Sep 02
I Pledge…
2009 at 11:14 am | posted by Rep. Craig Frank 26 comments
I pledge…
I pledge… Allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America,
And, to the Republic for which It stands,
One Nation Under God,
Indivisible,
with Liberty and Justice for All.
The Founding Fathers declared in the final phrase of the Declaration of Independence: ”And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually PLEDGE to each other our lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
(italics, caps, and bolding added for emphasis)
ps: Would someone explain to me what “funk” is?
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:56 am
And this begs the question, what exactly does does Obama stand for? Do those who would so easily pledge their allegiance to Obama really have any idea?
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:09 pm
THANK YOU!!!!
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Funny that you’d add the last line there. Isn’t your rallying cry as a conservative against health care that you don’t want to share your fortunes?
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:05 pm
I have no problem pledging my fortunes – that’s called charity. What I have a problem with is forced charity by the government. That’s called stealing.
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:36 pm
An individual genuinely supporting liberty would never pledge allegiance to a monopoly government … or its flag.
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Misty,
40% of my fortune isn’t enough for the Gov’t? God only asks for 10%.
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
good point taxpayer, we’ll send it back as soon as you stop using roads, national defense, fire departments, bank deposit guarantees, need i go on?
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Yes! We also need to stop using socialized fire departments! Everyone should pull their boots up by the boot straps and put out their own house fire! or if they can afford to hire a private fire company to do it for them, just make sure you work out all the bugs in the fine print prior to your house burning down.
Funk! Its funny that people who don’t understand younger generations have to ask those types of questions! It reinforces my belief on how out of touch you are. And when he says he pledges to serve President Obama, he means the President of the United States, not the man.
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:34 am
Craig 41,
If you’re going on to a public option, then no, you don’t need to go on. Go pledge to Obama instead.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:48 am
bbart76: I’m sorry, if the younger generation doesn’t explain the definition of “funk” to “my” generation, how are we to know. I asked the question, and after your comment, still have no answer. Mabe it’s not my generation’s fault.
ps: I have 4 teenagers, I know what “funk” is. : )
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Taxpayer ,
Its higher then 40%, you must not forget the money stolen from you in the form of higher interest rates to pay for the hundreds of billions in defaulted medical and non-medical debt caused by the 2million+ medical bankruptcy’s each year or the damage to your homes value due to the number of homes lost in medical bankruptcy. Or the $1,200 dollars stolen yearly from you in higher insurance premiums to pay higher rates to doctors and hospitals to cover the enormous amount of non-payment in emergency room care.
Just because the it’s not being taxed from you directly doesn’t mean it’s not coming out of your pocket. Health care reform has a big and ugly buy in to get it moving, but its going to save us a lot of money when all is said and done.
September 4th, 2009 at 10:31 am
taxpayer – oh, so you didn’t get what i was saying. it’s ok, i was just trying to help you out there
rep frank, why are you deleting comments on other posts?
September 4th, 2009 at 11:19 am
That’s a good question. I notice the more “supportive” comments here aren’t seeing deletion, but our criticisms on the second “Pledge” post just keep disappearing.
Where’s your integrity, Frank?
September 6th, 2009 at 11:37 am
So Representative Frank, what exactly is your point in putting this video on your blog?
September 6th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Just trying to increase the hits to my blog. ; ) It’s nothing more than a marketing stunt. My e-commerce account has been going through the ceiling…cha-ching…cha-ching. $$$$$$$$ : )
September 7th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Seriously Craig. You are an elected representative of the people of the State of Utah—a public official and need to act as such. I asked you a legitimate question. Again, what point are you trying to make by posting that video on your blog. If you are making fun of the video and object to some of the comments it contained, what are those comments you find objectionable? If you agree with some of the concepts and comments in the video, tell us that as well and explain why you agree.
Since you have chosen to publicly display your point of view on a blog and invite a public discussion, it behooves you to respond in a thoughtful and intelligent manner to legitimate questions, rather than with flippant answers and juvenile attempts at humor. Again, you are supposed to be an elected public official. Please start acting like one.
September 7th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Good point, John. This blog, my blog, was primarily created to “push” information out to my constituents in House District 57. (Other, non-constituents, are also welcome to comment, too.) As you can tell I’m a big proponent of the First Amendment. (I really haven’t filtered any comments since I started underthedome.org three years ago.)
So, I guess, the simple answer to your question is…to heighten the awareness of (what I consider) interesting mainstream political/social media events for my constituents in House District 57. It’s just that easy.
Responding to “legitimate questions” is really up to my discretion. And, the only people I feel compelled to answer, are those people I represent in House District 57. Please refer all your future legitimate questions to your representative (i.e. Rep. Francis Gibson @ http://le.utah.gov/house/members/bios.asp?id=65).
Even though you’re not a constituent, you’re welcome to continue to comment (if it’s clean, to the point, and non-libelous) on my blog…I look forward to your thoughts.
September 8th, 2009 at 7:34 am
I take it from your answer Rep. Frank that you don’t feel that you need to answer to the the general public in the state of Utah whose lives your decisions as a state legislator affect on a daily basis, nor be accountable to those same people if they don’t live in the boundaries of your district. Is that correct?
I get from your very typical Utah passive aggressive response to my asking questions on your blog that you are telling me to “buzz off”, in a polite way, of course.
I find it interesting that you are such a proponent of the 1st amendment, and yet obviously uncomfortable in your role as a public figure to field legitimate questions from who don’t happen to reside in your district and don’t happen to share your point of view on many issues. Your argument and excuse that your Blog is intended to “push” information to your constituents is specious at best since it is quite available for anyone to read and to post comments AND questions about the content
You are going to continue to get my questions on your blog, and whether you choose to answer is up to you. Of course, as you well know, a non response in some cases can speak even more loudly that one that is written. I too look forward to many pleasant exchanges with you on this public forum.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
hahaha, Smackdown! Thats why I read this blog even know I disagree with Rep. Craig Frank most of the time he’s a straight shooter. This is a rare quality in politicians.
September 8th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
It is indeed unfortunate that there are those among us who are so deprived, ignorant, and lacking in cool that they have to ask what “Funk” is in this day and age. Here you go Frank. This is your first lesson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twNAKujCIkk
September 8th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
How anyone on the right can take offense at or disagree with the Christian values and patriotic spirit embodied in that video is beyond my comprehension. Those of the LDS faith “serve” their church and its “president” in a variety of ways. They accept church assignments and callings, they serve on missions, they pay tithing, they help their fellow church members. The words “to serve” and “service” seem to take on a whole new negative meaning when they are spoken by Hollywood celebrities in reference to the nation in which they live and its elected leader. Interesting. . .
I fail to see why anyone would take umbrage at someone pledging to serve their nation’s president, which in reality means to help their nation’s president in any way they can to address the needs and challenges facing our country. The men and women we honor in the military are in the “service” of our country and its commander in chief. They don’t serve the individual—they serve the office. That is what is meant by the pledges in this video.
I have heard Utah Republican’s complain about that video saying that Obama is here to “serve” them, not the other way around. Is that perhaps because he is black? The words “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” denote a spirit of unselfishness and service to one’s country that I believe is woefully lacking here in the reddest of red states. Like it or not our nation is all of us, not just the little LDS conservative enclave we call Utah.
Those on the right seem to think they somehow have the corner on patriotism and love of God and country over those who are more liberal. I’ll tell you what. I’ll put the principles of patriotism, love of country, and Christian ethics I see and hear in that video up against those same principles embodied in any one of you red meat Limbaugh listening right wing Republicans any day. It won’t even be a close contest.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
One more thought. Remember Governor Huntsman? Isn’t he serving President Obama in the role of ambassador to China? Gasp.
September 9th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
John, you just proved the point. President Obama probably believes that Governor Huntsman is serving him in China. Apparently you see it the same way.
I’m sure Huntsman sees it as serving his country. I personally pledge allegiance to the country and its flag, not to its president.
September 11th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
JJL9, do you actually know what pledging allegiance to the country and its flag means? Who represents our country to the rest of the world? Who speaks for our country to other nations? Who is the commander and chief of the armed services? The presidential oath says to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States. Doesn’t each and every citizen have an inherent duty to do what they can to help the nation’s elected leader carry out the responsibilities of the highest office, regardless of the individual?
Those in the service of their country, also serve the executive office of the president, not the individual. This is where parsing words and semantics get in the way of understanding. Those on the right seem to be genuinely threatened by a well educated, articulate, black man, who is a great public speaker, with great leadership qualities, and who also happens to be a liberal. Like it or not, he is the nation’s leader, and it is appropriate for him to seek the help and support of the public and it is also appropriate members of the public to pledge to help him in any way they can. You right wingers can kiss and hug your flags all you like but that isn’t going to help solve any of the nation’s problems, most of which were created in the last 8 years of Republican leadership.
September 20th, 2009 at 1:33 am
The military and our representatives take a oath to serve and protect the Constitution of the United States. Those of us in the military are required to disobey any order that violated the Constitution. It doesn’t matter if it comes from a 2ndLt, Sargent, General, or the President of the United States.
As for Americas problems going back for 8 years your not looking far enough. Try closer to 100 years. This is why the politicians don’t get the public’s outrage. It cuts across all party lines. We the PEOPLE have had enough. One and a half million citizens marched in Washington DC this month in the largest demonstration ever seen. They were pissed off at all our politicians for violating their oaths and we are not taking it anymore. Look for a bloodbath at the polls in 2010, if we get that far.
Ken Lowder
September 21st, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Your 1.5 million figure has been widely discredited, it was around 70,000. Their is a reason the Federalist party only lasted 28 years, perhaps you should look in to it.