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Americans' ideas of allegiance, What's yours?

April 27, 2006

By Dru Sefton, NHS

You probably missed it last May when President Bush called on you – well, specifically, “the people of the United States” – to observe Loyalty Day by reaffirming allegiance to the nation and flying the flag.

In fact, presidents have been doing this since 1959, after a joint resolution of Congress designated May 1 as Loyalty Day. Beginning with Dwight Eisenhower, presidents have marked it by issuing statements urging all of us to reflect on what “allegiance to America” means.

Before that, May 1 was (and still is) May Day, a holiday linked to the labor movement and celebrated most fervently in Communist countries. This bothered the Veterans of Foreign Wars and several members of Congress who pushed to create the more America-centric holiday that was approved on July 18, 1958.

A group of Americans share their thoughts below about what allegiance to America means to them.

Allegiance to America is dedication to the ideals and spirit of our forefathers and foremothers and the integration of the highest ethical standards into our daily lives. We stand for democracy, and we realize democracy cannot happen without an educated public, the right to free speech, honest journalism, dedication to civic duty, and the ability and willingness to defend both our rights and the rights of countries not yet liberated from oppressive governments. We stand for fairness and equal opportunity. We stand for an unparalleled work ethic. Allegiance to America means holding true to these ideals against all opposition.
–Christine Yantis Hargrove, 25, North Reading, Mass. Master of Divinity candidate, Harvard University

Loyalty to America should be loyalty to Americans – in promoting the common good. That is, Shaker Heights, Ohioans, patriotically say, “Liberty and justice for all,” then head into Cleveland's inner city to bring liberty to children dodging hunger, needles and bullets. Santa Monica, Californians, sing about “spacious skies” in “America the Beautiful,” then they bicycle to work in Los Angeles so those spacious skies don't fill with global warming gases for the next generation. Seneca, Kansas, farmers stop putting toxic chemicals on their “amber waves of grain,” so people eating bread in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, don't get cancer. And on ...
–Joe Schriner, 51, born in Cleveland, campaigning across America. Presidential candidate, 2000, '04, '08

True allegiance to a nation is making the public welfare your personal responsibility. True allegiance is never an abstract concept, but a concrete set of behaviors that honor, reflect and promote what is best in yourself and your fellow citizens. True allegiance is looking at the past with respect and skepticism, looking at the present with determination and creativity, and looking at the future with imagination and hope.
–Joseph Staub, 43, Arcadia, Calif., Special education teacher

As a son of refugees, I was blessed to be born in this nation. America was founded on the idea that our rights are endowed by the creator – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – regardless of who you are. These are values that transcend my ethnic heritage. I will continue to believe in and defend what America is and will continue to be – a great and blessed nation.
–Josue Sierra, 30, Annandale, Va. Online community manager

As an English-sounding American living abroad, allegiance often means speaking up for my country when I hear it unfairly traduced. It means calmly opposing stereotypes believed by ill-informed foreigners who know America from TV shows – and also the stereotypes spread by American snobs who know only New York or L.A. and deprecate “middle” Americans as idiots. Yes, there are plenty of things about America that could and should be better. But in the end allegiance means loving your fellow Americans as you would your family – you're aware of their faults, but they are your brothers and sisters, and you must stick by them and stick up for them.
–Jonathan Foreman, 39, an Anglo-American dual national living in London. Author,
“ The Pocket Book of Patriotism “

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