Pledge Of Allegiance Essay

This brief article is about the origins of the pledge of allegiance and how it has changed over time. The pledge of allegiance actually wasn't written until more than a century after the United States became a country. It started with Francis Bellamy, who was asked to write a salute to the flag to mark the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas. He came to believe that if children said the Pledge every day, it would instill an almost unconscious patriotism in them. Many were worried about an influx of Catholic and Jewish immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe. Beginning in 1919, states started making recital of the Pledge mandatory in public schools. The Jehovah's Witnesses objected to reciting it, leading

While the pledge of allegiance is meant to enlist pride in students, people should have the right not to deal with this kind of patriotic ordeals. When we pledge “allegiance,” we are promising to be loyal and honest to our nation, the United States, and while these important ideas are beneficial, we should not be forced to pledge loyalty to a nation. The Declaration of Independence clearly says that people have the "right and duty" to go against an unfair as well as a corrupt government. While this should only be thought of when things go out of control done many do not approve of the government, and they should feel comfortable saying so. As things are, right now students and anyone for the matter should not be required to say the pledge of allegiance. There is, in some areas, pressure to "give in" and say it just because everyone one else is already doing so. People should be all for the educations of the nations students and the importance of voting in election polls to practice democracy, and student s should be well informed about the issues that the nation is

“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.” The Pledge of Allegiance can be heard in classrooms all around the country at the beginning of the day. However, many people question if the pledge can be applied to all aspects of the daily life of an American. Does everyone have the liberty and justice the pledge states all people have? Is America, as a country, indivisible?

Someone may be refusing to say the pledge for other reasons than obvious (Byrnes). Someone may not believe in God, or be very anti-religious. Since the pledge does have “Under God” in it, someone may be fully against supporting it. Someone could also be refusing to recite the pledge just to exercise their rights as an American. There are many cases currently happening that show examples of this. Colin Kaepernick, an NFL player, refuses to stand and recite the pledge. Many people are following him, while many are also opposing him. (Freedom from Religion).

The future of our country recites these words every day before starting class, in many countries among the nation. There is a reason why these words are recited. They express the deeply rooted values and patriotism of American people. In 1954, the phrase “under God” was added to the American Pledge of Allegiance, and it became the main source of many court cases throughout the years. Nowadays, these two simple but controversial word have caused a legal tangle with many court cases that mostly end up at the Supreme Court. For the most part, the debates revolve around the constitutionality of these words. The First Amendment to the Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…" Many people seem to think that the addition of the phrase to the American Pledge of Allegiance is counteracting the Establishment Clause. Nowadays, there have been many cases where it has been requested for these two words to be removed from the Pledge. The Pledge was made to unite all Americans together, in order to fight

“Discipline is giving yourself a command and following it up with an action” (Bob Proctor). Many teens today dislike saying the pledge for many reasons such as, the thought of it ruining their reputation as the cool kid. Or it can be something as simple as, their view on America and how America doesn't allow “outsiders” to live in their so-called, “free country”. I support those who have the courage and respect for the flag because I believe that, they can become someone important in the real world.

To live in a country where liberties are so readily available is a privilege. The founding fathers came to America because of persecution and the desire to be free from the tyranny of oppression and corruption. The fight for their liberties was accomplished with determination and the desire to see freedoms become a reality, not only for the people of their day, but for generations to come. Within the written words of the United States Constitution, The Bill of Rights has given Americans the right of freedom to express themselves. Freedom of Speech allows individuals to communicate their ideas in words and often in actions. 105

Though we might be within reason to offer allegiance to the ideas outlined in the Constitution or Bill of Rights, documents that express relatively explicit laws and principles, to volunteer servitude to a symbolic piece of cloth, regardless of what it represents, appears immediately fetishistic. The flag, of course, "stands" for something, but what it stands for is thoroughly complex and ever changing. The pledge beguiles the American faithful to reduce this shifty complexity to a simple, solitary symbol of Country, the great United States of America. From their earliest education, American children learn to venerate the flag before they can question it, and to extend their trust and reverence to the land that it allegedly represents. Their ability to question the legitimacy of certain laws or institutions, and furthermore to understand the constantly conflictive heterogeneity of their land's elements, becomes dulled by the pledge's manipulative wording.

It is unpatriotic to be forced to say the pledge. Reciting a pledge does not make someone patriotic or a good American. Relating very much so to the way that reciting the same prayers in church does not make someone religious. It is defying everything that anyone from the U.S. has fought for when you are being forced to recite the pledge. As Scoot states, “No student or staff member will be compelled to participate in patriotic exercises, nor will any student be penalized or ostracized for failure to participate (Scoot).

* Though I’m patriotic and love the pledge, it’s simply unconstitutional and needs to be removed from schools.

Born in Washington D.C., my time was spent observing others and listening closely. My parents were hard workers trying to make ends meet. My first language was Spanish but also learned English by the various lessons taught by my cousin. In a sense, the language that was acquired consisted of Spanglish. As I moved around and lived in different locations throughout the area, I became aware of the various languages and foods. Eventually, I moved to Silver Spring and enrolled at Sligo Creek Elementary School, the place where I was first introduced to the Pledge of Allegiance. At the time, I did not understand the significance of the Pledge of Allegiance let alone the American flag. My observation of students putting their hand over their heart

The inclusion of the phrase “under God” in our nation’s Pledge of Allegiance is an extremely controversial topic within the United States government. This only brings to attention that although society says you may not force others to follow your religion, it is not looked down upon to practice a religion in the presence of people who believe differently. The Supreme Court of the US has confirmed this multiple times. In addition, the Pledge of Allegiance is recited only as an act of patriotism and as a way to honor those who have fought for the freedom we have graciously been provided. The addition of the phrase was not to provoke argument, but to separate us from other countries and to highlight our differences from others through our past; to show the principles our country was founded on. Most importantly, there is the blatant fact that the pledge is completely voluntary. Due to our daily recitation, some might be given the impression that we’re a Christian nation, not knowing the facts. Overall, the phrase has been tried a countless number of times in the Supreme Court, without failure; it has historic value that no one can take away from it; and, most importantly, participation in reciting the Pledge is completely voluntary, making the Pledge of Allegiance not only legal in all respects, but also deserving of our recitation in public schools daily.

After the Civil War ravaged our country, the sixteenth President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, delivered the “Gettysburg Address” to unite our country. In the speech, he spoke of the core values of human equality and ended the speech with “…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Here the listener or reader can see that even in harsh times, the United States was a nation under God, and see that God gave the American people hope for a resolution to the conflict. In 1942, Congress adopted the Pledge of Allegiance. In my school, we recite the 1954 to present version every day, and always end it with “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” As a proud American, I recite this with meaning every day, and I could not be happier to say

Freedom of speech and worship are two rights in which most people are accustomed to. As they are laid out in the first amendment of the Constitution, any citizen has the right to speak their mind and worship how they would like. Freedom from want describes the desire to be economically secure in every nation which was an important factor coming out the Great Depression. The last essential right is the freedom of fear, in which one can live their life without fear of violence or hatred against them. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech

Firstly, one matter that rival's student rights that I found of interest concerns standing up and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The issues primary focus centered around students whose beliefs did not support vows of allegiance, a law at that time. This matter grabs my attention as I could only imagine how it would feel to be forced to go against my own beliefs. For instance, it seems as if