After the sixties, including facing American troops in the streets and
fighting the government, I had a real hard time (and still do) with the flag
b.s. and the "honoring" symbols, especially the Pledge of Allegiance. I
considered myself a citizen of the world, especially after felony problems
cost me most of my American citizenship perks. Inside my home this wasn't
much of a problem. As my kids sat on my lap and asked me: "What did you do
in the war, daddy?" I was proud to tell them: "Your daddy fought the
American army in the war."
That left public issues. I didn't care to burn or dishonor the flag, I just
treated it like the symbol of someone else's religion. To be honest, when I
was younger and really pissed off, I just sat it out and refused to
acknowledge any ceremony...that caused some problems in the conservative
communities I lived in. For many years I avoided problems by managing to be
absent during the services before ball games etc. "There goes dad" the boys
would say, as I left for the bathroom before the flag service. Strange
times were when I met other men in the halls or bathrooms who were avoiding
the experience also. Our eyes met and I wanted to talk, were they
ex-veterans, ex-protestors but we both couldn't start it so each time we
departed in silence.
As I mellowed out over the years I could stand as the pledge/anthem took
place, as one would wear a hat in a synagogue, but could not participate.
This worked most of the time but I still waited for the announcer to
say..."And after the game, join me in lynching that guy in the third row who
wouldn't say the pledge." Some years ago I wrote my own pledge that I could
say and since it started and ended the same, with the same number of
syllables, it works pretty good. Here it is: "I pledge allegiance to the
future of the human race and to the survival of the world upon which it
lives, many species, interactive, codependent, with liberty and justice for
all." This bailed me out when I got in the middle of a situation I couldn't
avoid. I only got caught once when some guy turned to me after the Pledge
and asked: "What the hell was that?" Oh well, we just do what we can to
get by. Peace, Mike. Mike Garrison, mgarrison@localaccess.com
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