When the Board of Supervisors for the City of San Francisco stands to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, one voice is silent. Jane Kim, who represents the Sixth District, stands with the rest of the Supervisors, but she refrains from the recitation and she does not place her right hand over her heart. (http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/01/san-francisco-supervisor-refuses-recite-pledge-allegiance)
If you know me well, it may surprise you to hear that I support her right to do that and I offer no harsh words of reproach. I fully support free speech regardless of my agreement or lack of agreement with the content. The reciting of any words must never be mandated, and Ms. Kim is acting on the dictates of her conscience, carefully considered over a number of years. This is not a rash decision to which she has come.
It is her reasoning with which I take issue, however. She explains that the Pledge represents ideals, but not reality, that we are not a nation that provides liberty and justice for all. Both halves of that statement are true. The Pledge DOES represent ideals, and we have NOT lived up to those ideals in every way. The mistake that Ms. Kim is making, though, is in believing that we withdraw or withhold our loyalty from entities that have disappointed us. Ms. Kim has a record of public service that demonstrates that she IS loyal to the republic for which it, that is, the flag, stands. The republic under which we live is governed by very fallible humans and will, from time to time, fail to live up to its full potential.
Ms. Kim, if this somehow finds its way to you, I ask you to reconsider you position. The work you have done and continue to do clearly speak the words you feel reluctant to verbalize, and your continued service brings our republic closer to its ideals.