A Modified Pledge of Allegiance

Here's the current version:

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."

And here's what Tom Bell (h/t) proposes as an alternative:

I pledge allegiance to the laws of the United States of America, on condition that it respect my rights, natural, constitutional, and statuory, with liberty and justice for all.

I like that. Loyalty to a state -- any state -- should be conditional on the moral worthiness of that state. In fact, we could take Bell's pledge a step further and make this public vow:

I pledge allegiance to the laws of the United States of America, on condition that it respect my rights, natural, constitutional, and statutory, as well as the rights of other people, with liberty and justice for all.

After all, a state that doesn't respect the rights of others is unlikely to respect yours, regardless of whatever loyalty oaths you make. And pledging allegiance to a set of laws, rather than a flag, is a more concrete assertion.