Why should we stand for the pledge of allegiance? Because of the veterans who died for us? Because they fought for what we call “freedom”? I personally don’t think it should be a requirement for school.
I’ve lol been standing for the pledge of allegiance since I was in elementary and never really understood why. Freedom of speech, you say what you want, when you want, and how you want to. It’s your right to stand up or not. “People die for our country.” “Sign of respect for the country we live in.” “Take pride in being an American.” How can we be proud to be American if it only brings negative stereotypes to everyone’s head, it has never been what it preaches to be. Being American is actually embarrassing. Just because I was born here doesn 't mean I have undying loyalty to America, being American means nothing to me, to be truthful.
The pledge of allegiance violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. I believe that the pledge is mismatched with democracy and freedom which suggest that pledges of allegiance are features of dictatorial states like Nazi Germany.
According to Johnathonocross.com, “It is clearly designed to inspire feelings of devotion to a country that is “under God” (and by including this phrase, it also encourages religious belief). Children have little if any grasp on what their country does or intends to do both domestically and internationally.” If we can’t feel free of commitment while being Atheist or even Muslim, we won’t feel free to do anything out of what most Americans believe is being American.
Donald Trump is a perfect example of why the pledge of allegiance isn’t for America anymore. His website is dictating and very degrading for what he w...
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...ople that everyone 's freedom depends upon that state. my child to learn is the importance of words and the necessity of asking questions and thinking to see the ideas behind the words
All of these points are plain examples of why standing up for the pledge of allegiance is just a waste of time. Give respect where respect is due. Personally, I don’t believe we should stand and respect a country that’s doesn’t do the same for us as Americans. They disgrace other cultures, and put people down who don’t meet their standards of “America”. America isn’t the same, we have more diversity here and we can do nothing but accept it. Torturing people and telling them they 're not good enough to live here makes people hate us more and want to kill us. Abolishing the pledge of allegiance would be an eye opener and maybe these patriotic Americans can see that and make a change.
The Supreme Court case in Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow result in a unanimous ruling that the phrase “under God” may remain in the Pledge of Allegiance as narrated in public school classrooms. The court made the decision because the atheist father did not have grounds to sue the school district on behalf of his daughter. While the ruling was made on the Flag Day, it did not meet the clear endorsement of the constitutionality of the pledge as sought by President Bush and leaders of Republican and Democratic Parties in Congress. Notably, the eight judges who participated in the case had voted to turn over a federal appeals court decision in 2003 that would have prohibited the use of the phrase in public schools as an infringement of the constitutional outlaw on state-sponsored religion. A majority of these justices i.e. five made that ruling on procedural grounds in which Michael A. Newdow, the atheist, did not have legal reasons to sue the school district (Lane, 2004).
President Obama sat down with the President of Turkey and told him “We have a very large Christian population, we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation; we consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values” (White House Press Release). Although the United States has a large Christian following we also have many religions within our culture; with an ongoing conflict against citizens that are nonreligious, Atheist, Agnostic, etcetera. The two words that were added to the Pledge of Allegiance proves the favoring of religion in a secular government. Even though the pledge does have a loyalty amongst the majority of citizens, we should remove the words "Under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance because by removing the words "Under God" it will give equality to everyone, hold us to be a Secular Government, not a Christian Nation and ?
Every morning over 75 million students around the nation recite the Pledge of Allegiance verbatim (Digest of Education Statistics). If one walks up to one of these students and asks them about the meaning and the origin of this pledge, what would they say? Nothing. However, even though more than a million students recite these words every day, not more than half probably know the true meaning behind these words. One cannot deny the fact that most of these children just want to get this pledge “over with” to continue talking to their peers. The Pledge of Allegiance has gone through several changes since Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, wrote it in 1892. The pledge acts as a source of patriotism, national pride and controversy. The statement, “under God” has caused much controversy and has created a distinct line between the supporters and non supporters of the pledge. America, which famously provides one with true equality, ironically has a pledge that goes against its doctrine and foundations. The changes that occur throughout the years to the pledge that results in its undeniable controversy and losing value. The adjustments lead to the pledge’s undeniable ambiguity and the nation should revert to its previous 1924 pledge.
Some have seen friends and family get tortured and murdered by their own government for daring to do things we take for granted every day. For those who risked everything simply for the chance to become an American....what kind of feelings do they have for the flag when they Pledge Allegiance the first time? Go to a naturalization ceremony and see for yourself, the tears of pride, the thanks, the love and respect of this nation, as they finally embrace the American flag as their own. Ask one of them if it would be OK to tear up the flag.
How do Americans feel about kneeling in protest during the national anthem? That’s a simple answer, the views are diverse and opinionated all around. You have your right to voice your opinion however, this concept seems to daunt many as they seem to forget that, in this case, kneeling as a form of protest is an exercise of our free speech and therefore should be accepted as such. President Donald Trump is guilty of stating he’s a man of the people but feels the need to disdain many unheard voices by using offensive and hurtful commentary like, “Get that son of a b---h off the field right now! He's fired!” (Tennessean- Lowary, J) Unaware of the reasoning behind every player’s protest, Trump continues to berate his own people in more ways than
The Pledge of Allegiance has become a major issue for students, teachers, parents and lawmakers. The original intention of the pledge was not to stir up trouble, but for a celebration of Christopher Columbus discovery of the new world. The pledge is no longer thought of as a celebration, but an infringement on children's religious beliefs. Do you believe that children's rights are being infringed on? Some people believe that the pledge is a great honor for our country. It has shown, and provided us with great pride just like our American flag. The Pledge of Allegiance being recited in the public school system does not infringe on the students religious beliefs, but is a way for us to honor our country and everything that we have done to get to this point in history.
There are not many countries around the earth that not only give the people the right to any religion, but also the right to express themselves however they like. Especially allowing the people to say, write, think, and argue whatever they please, even about the government. Most governments forbid the bashing of the government or heads of government by the people. In several countries it is penalized by death. Again, to have a choice of what we say and write is what makes us American. Some governments put to death to those that actually express an opinion. So this is what it means to be an American. To have the freedom to speak what we 're thinking, to say what 's on our mind. To express our feelings and ideas and opinions without fear of punishment. The worst we could ever fear as an American who speaks their mind, is ridicule from peers. This is what it means to be an American; to have the privilege and right granted to us to speak freely. To be able to have our own opinions and speak our mind is one of the huge keys to opening the door to being an
Although the custom had fallen off prior to 9/11, a great many American public schools begin the school day by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The recitation of a promise to support the flag and the country it represents constitutes an oath that is said by almost every student and teacher daily. We are concerned that the recitation of the pledge has gone unexamined by both teacher and student. While it may be acceptable for religious institutions to demand oath without analysis, public schools should be and are held to a different standard. Fostering the critical analysis of the documents that have supported our country is part of the rights and responsibilities of the American school system and those whom it employs.
Before analyzing the above described controversy, we must first examine the history of the Pledge itself. Written by Francis Bellamy, it was originally titled the “Pledge to the Flag” and was created in the late 1800’s to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America. It originally read: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the republic for which it stands, one Nation, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all” (McCarthy, 2005). Changes were later made to include the words “of the United States” and “of America” to indicate which flag was being referenced. The final changes to the Pledge came in 1954 when it officially became titled the “Pledge of Allegiance” and the words “under God” were added after “one nation.” This addition to the Pledge was meant to support the United States as a religious nation. While signing the law to put this change into effect, President Eisenhower said, “In this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war” (McCarthy, 2005).
First, I would like to talk about the history of the Pledge of Allegiance. Many people today recite the Pledge of Allegiance but do not know the history that took place behind it. The Pledge of Allegiance was originally written more than a century ago. The original pledge was: I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic, for which it stands, one Nation, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all . The flag serves as a symbol of our country and its proud traditions of freedom and equal opportunity. In the 1920s, the National Flag Conferences replaced the phrase “my Flag” with “the Flag of the United States of America.” In 1954, Communist threats occurred causing Congress to add the words under God to the pledge. Then 12 years later, Congress reviewed the Pledge of Allegiance and added the words “Under God .” While reciting the Pledge of Allegiance it should be recited by standing placing your
In war-torn, impoverished, and communist countries, America is a symbol for freedom. In America, our flag that waves red, white, and blue, is a symbol for our freedom. The Pledge of Allegiance begins with the words, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands..." This republic form of government is what grants Americans freedom: the power is invested in the people, and the government is responsible for protecting the rights of the people. A republic can only prevail if the citizens understand and properly practice the responsibilities that such power entrusts with them. For example, the first amendment of the Constitution protects freedom of speech; this liberty is meant for good, but can easily be abused. My responsibility is to use my constitutional rights for good, however, issues concerning responsibility seldom have just one correct solution.
In conclusion, The Pledge of Allegiance does the violate the First Amendment in the Constitution. Forcing students to recite the Pledge in school goes against their Freedom of Speech. Also, the students of certain religions who feel it is not right to say the Pledge based on the words in it, have the Freedom of Religion and should not be forced into saying it.
America is a place where freedom of speech prospers. Some people believe that America stands for one thing while others believe it stands for completely opposite things. The first stance I wrote about it a viable stance, but it lacks one thing, freedom. To be American doesn’t mean one thing, it means that you are open to anything, no matter how outlandish it may be. America is country that was founded on freedom, happiness, and love. Over the years many of these qualities have been lost to greed, corruption, and hatred. If we ever want to return America to its former glory we must open our minds, our eyes, and our hearts to people different from us.
America began out of protest. It began because a group of people decided they didn’t want to be silenced. It began with principles which, at the time of its beginnings, were revolutionary. Today, we still value these same principles, and it is those principles which make America unique. We are one of the only countries that doesn’t just allow free speech but encourages it. And we must express our love for our country and its values through patriotism: the expression of the ideals in the Constitution.
An oath is a statement of fact or more so a promise that one will abide by the truth and only the truth and that if the oath is broken, one will be liable under it (John, 2008). Children were first introduced to the system of reciting the poem in the year 1892 when they first recited the poem on Columbus Day celebrations held on 12th October. From there onwards, they started reciting it on each and every day of school. As we can understand as to why the government and other organizations as well as the adults recite this allegiance pledge, there is no valid reason as to why the children should be forced to sing it as well. Children are not free thinkers in that they will always succumb to pressure and other environmental factors. This is why their parents or their guardians are responsible for them and they make decisions on their behalf, for example, decisions concerning school attendance. Until the age of 16 years, a person is still considered a child and that they are known not to keep promises and that if they break promises no one should punish them. Therefore, for this reason, the children should not be forced to sing the pledge because it is a holy pledge to the country, something that children do not know about. It was until in the recent past that the Supreme Court in the United States ruled in favor of the children not to