The pledge of allegiance means a great deal to me. In it, I think of my grandfathers and uncles who served in the Second World War. It brings back feelings of “belonging” and solidarity from my childhood, into my adulthood in ways that seem to bridge time.

I regret: the takeover of the word “patriotism” when it is used as a dividing, nationalistic (xenophobic) word–the way it has been hashed and thrashed in the last few years as a political tool and demonizing method. As I say the pledge, unfortunately there still remains a bitter taste, when I consider that it is patriotic to pledge. I wonder if I'll ever see “patriotism” in the same unifying way as when I was a child–given the “real-America” and “pro-American” verbage of the last political campaign, I doubt the word will ever amount to much anymore.

I regret: “under God” as a religious tool and as another way politicians pander to the fundamentalist religionists, who incidentally were able to spend valuable time in the Texas Legislature creating and unanimously passing an “under God” clause for the Texas pledge as well. When the pledge is a pledge to a fundamentalist Protestant Jesus, it loses its value for many of us. If it becomes simply a dogmatic recital of Christianism, there will be less incentive to recite the pledge for those not Christian.

“Liberty and justice for all?” I feel that there is no-where quite like America, where there is possibility for liberty and justice for all. We have been (up until recently) a land ruled by evolving, improving secular law, and with checks and balances and at our best a semblance of a constitutional democracy. Whether we choose to remain so, will be the question.

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1042/winds-of-polit…

I disagree with you there. “Pro-gay rights young people” aren't just born. What is occurring is more gays and lesbians are becoming visible and many people, including older people, are becoming more accepting of gays and lesbians, especially if they have friends who are gay and lesbian. If one doesn't believe they know anyone gay or lesbian, then their opinion may be formed on the basis of misleading information heard in the media…. But once someone realizes that their friend John Doe is gay, and he's OK, then people will start to accept gays and lesbians and support equal rights.

Pro-gay rights people and anti-gay rights people are created out of circumstance all the time…. they're not born, though as a rule it's the younger people who do become pro-gay rights because they have friends who are gay and lesbian. Just like many older people have their prejudices that they can't shake.

Lastly, how many people who never dreamed they would ever support a black guy for president voted for Obama? I'm sure quite a lot. I'm positive that most people of a certain generation thought they'd never vote for a black guy. But (as with equal rights) once Obama and his policies became known (and compared to McCain's attributes) many people, including senior citizens who never thought they would vote for a black guy, voted for Obama. Many of these voters may still be struggling with their own issues of racism, but voters saw the inherent worth of Obama and placed other ideals above their own racism. (I'm referring to voters who had to struggle with their own racism in voting for a black guy).

Progress is made not when old people die and a new generation takes their place, but rather when there is an open discussion and people become educated on that particular issue.

I think America is not a land of “liberty and justice” for all (though I think it's the best place in the world) but we are constantly working on our more perfect union. Same with gay rights- obviously we're not there, but we're heading in the right direction.

Since I see things as a process I understand that there will be set-backs in any struggle (which is what we've had with gay rights), but ultimately gay rights will prevail. Just for the record, I don't see the issue as “gay rights” but rather “equal rights”. There's nothing “gay” about equal rights. Just like women, blacks, religious groups all want to be able to be full humans and be able to pursue their own happiness without hindrance from someone who doesn't happen to like the way they look or who doesn't agree with their opinions. I also think it should be up to the individual religious groups to develop their own attitudes on gays and lesbians without outside interference.

This is just another example of the fallacy of the two-dimensional political line.