[This comes from many years of questioning and doubting the role of the United States in the world, of its government in the life of the individual; by the time I was in high school, I could not in good conscience, swear daily allegience to the daily distortions from its words that I saw on the news every night. It took years to realize that what I was pledging to was not the reality, but the Ideal of the United States of America. And that I could do.] By definition and by design of the framers... Sign in to see full entry.