Essay about Blind Obedience

If you think about it, you have probably been saying the Pledge of Allegiance everyday since first grade. When you initially learnt it, you didn’t even know what it meant and by the time you did understand it, you said it by pure rote. No one questioned it, but why should they? It doesn’t take much energy to stand up and recite a short verse everyday. However do you say these significant words with any sincerity? But stop and think for a second, why are we required to start each school day by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Don’t you think it is about time to understand why exactly we say the Pledge? Is it to honor our country? Is it to respect our freedom? Is it to hail our

Most children that attended grade school can remember reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of every school day, but few actually know the origin of it. In August 1892 a socialist, Minister Francis Bellamy wrote the Pledge hoping it would be utilized by citizens in any country. Since then it has had parts added to it and the way it was practiced has been changed, now placing a right hand over the heart and facing towards the flag of the United States. Little did he know the impact it would have on America in the late 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. Now that America is so influenced with different races and religions people believe the Pledge has crossed the line in the first Amendment of the Constitution of

Since the Pledge of Allegiance was something that was recited every single school morning, it did not have much importance to me and just became a school routine, you stand up, place your hand on your heart, repeat the words, and sit down. Even at one point it became annoying to me. If you were to not fully participate you would be slightly scolded by the teacher or given a look. Now that I am older I have learned more about what it means and understand that it has an emotional meaning to some Americans. The Pledge of Allegiance is a patriotic vow to the United States to remain loyal and obedient to the country that offers freedom and

Individuals often yield to conformity when they are forced to discard their individual freedom in order to benefit the larger group. Despite the fact that it is important to obey the authority, obeying the authority can sometimes be hazardous especially when morals and autonomous thought are suppressed to an extent that the other person is harmed. Obedience usually involves doing what a rule or a person tells you to but negative consequences can result from displaying obedience to authority for example; the people who obeyed the orders of Adolph Hitler ended up killing innocent people during the Holocaust. In the same way, Stanley Milgram noted in his article ‘Perils of Obedience’ of how individuals obeyed authority and

One way this was used in all the schools was how the pledge was said in each and every classroom. From Ms. Buerer’s fourth grade classroom to Mrs. Kier’s sophomore theater class. Each student was expected to stand up and pledge allegiance to the flag. This helps students foster respect for their country at a young age, and how to act in patriotic situations. An important line from the pledge that many schools focus on is, “freedom and justice for all” this line alludes that every American citizen has equal opportunities to succeed. This is an important aspect to have in the classroom. Freedom and justice for all was evident in the blended classrooms at Grand Island Senior High. Both traditional and special education students were in the same English class, and were given the equity to learn. The students were all assigned to two

The allegiance was originated in August, 1892 but did not include the words “Under God”, which was added in 1933. There was some concern of the change, considering separation of church and state. By forcing students and American citizens to cite the allegiance, you’re there by forcing them into a certain religion, which violates the first amendment, “Freedom of Religion”. By forcing them to stand during the allegiance they are there by betraying their own beliefs of where they come from or who they are. Some may look at it, as disrespect towards America or our war veterans, but it also shows disrespect towards those individuals. We are not only ignoring their beliefs but we are disrespecting their history, their family, and where they originally come

It was not the voice they were familiar with to greet them. They had almost come to expect Mom’s warm, quipped voice, or perhaps Mrs. Fletcher’s sweet, pitched calls, given how many times it had happened in the third grade. They remembered the hot embarrassment of having her repeatedly yell to them in the middle of class, of having students snicker as their slow, sluggish returned to the present.

As a daily routine many schools have their students start by standing up, facing the American flag, and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. This is something that most students have memorized since kindergarten and in some cases even preschool. The students recite the pledge every morning and most of them don’t know what it means or aren’t really sure why they have to say it. If students don’t know what the purpose or the history behind something is, they generally don’t take the matter seriously, which with The Pledge being a serious matter, students need to know the history in order to show respect. The Pledge of Allegiance should be said every morning by students at schools in the USA and they should be aware of its meaning.

When I was in Mrs. E’s kindergarten class, everyday we would stand up in that small, but comfortable room, face the flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance. As a little kid you really don’t understand what exactly the Pledge is saying, it was just a bunch of words we would have to say everyday as a class. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized the Pledge was a very important part of everybody's day.

Ironically, the Pledge of Allegiance originated from the hand of a social minister and chairman of the National Education Association, Francis Bellamy. Bellamy’s goal with the initial 23 word pledge was to impress it upon receptive, youthful minds, and convey the compassion and the patriotic duty deserving of the Republic. As a result, “more than 12 million public school children in every state in the Union” spoke the Pledge of Allegiance that day (Moss 2006). Since then, it has been a catalyst for tradition turned into mandatory law.

The Confederate flag has recently been another hot button issue in education with the events that happened in South Carolina in the summer of 2016. That flag represents different things for different people. African Americans view the flag a symbol of racism and oppression. While white people from the south view it has a symbol of their southern spirit and a salt of the earth hardworking heritage. As this debate continues to wage on, one wonders if the period of Reconstruction is not over. What does one do in the educational setting? If the image of the Confederate flag disrupts the educational setting then it is the principal’s responsibility to make sure the symbol is not scene in school. By doing this some students may believe that their freedom of speech is being suppressed, but the law is on the side of the school districts when it comes to this issue.

In August 1982 the pledge of allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy and was published in the Youth’s Companion, an American children’s magazine, on September 8th, 1982, as part of the National Public-School Celebration of Columbus Day reading: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all." Millions of children took part in reciting the pledge for the first time that Columbus Day Ceremony of 1982 according to the Youth’s Companion. During the National Flag Conference, in 1923, the words “my Flag” are changed to “the Flag” to help prevent confusion with immigrants. In 1954, Congress added the words, “under God” to the pledge lobbied by The Knights of Columbus,

The teachers profiled in “Unforgettable Miss Bessie”, “My Favorite Teacher”, and “And the Orchestra Played On” are remembered and admired by the narrators. Miss Bessie, Miss Hattie, and Mr. K. possessed significant qualities that made them remarkable educators. They inspired and encouraged students. They only wanted the best for their students and prepared them for their futures, enabling them to overcome difficulties in school. Besides the content of their subject matter these educators their taught students to believe that their lives and future all depends from themselves: whether they would choose the clean asphalt road or dirty, bumpy one.

In the chapter "The Dilemma of Obedience" of the book Obedience to Authority : An Experimental View, Stanley Milgram explores the concept of obedience to authority, and why people cannot defy authority even the situation is totally conflicting with morality. He introduces his ideas by giving the definition of obedience, and mentions Nazi extermination as an instance of obedience, which contradicts with moral values. According to Milgram, obedience idiosyncratically binds humankind to systems of authority, and links the individual action to political purpose. In terms of observations, obedience accepted as an inveterate behavior inclination, and obeying a system of authority has been comprehended as

To many people?s surprise, it is not necessary for children to recite the pledge of allegiance at