Hey, Obama White House, Try Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance

I started elementary school at the tail end of the prayer in school era, but we did recite the Pledge of Allegiance at most of the elementary schools I attended. (We moved a lot. I probably averaged a new school almost every year.) I can still remember springing to my feet at the start of the school day, hand over heart, eyes on the American flag in the corner of the room. One teacher carefully explained the meaning of each word to give the daily recitation meaning, which I appreciated then and still appreciate now.

When I woke up this morning, still lying in bed, the Pledge of Allegiance was running through my mind for the first time in years. It had been so long, in fact, that I stumbled over the words -- was it one nation under government? No, of course not. But I actually wondered for one Orwellian second.

And because I was thinking about government, I wondered if the people who work in the White House start the day reciting the Pledge? Probably not, but maybe they should. I assume all of them have taken the Civil Service pledge, which I have also taken a couple of times. And of course President Obama was sworn in by Chief Justice Roberts - everyone witnessed that.

But as time passes it's easy to forget the words and the meaning of the words. The Pledge of Allegiance could serve as a good mission statement reminder to our leaders in Washington:

I pledge my 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.

P.S. A lady I met a few years ago pointed out to a group of teenagers I was with that there is no comma after "one nation" - it is meant to be one phrase: "one nation under God," spoken without pausing.

P.P.S. Yes, I know, I know. "Under God" was added 12 years after the pledge was written. The words were taken from the last line of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, which is worthy of a post of its own.

P.P.P.S. Ironically, the original Pledge of Allegiance was written by a socialist. I wonder how many socialists would take the pledge today?