Senate Journal: Page 40: Tuesday, January 11, 2000

  They did not write:  "...with liberty and justice for all those who speak
  the same
  language I do."

  They did not write:  "...with liberty and justice for all those who live as
  I do."

  They wrote:  "...with liberty and justice for all."

  We teach the Pledge of Allegiance to all our children.  They are justified
  in asking
  us if we believe, if we truly believe and live the words we have them
  memorize.

  Do we really believe in liberty and justice for all?  I believe in our heart
  of hearts we
  do.  I believe Iowa can lead the nation in delivering on this guarantee.

  I'd like to invite you here this morning to stand with me, placing our hands
  over
  our hearts, and repeating the words that our country was founded on.  Let us
  stand a
  little taller and a little straighter, and think about these simple words
  that should
  guide our lives-particularly that last phrase.

  "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."

  Over the last two hundred plus years, Americans have fought and died to
  uphold
  that vision of liberty and justice for all.  We owe a debt of gratitude to
  those veterans,
  which is why we propose fully funding Iowa's share of the World War II
  memorial.

  Please remain standing as I close.  We have now said the Pledge of
  Allegiance.  It
  will be a sign of our individual and our collective integrity, whether we
  live by those
  words and act by them when we take action in this Chamber, in the Senate
  Chamber
  and in the Governor's office.  It will be a sign of our collective
  leadership that we
  improve our quality of life and realize Iowa's promise.

  As we make our communities safer, our schools better, our health care more
  accessible, our environment cleaner, our crops and workers more valuable,
  and our
  government more accountable, people will come.  As we build on our strengths
  of fertile
  soil and fertile minds, people will come.  As Ray Kinsella was told in the
  movie Field of
  Dreams about our fields of opportunities:  "People will come.  They will
  come to Iowa
  for reasons they can't even fathom.  Oh, people will come, Ray.  People will
  most
  definitely come."

  May your God, my God, and our God bless this great state and its people.

  Thank you.

  Governor Vilsack was escorted from the House Chamber by the
  committee previously appointed.

  Representative Rants moved that the joint convention be
  dissolved, which motion prevailed by a voice vote.

  The Senate returned to the Senate Chamber.

© 2000 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

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