The New Pledge of Allegiance

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

I remember reciting that pledge every morning in school at the beginning of class; however, it was with the under God addition that had been inserted in 1954 during the communist threat insanity. Even as a young child, I was quite proud when I spoke those words. “I am an American,” I thought. “This is what it means to be an American.” I believed that we were better and smarter than all the people who were unfortunate enough to live in the other not-so-privileged countries of the world. The propaganda had worked.