The Pledge

The Pledge of Alliance has been something I've opted out of for a long time. I don't remember when I made the choice though, over the course of time I came to the understanding that I would rather not say the pledge when our government does so much I don't agree with. Traveling in the Middle East and seeing how beautiful the Mediterranean is and the calm of Wadi Rum I can't imagine finding a way to make an enemy with someone I have not yet met, including residents of my own country.

Equality is a right we should all work toward, in both our domestic and military endeavors. How can we still treat people as though they are second class or determine they are less qualified for a job, any job, based on arbitrary conditions such as gender or sexual orientation. Maybe someday I'll say the pledge again and feel proud of a country that works toward making this a better place and lifting up its citizens instead of holding back any who don't fit a mold that few ever could. Maybe someday I'll travel abroad and meet people who are interested in what I have to say without prefacing everything with the fact that I don't support what my government is doing, though that statement reaches beyond the issues of equality and will take a bit of time. I'm afraid it will take too much time, but maybe once we stop discrimination within our own borders we will be free to make bigger changes in other aspects of our policy.

Some argue that repealing "don't ask, don't tell" will take focus away from the real important issues of security and our defence budget, though how can we clearly approach these issues when our collective vision is clouded by discriminatory policies that make it nearly impossible to carry out goals of peace-keeping and stabilisation. We've made a mess of Afghanistan and Iraq and our responsibility to those countries is to bring safety and structure to help rebuild and make a better future. Improving our public policy and ensuring equality within our military will help clear the way for implementing these plans, which already face enough hurdles without including an archaic homophobic policy. Obviously, there are those who see repealing DADT as a way to move toward peace, others seeing it a way to waste time and resources before tackling real and present dangers.

The house passed the repeal. Now it is onto the Senate to continue to be passed into legislation, if this is done quickly we will have enough time to make considerate and thoughtful changes in the Department of Defense policy. It would be a more responsible way of making these changes instead of the possible abrupt changes that would come from a court ruling later on. Making it through the House was a great victory regardless of what comes from the Senate debates. Already it has been shown this is not just Democrats fighting for a ridiculous liberal agenda for a change in policy to waste time and money, Republican representatives have also joined in. This thought and ideology needs to be conveyed in the Senate as well in order for the repeal to be passed, hopefully this legislation will move forward with little resistance.

It makes me wonder what more will change, how quickly my pride might return for a country I have lost faith in. One day I may say the pledge again and hope others will feel the same.