|
No, the pledge of allegiance was not written with us in mind. True.
BUT the pledge of allegiance sets forth a guideline as to what Americans are supposed to believe in. Even when Americans don't live up to those standards, in this country there is a belief that those things....liberty and justice for all.... really ARE for all, and that this is an ideal worth fighting for. It reflects the VERY BEST of us, and of the American spirit. When those words were not meant for us, they were a spur for those who believed in our humanity and our rights, who took those words to heart and fought for us, both black and white. That was what America was SUPPOSED to be, and what they wanted to make it.
Americans might not always uphold those traditions, but this country is one of very few in this world where people still think that that is how things SHOULD be. When your civil rights are trampled here, you can do something about it, you can fight those systems, even when you don't win, and that MEANS SOMETHING. People are working for things to be that way every day. Isn't that what we do in living our lives? Work for things to get better?
Sororities and fraternities were not for us at one point either, but we took them and what they MEANT to heart, and we call ourselves Black Greeks today. Same way I will call myself a Black American, and recite the pledge.
__________________
It may be said with rough accuracy that there are three stages in the life of a strong people. First, it is a small power, and fights small powers. Then it is a great power, and fights great powers. Then it is a great power, and fights small powers, but pretends that they are great powers, in order to rekindle the ashes of its ancient emotion and vanity.-- G.K. Chesterton
|
Threaded Mode