While attending Sunday school, we were discussing “choosing” as it relates to God confirming His covenant with His chosen people (Exodus 24). We talked about the concept of a theocracy vs. a democracy. Do the research for yourself and Google or Bing the differences between the two. I mentioned the fact in class that the United States of America is a republic, not a democracy. In the 1954 version of the Pledge of Allegiance that I grew up with and which is still current, it states “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.” How do we maintain our unity as a country?
A bit over 25 years ago, I attended the Million Man March. There was a pledge taken during that nonviolent march by the estimated 800,000 to more than 1 Million Black men in attendance. I took that pledge and have mostly stuck to it. My challenge to you is to find the 1995 Million Man March pledge for yourselves and read it, as it primarily focused on self-help and self-determination. A major topic missing from that pledge was the helpful, yet divisive, effect of technology on our society, especially social media that was not prevalent then. Learn your history.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
In talking with my children and other youth, they see a country that says it is a nation under God, one that is indivisible, and that provides liberty and justice for all. What is missing from the proclamations (talk) about our nation is the evidence (walk). They see a very socially polarized country across politics, economics, religion, liberty and justice. To ensure the survival of our republic’s representative democracy, everyone should vote. We all need to read each candidate’s platform and use our critical thinking skills before we vote. Vary your sources of information and verify them — and then vote as an informed citizen.
We must bring our country back together by engaging in our civic duty to vote to ensure liberty and justice for all.
Edmund H. Moore, Ph.D., is a U.S. Air Force engineer and community volunteer in Huber Heights, Ohio.
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