My response to a commenter who expressed his belief, that school children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance was a waste of time and an indoctrination of false ideas.
---------------

Mr. Cook, you are entitled to express your opinion.

I don't think you will find much support for it. Does nationalism cause wars? Do flags and other symbols? I don't know. I don't believe so.

Here's the problem. The world is not ready to "Live as One". A long way from it. So, in the short term, we all remain proud of our individual countries. Each culture develops that love of country somewhat differently.

I personally observed the East German occupying forces develop their type of love of country, by stifling individual freedoms, for almost 40 years, in their attempt to divide and subjugate a people. Didn't work.

North Korean powers that be, daily brainwash their people into hailing the Great Leader, and hating America as their worst enemy. At least two generations of N. Koreans have now grown up knowing nothing else.

I personally observed the operation of Communism in tiny, dusty, backwater, no-water villages in India, attempting to establish communism as the great way of life, all working slavishly for a common good. Didn't work.

I personally went off halfway around the world and worked to help a people defend themselves from a non-stop Communist assault on their land, their villages, their way of life. They were not successful 40 years ago, and remain unsuccessful today (Thailand).

You may argue, that the Vietnam War was wrong, for any number of reasons. And you will be wrong. Despite the mistakes made by American leaders of the time, civilian and military, taking the American flag and the ideals it represents to far corners of the world remained the right thing to do.

America, Mr. Scott, is the light for the rest of the world. We remain an ideal, a symbol of hope, sanctuary, and that most prized possession, freedom in all its forms. To that end, we raise our flag to start our day. We salute our flag when it passes. We have a Day for it. We teach our youth groups about its history, later what it stands for, and we teach them how to handle it.

Lastly, Sir, we lay it lovingly over the casket of any citizen who stepped up and served in its military branches. No matter their occupation, no matter where they served, they earned the right to be covered by the flag they agreed to bleed and die for.

Drive through Jefferson Barracks sometime, quietly, slowly, radio and phone off. Just look. Those aren't politicians' mistakes buried there, sir. Those are citizen-soldiers, patriots, who stepped up when their country asked them to. Freedom isn't free.

Yes, there are many alternative ways to serve one's country that do not include military service. It is not for everyone.

Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance? Yes. Appreciating all that we have been blessed with in this great country includes reciting the Pledge. It doesn't mean blind obedience to politicians and laws and policies. It doesn't mean blind indoctrination. It does mean, that as citizens, we love, and support our country, its ideals, and what it stands for. The very fact that you are able to express your ideas without fear of harm or retribution, should tell you all you need to know, about those who have provided, and those who continue to provide you, with the very freedom you appear to take for granted.

I wonder what the make-up of Congress would be, if there were no salaries, just living and daily business perks: housed on Andrews AFB in dormitories, bussed to and from work, meal allowances, entertainment/hosting affairs covered. 
They have forgotten who they work for.

Someone complained to FB that my post, below, was offensive. FB has removed it and sent me a warning.....good thing all the other profane nudity and crap that makes up the majority of FB postings isn't offensive, huh?
------------------------------------
Two groups only, have failed miserably to assimilate into American culture: Indians, and Blacks. Granted, both were abused as part of our ugly past. However, the abusers and the abused are long gone. Indians would much rather hide out on the rez and pontificate and gamble and drink, than assimilate, educate, and grow. Pathetic.

We have a 2015 crime demographic summary in our Charleston SC newspaper this Sunday morning (Jan 3-2016). I read the data, but, yes, I am not sure what to do with the information. Shaking my head does nothing. I could point out the stats are dominated by blacks and guns, but the most horrific crime was done by a white punk in a church.

I don't know the solutions either, but I remain convinced that more guns on the street by citizens is NOT the answer. Very rare, are the stories of armed civilians riding/shooting to the rescue. (U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Gifford's attacker was subdued by unarmed heroes). What we mostly read about, are civilians dropping their guns and sending off a round through someone or something else, cleaning their gun and sending off a round through someone or something else, pointing/playing with what they thought was an unloaded gun and sending off a round through someone or something else. Pretty stupid, and totally preventable.

A small handgun in my opinion should be used strictly at home, for home protection. We have had several daytime home invasions here in the Charleston metro region, and they have ended badly for the bad guy in almost every instance. In one case a 12 or 13 yr old had to shoot an invader, who later died. Ugly. Stupid. Preventable.

There is no eliminating the 5 percenters, there will always be bad apples in any barrel. Working on the contributing factors to poverty, hopelessness, anger. and frustration would seem to be the logical path.

Re-think public school funding; clean up the walking paths to those schools; equip them as equitably as the suburban schools; job training programs; eliminate/overhaul welfare programs, as the state of Maine successfully has done (look it up); go after absentee landlords on sub-standard units; educate teenagers on: sex, education, money matters, setting goals, graduating h.s., how to behave/react when interacting with police just doing their jobs; corporate investment in run-down areas, such as brand-name grocery, retail, and banking companies, instead of fast food and liquor and pawn stores.

Most of the above requires new mindsets more than a ton of money. Hard to do when folks keep re-electing the same people.