UV acrylic painting.

One day, while in the fifth grade, I made a decision to stop saying the Pledge Of Allegiance - simply because in my ten years of observation - it did not appear to be true. So, on that day, when the rest of the class rose to say the pledge, I just sat firmly in my chair. My teacher approached me and said, "Terry, stand up and say the Pledge Of Allegiance." "I don't want to," I said. "Why not?" my teacher asked. "Because it's not true," I said. She looked at me curiously and said to come outside. Once outside the building, she asked me again. "Now," she said, "Why don't you want to stand up and say the Pledge Of Allegiance?" "Because it's not true," I said, "that 'liberty and justice for all' - that's not true." "Well then," she said, "just stand up and face the flag and put your hand over your heart." "I don't want to put my hand over my heart," I said. "O.K.," she conceded, "then just stand up and face the flag." I said, "O.K.," and though I did stand with my body toward the flag - I turned my head and looked at anything but the flag - and never said the pledge in school again. In fact, I've never said it since - for the same reason I gave my fifth grade teacher - it isn't true.

Hopefully, someday it will be.

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