We are all able to have an American Dream because of freedom. The foundation of this country is based on freedom. Our ancestors came to this country for freedom to worship, freedom from fear, and freedom from oppression. Lady Liberty stood proudly in the harbor welcoming thousands of immigrants who were seeking these freedoms. The base of the Statue of Liberty has these words etched on it: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...”(1) America is a country that welcomes others to enjoy what it has fought so hard to obtain.
Freedom does come with a price, however. Many have fought and died so that we could continue to live in a country where we have choices. Members of my own family have lost their lives defending this country. I admire these soldiers and the soldiers who continue to serve today. We all want our freedom, but it takes true courage to risk your own life for it.
I often wonder if today’s young adults truly grasp the sacrifices made for them. Each day we stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance, and every day I look at the red, white and blue flag and think how grateful I am to be living in this country. I was raised in a patriotic home where we respected the flag, our country, and those who fought for it. My mother taught me to have pride in our country. I often see my students showing disrespect toward the flag and our nation. This truly saddens me. These young people are some of the luckiest people on earth. They have freedoms protected by law, yet they do not appreciate them. Perhaps this is because they are too far removed from the history of this country; or maybe it is because they are young. In 1969, Red Skelton recited the following:
(Red Skelton recalls how his teacher, Mr. Laswell, explained the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance, word by word).
"I've been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester and it seems as though it is
becoming monotonous to you. If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word?"
*I*
me, an individual, a committee of one
*Pledge*
dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity
*Allegiance*
my love and my devotion
*To the flag*
our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom--wherever she waves, there's respect because your loyalty has given her a
dignity that shouts freedom is everybody's job!
*United*
that means that we have all come together
*States*
individual communities that have united into 48 great states-- forty-eight individual communities with pride and
dignity and purpose; all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that's love for country
*And to the republic*
a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern--and government is the
people and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people
*For which it stands, one nation*
one nation, meaning "so blessed by God"
*Indivisible*
incapable of being divided
* With liberty*
which is freedom; the right of power to live one's own life without threats, fear or some sort of retaliation
*And Justice*
the principle or quality of dealing fairly with others
*For all*
which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine
Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country and two words have been added to the
Pledge of Allegiance...
UNDER GOD
Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer and that would be eliminated from schools too?
God Bless America! (2)
From Mr. Laswell's speech, I can conclude that I am not the first teacher to notice students' disinterest in the Pledge of Allegiance.
I have one student, however, who has great respect for the pledge and this country. Jorge came to America from Puerto Rico when he was five years old. I asked him why his family moved here, and he told me it was because his mother wanted a better life for him. He often talks about the crime filled streets and the fear he lived in there. He has a true understanding of how great America is, and I believe that he is proud to be an American.
(1) Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus”
(2) http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/redskeltonpledgeofallegiance.htm
4 comments:
Thanks for your reminder that we live in America, home of the free. I have been proud to be an American everyday of my adult life.
I understand that not everyone in the world has the freedoms that we sometimes take for granted in this country. Just being able to voice our opinions on a blog site like this isn't something that every citizen of earth can do because of political restraints and fear of retaliation.
I understand that this freedom was not free. I know that generations of American soldiers have made sacrifices so that I could enjoy this privilege.
I understand that others in the world dream of coming to America to have those freedoms. They understand, sometimes better than Americans, how incredible it is to live in a country without restraints on speech and choices. We need to remember to appreciate what we have, and to keep that dream alive.
Thanks for your awesome blog.
Reva
Pamela, I’m like you – sometimes I wonder if the younger generation truly understands what freedom means. Maybe it is because so very few of them have had to see the sacrifices made so we could achieve freedom. I remember my grandmother telling me of the sacrifices they had to make during World War I and II. Today, our country is at war. Do we even notice? Have we had to give up anything? No, the majority of us continue with our everyday lives - getting the kids to school, going to work, going to soccer games. Unless we hear a mention on the news, do we even think about it? I guess that is where my generation is failing the next generation – we haven’t made it a point to explain and discuss freedom with them.
You also expressed concern about the Pledge of Allegiance not having meaning to your students. I think it is like anything that we repeat everyday – it becomes habit. When something becomes a habit, we can do it without thinking about it. It’s kind of like brushing your teeth. When we brush, do we think about cleaning every single tooth? Or are we thinking about our list for the day and what we’re having for dinner that night? Maybe we all need Mr. Laswell’s reminder every once in a while.
Thanks for the interesting insight.
Marcia
Pamela,
Your blog this week got me "fired" up (in a good way). As Americans, we have been blessed with freedom to do just about anything we want. I do believe that peopel that for granted. I feel blessed that we have individuals that are willing to put their own lives on hold and put their lives at risk for me. I believe that our country is a prideful country that does unify us when we need to all come together.
I think it's great that you say the Pledge of Allegiance in your classroom. I remember saying it every morning at school until about the 3rd grade and then it dissappeared. When I did my student teaching at the elementary level teachers didn't include it either. How sad.
Thanks for your inspiration!
Allison
I really enjoyed your blog on Freedom. Our high school no longer says the pledge during the school day. During quarterly pep assemblies we have the Pledge of Allegiance. The majority of teachers are then trying to get kids to stand or stop talking.
The students don't seem to care about the Pledge of Allegiance, they don't seem to connect to what it stands for. While we are at war, we don't seem to be as invested as we were during WWII. Part of that may be the factories not being here or the workforce not as affected. I wish there were more students like Jorge, who didn't take the freedoms we have for granted. Good post.
~Bethany
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