By memory

Oct 19, 2002

My mother called this afternoon with a simple question: Can you recite the Pledge of Allegiance? I stumbled on it, and couldn’t. Moments later, Chris and Elizabeth called to razz me on my apparent lack of patriotism. Mom called back, and we talked about the pledge, patriotism, voting, upholding democratic values and our republic’s traditions. (She’s reading a new book, Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty Over Liberalism.) While I’m a bit embarassed about not being able to spit out the Pledge, I could answer with a recitation of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, which I contend has a lot more to say about patriotism than a ditty about the flag.

Mom and I got to talking about other words we’ve memorized. What do you have committed to memory? Something from Shakespeare? (I know ”Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow …” from Macbeth and Prospero’s epilogue from The Tempest.) What have you memorized? Post to the Comments.

Anton Zuiker ☄