I’ll try to keep it short today, as this holiday season is kicking off today with a breakfast with friends down the street, visits from Sheila’s grandchildren, people coming in from out of town and the whole fireworks of festivities.

PLAYING WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE … in other words, I promise that I will be loyal, friendly, reliable … TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA … Okay, hard to be loyal to a flag.  It’s only a piece of cloth sewn together by a woman who was able to cut a 5-pointed star in a single clip, for a group of men that included our first president … AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS … Now we’re talking!  The republic of the United States–the country that I grew up in, the country that offered my father and my husband an array of opportunities as immigrants, the country that gives, grows and leads as times and circumstances require.  This country stands for a complete spectrum of generosity, morality, religious beliefs and freedoms both of state and individual…ONE NATION…We the people do represent a singular force of goodwill while maintaining the facets of various influences…UNDER GOD…a phrase only added to the pledge in 1948 by someone of a more conservative leaning–I personally would like to recognize that we have freedom of religion in this country and all of our brothers and sisters of many different faiths need to be wrapped up in our most important documents and pledges.  So while we may be “under God” I also recognize we are “under Buddha, under Allah, and under our own sense of best self”…INDIVISIBLE…We can squabble in our politics, fight on our battlegrounds, wrestle in our sporting events, but when push comes to shove, we Americans have the bond of respect and courage that allows us to be supportive of our fellow countrymen and our nation in the face of the world…WITH LIBERTY…empowered people…AND JUSTICE…oh we must be ever vigilant to be fair to each other, even in disagreement, we must be fair in our legal dealings both in congress and in our courts…FOR ALL. Let it be so.

Happy 4th of July, our true Independence Day.  Travel safe.