A line-by-line analysis of the Pledge of Allegiance underlines its core meanings.

Anchor of Liberty by Sovereign Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°

We all use symbols and participate in rituals of one sort or another. "The Pledge of Allegiance," for instance, is used at Masonic meetings, public events, the start of the school day, and sometimes at private meetings. Without reflection on what the words mean, the significance of the Pledge, simply by its oral repetition, can die out. How often do we reflect on what the "Pledge of Allegiance" really means?

I pledge allegiance to the Flag... What is a flag? Webster describes it as "a piece of cloth or bunting with distinctive colors, patterns or symbolic devices used as the symbol of a state or group." Our American flag or national ensign has gone through many incarnations from the Grand Union flag of the Revolution through an ever-increasing constellation of stars as states were added to the Union. The flag of the United States, "Old Glory," has flown proudly as the ensign on ships protecting our nation's commerce from both the British navy and Barbary pirates in the 1800s, from the crest of Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima in World War II, from the moon, and, as painted on the space probe Voyager, it is now on its way to the stars.

Of the United States of America... What is the United States of America? It is a vast country, bounded on the East and West by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, by Canada to the North and by Mexico to the South, not to mention Alaska and Hawaii beyond those boundaries. It is the home of diverse peoples and many cultures. It has every extreme of climate and geography.

And to the Republic for which it stands... What is a Republic? Webster says, "it is a state or nation in which the supreme power rests in all the citizens entitled to vote (the electorate) and is exercised by representatives elected directly or indirectly by them and responsible to them." What is it that makes our republic so unique in the annals of history? It is the three documents bequeathed to us by the founders of our nation--the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights. The founders of this nation had had their fill of autocratic government unresponsive to the needs and wishes of its citizens. The Declaration of Independence spelled out the fact that every person had the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Inalienable means that it cannot be taken away or abridged. It also declared that every man has the right to rebel when those rights are infringed. After a long and bitter campaign, the United States of America was born. A Constitutional Convention was held in which the framework of government was hammered out. When completed, it was a remarkably brief document consisting of seven articles which concisely spelled out the rights, privileges, and obligations of all three branches of government and how each of the three should provide a system of checks and balances on the others so that no branch of the government could assume dictatorial power or infringe upon the people's rights. The process of how to amend the Constitution was included.

When the Constitutional Convention drafted the document, it was decided, almost as an afterthought, that there should be an enumeration of simple acknowledged principles of the rights of man. The list of an American citizen's rights was to be an absolute barrier to infringement by the government upon the citizenry. These were added as the first 10 amendments to the Constitution and are called the Bill of Rights. It is the irrevocable law of the land, the nation's ultimate guarantee of human dignity for every American.

One Nation under God, indivisible,... The First Amendment declares the separation of church and state, but nowhere does it state that belief in a Supreme Being cannot be professed publicly. Nor does it ban prayer in public. Rather, the First Amendment was to guard against the growth of any sort of ruling theocracy such as had been seen throughout much of human history, where the church ruled and dictated human behavior according to its particular beliefs.

America is "one" and "indivisible" for, since the Civil War, the United States, with all its diversity, has managed to remain one unit, one nation under one Constitution.

With liberty and justice for all. Those ten amendments are that guarantee. They cannot be abridged regardless of expediency. Nowhere else in the world does a citizen enjoy the enumerated rights and benefits guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The President takes an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, as do the members of the Senate and the House.

The Supreme Court is to enforce those Constitutional guarantees and to see that neither of the other two branches of government violates or tries to set aside those rights. It is the duty of every citizen to see that the Constitution and Bill of Rights are protected. Without them, the United States of America is nothing special, just another big country that may rule its people any way it sees fit. The people then become no more than servants of an all-powerful and tyrannical state.

It is only by knowledge that we can acquire wisdom and only by informed wisdom that we can maintain our unique and inalienable rights and freedoms. The Scottish Rite bookstore has an inexpensive ($5.00) volume titled Anchor of Liberty, written by Grand Commander Kleinknecht, which has the story of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, along with its text and commentaries. I would urge everyone to obtain a copy, study it carefully, then loan it around for others to read and study. Our American freedoms are to be valued dearly at any time, but today, as America faces so many challenges here and abroad, they are more precious than ever. May we always know and protect them!

Stephen M. Osborn was raised at Mill Valley Lodge No. 356, Mill Valley, California, on 5 May 1984. He is Junior Warden of Camanio Lodge No. 19, Stanwood, Washington, and a member of Walter F. Meier Lodge of Research No. 281, Grand Lodge of Washington. He joined the Scottish Rite, Valley of Everett, Orient of Washington, in April 2002 and is now a Life Member. He is also a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society and the Philalethes Society. A retired Fire Battalion Chief, Bro. Osborn is a lifelong sailor, writer, poet, philosopher, historian, and former newspaper columnist.