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"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." Do these words have meaning for you? Every morning in homeroom when you hear the voice from the television to ask you to stand for the pledge, what thoughts cross your mind? Chances are, they're not patriotic. I'm willing to bet that the majority of students at H-K find the pledge a nuisance, and most don't say it unless their homeroom teachers make them. "What's the big deal?" you ask. I point this out because it is really a small manifestation of a larger problem that occurs not only within our school, but also among the U.S. population in general. What I'm talking about is that among people here, myself included, there is a strong tendency to take for granted the fact that we live in the United States of America. Take a second to think about it and ask yourself some questions: How much time do I spend griping about problems that are minuscule in com son to problems that billions of people elsewhere in the world face? Is my biggest worry this week my decision regarding which college I will attend, or what new pair of shoes I will buy? Or is it something slightly more significant, such as whether I should walk down the street in fear of a terrorist attack? Do I waste a free education by taking classes that don't challenge me, while an education is only a dream for so many others around the world? Do I get upset when my Mom makes food I don't like, or do I wonder if tomorrow the garbage truck will drop off another load so my sister and I can find a meal? If I get in trouble with the law, will I lose my driver's license or my hand? Here are some thought-provoking statistics I received via e-mail. I can't speak with certainty as to their accuracy, but the ideas they raise are worth pondering: * If you woke up this morning relatively healthy rather than ill, then you are luckier than the one million people who will not survive to the end of this week. * If you have never experienced the danger of war, the loneliness of prison, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, then you are ahead of 500 million other people in the world. * If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, then you are richer than 75% of the people on earth. * If you have money in the bank or in your wallet, and you have spare change in a dish somewhere, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthiest people. * If you can read this article, you are more fortunate than more than two billion people in the world who cannot read at all. I'm not writing this editorial so that everyone goes out tomorrow and subjects himself or herself to starvation and torture in an attempt to make up for the advantages we have. Rather, I write so that per haps we all would take some time to look at life from a larger perspective. Sometimes, I have to just sit back, away from my world of new clothes and movies and fast food, to examine my attitude and the way I live. Do I spend too much time being the typical, selfish American? Are there any changes I can make to become a more worthwhile citizen of this planet? So next time, instead of being silent because of the "injustices" you've received from your country or for any other reason, say the Pledge, because it's a way to be grateful for living here in the richest, most powerful country on the earth. Even more importantly, maybe we all need to look at different perspectives on life and not take for granted the fact that we've got it pretty good in America. - Sarah Schroeder |
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