[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24148]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          ESSAY ON THE PLEDGE

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                          HON. MARK R. KENNEDY

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 26, 2005

  Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit for the 
Record, the text of an essay by Katelin Richter of Watertown, 
Minnesota, as published in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune on October 3, 
2005.

       Of course the pledge is still relevant. How does a trait 
     such as loyalty cease to be relevant? How do liberty and 
     justice for all cease to be relevant? How does God cease to 
     be relevant? Just because our America is a little different 
     than our Founding Fathers' America doesn't mean that the core 
     values that built this Nation have changed. Deep down, we are 
     still the same, members of the greatest democracy on Earth, 
     where liberty and justice are truly for all.
       We have to remember, when pledging, that our great Nation 
     is not totally infallible, and will never be. We can only try 
     our hardest, with the powers we have, to make our Nation live 
     up to the pledge. Americans will constantly work to see this 
     goal.

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