Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership, Inc.
P.O. Box 270143
Hartford, WI 53027

Phone (800) 869-1884
Fax (425) 451-3959

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Introducing: The Freedom Pledge

By Aaron Zelman

Something special happened this past Memorial Day, 2002. We published The Freedom Pledge. Here is the text:

I pledge my honor to the Bill of Rights, our precious national treasure.

As the Bill is a fortress against tyranny, I will battle all tyrants.

As the Bill protects liberty, I will live free.

As the Bill guards rights born within all humanity, I will defend the freedoms of future generations.

With my life, my words, and my daily deeds, with a vision of what can be, I honor all of the Bill of Rights for all mankind.

How to Use the Pledge

The Freedom Pledge was written to be recited at the openings of meetings or classes, or as a personal pledge at the beginning of every day. It is not intended to replace the pledge of allegiance to the flag. The Freedom Pledge is both a personal and a public pledge, for use either after the pledge of allegiance or alternating with it. The Freedom Pledge fits perfectly with Bill of Rights Day, December 15.

Why Do We Need A Second Pledge?

When you pledge to the flag, you are pledging to a national symbol. The pledge is grand, stately, and carries the weight of tradition. But think of those final words "with liberty and justice for all." What ensures liberty and justice? What actually makes America the land of the free?

The Answer: The Bill of Rights.

When our military personnel go off to war, they're defending our way of life and our traditions, which are defined in the Bill of Rights. When terrorists attack us, they are assaulting our beloved rights. The flag is the symbol, but the Bill of Rights is the source. It is the document that confirms that individual rights were born within us and existed before any nation or flag on earth. It defines abuses no government must ever be allowed to commit and rights no honest government would ever violate.

To the degree that we personally adhere to the Bill of Rights and demand that our governments do so, we are free. To the degree that we violate the Bill or tolerate violations of it, we're on the road to tyranny.

To Re-Establish A Bill of Rights Culture

We also wanted to make a pledge that reminds us all that we have a daily responsibility to live free as well as to wish, speak, and fight for liberty.
We need to re-establish a Bill of Rights Culture in America. Until we accomplish that goal, our political battles -- especially for the Second Amendment -- are going to be fruitless. Until people understand what liberty is and why we must cherish it, they will continue to think of government as a limitless source of goodies and a powerful tool for controlling or punishing political opponents. Freedom will be doomed.

As we restore a Bill of Rights culture, the first hearts and minds we must win are those of our children. So the pledge is intended for adults and youngsters alike. The little ones in your family can become "Bill of Rights Buddies," as they begin each day reciting the Freedom Pledge. By making the pledge a part of our daily lives and our cultural memory, we take one small but important step toward restoration of a true Bill of Rights culture.

What You Can Do With The Pledge

* Make copies of it and take them to the next event where people take a public pledge. Use this article as a handout. Recite the Freedom Pledge after the pledge to the flag.

* Teach the pledge to the children in your family and say it with them daily. Post a copy of it in their bedrooms, playrooms or home-school rooms.

* Live the words of the pledge every day. Discover within yourself and within your country a new commitment to the heart and spirit of liberty.

Larry Pratt of GOA says: "I would encourage people to put this [pledge] before groups they attend so that more and more people will consider the importance of our Bill of Rights."

Inspired by our Bill of Rights? Want to save the Second Amendment? Contact JPFO at (800) 869-1884, or click on www.jpfo.org. Get educated and get activated. Learn more with our books, booklets and videos. Share the ideas with others. Membership is still only $20 per year. Saving our precious rights is a team effort – join the team!