Remembering Our Creed

The American creed, or identity, can be seen all around us throughout our lives. This creed includes American ideals such as liberty, equality, individualism, unity, populism, etc. These ideals and traits are what represent “American exceptionalism”, which is the ideology that the United States is unique amongst each nation in respects to our views on personal freedom and democracy. In order to help uphold these standards in our communities, each day we as citizens of the U.S. are constantly exposed to this ideology through various symbols and rituals: the U.S. flag, the Pledge of Allegiance, the Statue of Liberty, each representing the morals of our country.

The U.S. flag is an important symbol of our country, with every detail holding specific meaning. The white color of the flag signifies purity and innocence, the red showing valor, and the blue representing perseverance and justice. The stars, representing the 50 states, are surrounded by the blue to show how we continue to “persevere” and stay united as a country.

The Statue of Liberty is located on Ellis Island, which was a gateway for over twelve million immigrants coming into the united states. Lady Liberty stands tall and firmly atop the island, holding her torch high for all to see. She is seen as a beacon of hope, calling to all who seek out freedom. The symbolism and history behind this monuments helps remind us that we are a diverse nation filled with many backgrounds and heritages, yet still we stand proudly united before the rest of the world.

And lastly another great example would be the Pledge of Allegiance, as it is a ritual that unites us as a nation. When we recite these words, we as citizens are literally pledging our allegiance to the United States, we’re are all committing to be apart of the vast community and continue to support our common goals. We say the pledge together in order to bring us together under the same ideals and cause that our nation represents.

The many symbols and rituals that we keep around the country are there to help build our character and ideals as American citizens. They are what help keep us united, and help us to aspire to be the best possible citizens we can be.