General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Do you put your hand over your heart during the National Anthem? [View all]CajunBlazer
(5,648 posts)You must be in a difficult a position if you feel that your country does not deserve your respect even as you are deeply involved in trying to choose its leaders.
This country did not start out perfect, far from it. For instance the evil of slavery was written into our original constitution. However, ours was the first representative democracy in modern times, and more importantly, our constitution provides a blue print for ever improving our imperfect country. Have we, the American people, always always moved in the direction of that ideal? No, sometimes it was one step forward and two steps back. However, slowly but surely we are still moving towards making this country a "perfect union". No one should be satisfied, but neither can anyone can deny our progress.
Perhaps when when you have again an opportunity to say the pledge of the allegiance or stand for the nation anthem, you can do so, not to pay homage to country which formed over 200 years ago, or to the country you lived in as as teenager, or even to the one in which you now live. Instead perhaps you can do so with a clear conscious to respect the ideal which you and so many others are working so hard to achieve. Customs themselves have no meaning in and of themselves; they are what we as individuals make of them, and we can make them what we wish.