remember and honor the victims of the September 11 attacks-From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) enjoy the freedoms that we do. It is my opinion and that of many others that America is the greatest country in the world.
Our leaders are freely elected by the American people who exercise their right to vote as long as they are legally registered to do so. In many other countries “elections” are held but the outcome is decided well in advance. There are no debates. Rarely (if ever) is a choice of candidates given. The point of fact in these situations is that a true election process is not held. Despite all too many incidents of “voter irregularity” America stands firm in its commitment to our unalienable right to vote. “Democracy” in those country’s is non-existent. There is no free speech as you cannot criticize the government. The press can only publish what the government allows them to. You risk severe punishment (usually death or violent means of punishment) if you speak out against the government. That is not the case here in America where we can freely criticize our elected officials publicly with no fear of reprisal.
We are free to travel around our country. Tours of the White House where the highest office in the land (The Presidency) is situated are routine. Many wars were fought where many brave soldiers gave their lives to give us our freedoms while protecting the American way of life. To this day combat units that are manned by those who signed up to defend our freedom in addition to protecting our allies stationed around the world. These heroic men and women leave their loved ones behind risking their lives for our noble cause. Their service should never go unnoticed or unappreciated.
America is not a perfect nation. Women’s rights, civil rights, consistent and fair immigration laws all still have a way to go before they are where they should be. We are still importing too much and exporting too little resulting in the amount of available jobs that should be performed by American workers here in America going overseas. We have a President (more about him and our electoral process later) who is committed to making sure our Technical people (IT) are trained better than their foreign counterparts so the need for H1B’s, Green card Holders, Visa Holders will be substantially reduced. President Trump has also committed to making American Technology second to none in the world. We are putting our precious natural resources (rivers, lakes, streams, wildlife, and alike) on the verge of extinction due to all too liberal hunting laws, polluted waters, polluted air, and commercial overdevelopment for which blame must be put on the current administration for the anti-environment policy’s. Our educational system is woefully inadequate under the incompetent “leadership” of Betsy Devos who serves as the Secretary of Education.
Betsy Devos is a prime example of just one of many Trump appointees who do not have the background or qualifications for the position they were confirmed for. Betsy Devos is an American businesswoman whose family is predominately business people. The vast majority of the President’s cabinet are ex-investment bankers not to mention men of great wealth. Their Wealth from what we have seen and heard has been accumulated by shady dealings. Unquestionably President Trump has had the largest turnover in his cabinet that just about any other cabinet. Some have left as a result of being “hung out to dry” by the President while others could no longer tolerate the abuse along with the public ridicule they have been subject to. Still others have resigned for improper behavior, emerging issues that are no longer buried in closets.
The remaining members from President Trump’s original cabinet have seen their share of scandals. HUD Secretary Ben Carson spent $31000 on a dining set for his office. A chair costing $5000 was also ordered. Attorney General Jeff Sessions had to rescue himself from the Russian Inquiry. National Security Advisor Mike Flynn lasted just over three weeks before being forced to resign after it was revealed that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of multiple meetings with Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak before Trump’s inauguration. (ABC News).
The 2016 elections that culminated with Donald Trump somewhat surprisingly emerging as the winner over his challenger Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton in the race to become the 45th President of The United States will be long remembered for the episodes of mudslinging that centered around the spouses of the candidates going back to the Republican primary debates. Senator Ted Cruz who was one of the Republican challengers to Donald Trump saw his wife being painted in a very “unfavorable” light to which he would respond in kind. The other Presidential contenders Ben Carson (the current United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development) and Jeb Bush were left on the sidelines as the moderator of the debate lost control allowing the barrage of personal attacks to overshadow the issues.
Mid Term Elections are on tap for this fall. While we are not voting to re-elect the President he is very much the focal point. Democrats are mobilizing in order to garner enough support to retake the House and Senate. If that were to occur the Trump presidency is all but over as his agenda will be nullified while the investigations surrounding Russian meddling in the 2016 elections to ensure a Trump victory will intensify as he, his son-inlaw, as well as other family members are under a cloud of suspicion. Several key Republicans will not be returning. Nancy Pelosi to a degree has been neutralized which is good news for Americans who like their representative not give constant reminder of their ignorance.
Well done and great story. I kind of stay away from business articles and politics. But that is just me.
Larry, thank you for the compliment. This was one of my earlier articles. As a rule, I do pay close attention to what our dearly beloved (meant sarcastically) officials are up to. With all the discrepancies between the various news outlets, I believe nothing of what I read or hear. For some time now I have gone away from those type of articles to focus on more creative, philosophical and personal articles which allow me more freedom not to mention are easier to write. It is also easier to pick out music for this type of article. Be well my friend and take care.
It is much easier to write poetry or storytelling. It just flows out effortlessly
For me most of the time it does. I started a new article but I am having trouble coming up with the words along with trying to figure out the theme.
Agree with your sentiment, Joel: “America is at a political crossroad. Our two-party system is not working nor has it worked for as long as many of us can remember.”
Having just finished listening to a series of lectures about the founding fathers, a statement the professor made (which I’ll paraphrase here) rings true with me: “One thing the founders of this country would have put into the constitution, had they known the tumult not mentioning it would cause throughout the history of this United States, is to ban political parties from having sway over the running of the United States of America.”
Yet another lecture series I just finished discussed the sacred nature of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the US. Regardless of our political leanings, all Americans believe in the rights and freedoms given to us by those two documents.
I hope integrity and honesty will soon win out.
Elena, Thank you for your readership of my article in addition to your comments. The point I am bringing out (as you astutely picked up on) is that another election is coming up with more of the same infighting and alike to follow. When it comes down to it Democrats and Republicans think alike except in a different way. They disagree with each other to give the impression they are working for the people when in reality they are working for their own self-interests along with those that support them. In general, politicians should not be involved in the running of this country as I indicated before they have no genuine interest as to what is wrong or right with America today. For all intensive purposes, they are what is wrong with America today. I share your hope that integrity and honesty will soon win out. With that statement we need to ask ourselves how much longer can or will we see a world leader as our government is dysfunctional and corrupt. Thank you again, Elena.