OPINION:
Former Wisconisn Gov. Scott Walker’s interpretation of the meaning of Flag Day misses the essence of our Pledge of Allegiance, which each of us has taken hundreds of times (“Reaffirming a devotion to freedom this Flag Day,” Web, June 10). In my view it is a pledge to the idealism inherent in that for which the the flag stands: “the republic,” “one nation”, “under God” and “indivisible” and “with liberty and justice for all.” Unfortunately, since its creation, “We the People” have never kept the last phrase of that pledge. And today we are increasingly divided — forming a less perfect union.
From our nation’s beginning there was slavery, ratified by all 13 states representing today’s flag stripes. And we still have a “legal” system wherein a person is better off being rich and guilty than being innocent and poor. That is not a justice system. And all nations are “under God” — yet repeatedly our economic and military power has empowered dictators and ignored war crimes or genocides, failing millions of innocent people in favor of defending “U.S. interests.” Rarely have our soldiers fought for “liberty and justice for all.”
I’m proud of the idealism on which this nation was founded, but I’m ashamed that we have never come close to achieving it (or any of the seven aspirations in the Preamble to our Constitution). Until we keep our pledge to all, our own freedoms and security will increasingly be threatened by both those within and beyond our borders.
CHUCK WOOLERY
Rockville, Md.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.