Liberty and justice for all

The Pledge of Allegiance lays out the terms of the current debate.

"I pledge 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."

I grew up saying the pledge of allegiance every day at the beginning of school. I hear it today coming over the loud speaker at my son’s school when I drop him off in the mornings a few minutes late. It’s a simple saying, but embodies a lot of punch. I’m not sure I ever thought enough about it, or at least haven’t in a long time.

The pledge acknowledges the flag as a symbol, not an idol. The vow is one of loyalty to the Republic and the flag is a physical representative of our country. It also recognizes that our country is unified around ideals that are inclusive, based on freedom and fairness for everyone.

The phrase “under God” was added to the pledge in 1954 during the Cold War to contrast the atheism of communist countries. I don’t have a problem with it. The phrase seems to recognize that God approves of our country and was supposedly a reference to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address when he said, “that the nation shall, under God, have a new birth of freedom." If you believe, great, if you don’t, it’s not hurting anything.

I started thinking about the pledge when I saw a photo of a trans-rights activist holding a sign that read, “I didn’t grow up saying with ‘liberty and justice for all’ every fucking day to accept anything less.” I thought, “That’s about right.”

I’m not much of an activist because I believe most activism, either from the left or right, eventually leads to excesses. I believe that we usually need to bring citizens along with messy compromises that satisfy very few people but allow us to live in peace with each other despite our differences. Imposing our views on others is undemocratic and authoritarian.

As for trans-rights, I don’t have firm positions on the issues that divide the country like transgender athletes and hormone treatments or surgery for minors. I see both sides of those problems and think there are legitimate concerns for each. But I believe that transgender people should be able to live with dignity and respect and enjoy the same rights and privileges as any American.

The pledge, as the activist’s sign implies, sums up the battle we find ourselves in today. The Republican Party, captured by the MAGA movement, has become an anti-democratic party in direct contrast to ideals set forth in the Pledge of Allegiance. They are disregarding unity, fairness, and freedom.

They are a party trying to divide the country, not building “one nation, indivisible.” They are trying to humiliate transgender people with new bathroom bills and other restrictions on their liberty. They are attempting to erase the history of the Civil Rights Movement by removing tributes to the people who fought for equality and the right to vote. They are restricting the rights of women in the name of religion. They are creating an us-against-them dynamic where “them” are lesser people undeserving of the rights set forth in the Constitution.

Their attack on immigrants denies due process that is the underlying principle of justice in our country. Donald Trump and his government are serving as judge and jury, accusing deportees of crimes that have never been proven. They are demonizing immigrants in order to deny them justice and their right to be heard. They are invading homes without warrants in direct violation to the Fourth Amendment.

In North Carolina, Jefferson Griffin and the Republican Party’s attack on the voting rights of people who disagree with them shows an utter disregard for the concept of liberty and self-determination. Their assault on our democracy also undermines ten years of Republicans telling us that their support for voting restrictions is an attempt at election integrity. There’s no integrity in disqualifying the votes of people who have a different world view from you. Republicans are dividing the country, denying justice, and restricting liberty.

The Pledge of Allegiance sets out the battle lines in the fight for our country. People who believe in the ideals of a country unified around freedom and fairness for everyone stand on one side of the divide. People who only have the capacity to understand the first six words of the Pledge stand on the other.

Go buy a flag. Stand up for the ideals it represents. Embrace the patriotism of “liberty and justice for all.”