The Pledge of Allegiance Essay

The original Pledge of Allegiance was meant as an expression of patriotism, not religious faith and made no mention of God. The pledge was written in 1892 by the socialist Francis Bellamy. He wrote it for the popular magazine Youth's Companion on the occasion of the nation's first celebration of Columbus Day. It’s wording omitted reference not only to God but also to the United States. “Under God” should be removed from the pledge for purposes of creating equality in different beliefs and allowing each American their right laid out in the constitution. These are the original words to the Pledge of Allegiance.

(Harrison, Maureen. Gilbert, Steve. Landmark Decisions of the United States Supreme Court II.) The public schools systems are not trying to offend anyone. They are trying to uphold the system of educating American students. The views of a few people should not influence the greater good of the Pledge of Allegiance. It has been recited for many years and for many years people have fought against it. People are not fighting against the statement “In God We Trust” that is imprinted on each and every coin in the United States. There is no need to change the Pledge it is there for Americans to recite to show their appreciation to a grateful nation and as a way of saluting the American Flag. Mudhillun Muqaribu wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Times titled God and the Pledge: My Brother’s Quest. Mudhillun writes that he is a Muslim who grew up in America. When he was younger, other students made it clear to him and his siblings that “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance did not apply to them. He says that he began sitting out of the Pledge in the sixth grade. The main point of his letter was to applaud Michael Newdow for upholding religious diversity in America. (Muqaribu, Mudhillun. Letter. New York Times). Mudhillun was not persecuted by anyone for his decision in sitting out in the Pledge; it was his decision and he was respected for that. Michael Newdow and the others who argue against “Under God” in the Pledge have the right

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave” is repeated over and over again to emphasize the foundation and morals of our country. We are thought to be free and courageous from our triumphs on the battlefield by other nation. Funny thing is that song was written in 1814, 195 years after slavery was established in the U.S and was still occurring. “the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” There are many problems with the pledge, not only is does it sound like a cult pledge but it is also forced upon people. You are shunned for not being patriotic enough and pridefully singing the national anthem. America, the birthplace of the hotdog, the first one the moon, and the runner

The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States can be analyzed from two general perspectives: that of the speaker and that of the author. The first perspective is more familiar, especially to those who went through the American public education system. This is the perspective of the physical speaker, who delivers the pledge to the United States Flag, which is the audience. Typically, this speaker is a child in a school but it could also be a government official in a government meeting, among other settings. The second and less obvious perspective is that of the author of the text: Francis Bellamy, or the official adopter of the pledge: the United States Congress. Both can be considered to be the author of this artefact. For the sake of this analysis, we will assume the author to be the United States government and their intended audience to be the United States population. As this short artefact is examined and analyzed from these perspectives, one will be able to identify how it is densely packed with deeper meaning through the use of rhetoric.

Everyday students and teachers stand up and listen to the Pledge of Allegiance in their classroom together.

Seventy three years ago Congress got the United States out of what had turned into an unexpectedly embarrassing situation. It concerned the Pledge of Allegiance -- specifically, something called the Bellamy Salute Most people today have likely never heard of it, but the Bellamy Salute was once a constant part of the country's life. Until 1892, there was no such thing as a Pledge of Allegiance(Greene) The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of allegiance to the Flag of the United States and the republic of theUnited States of America, originally composed by Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942.[1] The official name of The Pledge of Allegiance was adopted in 1945. The last change in language came on Flag Day 1954 when the words "under God" were added. But since that day, lots of controversies happened regarding adding the word “Under God”. This event made some Americans upset. Pledging our allegiance to a flag that flies over a nation “under God” has become a point of contention for some. Gwen Wilde, a student at Tufts University, explains in her essay, “Why the Pledge of Allegiance Should Be Revised” that “the addition of the words “under God” is inappropriate, and they are needlessly divisive—an odd addition indeed to a Nation that is said to be

“Come on get up.” “No! I don’t want to get up, I’m tired.” Oh wouldn’t hearing this conversation every time before the pledge of allegiance be entertaining. So would making kids stand during the pledge of allegiance be worth it. Having to constantly nag on students so they all would rise out of their set, while your receiving constant attitude form most of them. Well this would only really be the case if the state were to make it mandatory for students to stand for the pledge of allegiance. For how things are run now most kids have sat quietly through the 15 seconds pledge with no problem. But if kids were to be forced out of there set then that might be a problem for everyone. Having to get everyone up might mean that you waste more time than needed, and forcing anyone to do anything will put them in a bad mood. Therefor by not making standing during the pledge of allegiance mandatory, many problems within a class would be avoided.

Students across the United States stand before the American flag pledging an allegiance to a country that protects every citizen’s “unalienable rights”. Students are raised to devote their life to a country they are born into by chance. Unknown to them, they are subject to the laws and regulations of an outside world that boasts freedom, yet imposes a pledge amongst children. The American government was once a country of dissent and rebellion. However, as citizens become radical in the midst of chaos, cower in the face of defeat, comply to a vocal minority, silence their voice in fear of a powerful nation, abuse of power becomes prevalent, and citizens must practice the most American form of democracy— civil

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, say the words, and sit down. Even at one point it became annoying to me because it was something that was sort of being forced. If you were to not fully participate you would be 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 justice for all. But why do young kids have to say the Pledge of Allegiance? I believe students should be taught the history behind the pledge and what every line in it means and denotes. In addition, the students should be at a more mature age before having to make this promise.

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

Douglas Laycock, Associated Dean for research at the University of Virginia law school, states “They want to coerce other kids to say what it means and what they believe to be true”. If the children say it every day for their whole school life, surely something will stick. Scientist have proven that the more you say something the more you believe it. This evidence strongly suggest that the only reason they have kept “under god” in the pledge is for coercion. If it wasn’t so important and had no religious meaning, then surely they would not be hesitant? For this is why I believe that the government should keep church and state divided and not drag children into this.

There have been ethical issues with public schools and the pledge of allegiance. One of the issues are that the students do not understand what the pledge means, they have been told to say it from the first time they entered the school. In doing some research I found that the children in the lower grades don’t even know who composed it, which is Francis Bellamy in 1892. (Baer, 2015) Over the years there have been changes to the pledge that included “under God.” The ethical issues are that the pledge of allegiance deals with religious problems. The criticism of the Pledge of Allegiance of the United States exists on several grounds. Its use in public schools has been the most controversial, as critics contend that a government-sanctioned endorsement of religion violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Critics feel that the pledge is incompatible with democracy and freedom, and suggest that pledges of allegiance are features of totalitarian

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

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.

“ You’re not to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it.”- Malcolm X. Freddie Gray, Natasha Mckenna, Christian Taylor, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner. Every morning during first period in school I sit during the Pledge of Allegiance. I made this decision because I have yet to see its truthfulness. In reference to “Liberty and justice for all” this promise has yet to be fulfilled. Most of my teachers if not all tell me to stand and fellow students never fail to tell me how disrespectful it is to the military and the flag. In one incident a student told me “If you hate