A pledge or invocation is a chance for wisdom

I read Cary Bozeman's recent column in the Kitsap Sun about the tradition and the respect that Americans have for the flag and the recitation of a Pledge to our Nation. Another writer who responded in a letter may have a disdain for the Pledge, and even for the nation, as his wounds from the 1960s have apparently not healed.

It wasn't funny then and it isn't funny now when people who enjoy the freedoms and rights possible in our country mock and deride those who honor the sacrifices of men who went before us and those who still devote their lives to keep us free. The flag is a great remembrance of all the values our notion hold sacred.

It would do no harm to those opposed to the Pledge to say a little invocation now and then to give thanks to some others or to a creator for the sheer luck to have been born into this country and this time period. The writer's intolerant attitude won't accept that we are divided and yet belong to each other for survival. Many differing views on God and religions should be shared and appreciated for what they contribute to the peaceful coexistence of our diversity. Love thy neighbor as thyself would be a good start.

Let's invite all the interested people to share their words of wisdom as they take turns giving an invocation!

Mary Lou Long, Bremerton

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: A pledge or invocation is a chance for wisdom