A Common American's Short List of Everyday Principles and Practices

By Jonathan Dunnemann

Are we not all common American citizens, living as we do as neighbors, sustained by the perpetual hope of an improving quality of life, one both safe and secure for our children, families, and all others for whom we have grown fond, treasure and would wish not to be without?

As such a commoner, I wish to hereby propose that on this 3rd day of April in the year 2014 that we make this a day of national renewal and commitment to uphold a collective set of values defined by a simple short list of favorable principles and practices which might better serve all of the people's interests and well-being.

Today, I hereby consciously pledge to...

A - Acknowledge and accept the civil rights of all fellow Americans.

M - Maintain and execute the right to vote in every local, state and presidential election.

E - Embrace and celebrate the cultural and ethnic diversity of our nation.

R - Respect the belief, faith, religious, spiritual, or choice of no belief by others in a supreme being or higher power.

I - Identify and explore ways to better protect the beauty and sustainability of our natural environment.

C - Care for and support the basic needs of the disabled, disadvantaged, disenfranchised, sick, veterans of war, or widowed among us.

A - Avail myself and volunteer to serve others in my family, community, nation, or other parts of the world in times of great hardship, loss or natural disasters.

N - Non-violently and judiciously seek to resolve all ideological, personal, political, national, or religious differences with others.

This, I suppose, could be viewed as an abbreviated Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America. It is about time that we gave the all to familiar K.I.S.S. (i.e., keep it simple stupid) concept a bit of a run?