The Pledge of Allegiance

In Saying the Pledge or not? from Blue Skunk Blog, Doug Johnson discusses the question,

"Should your school ask kids to say the Pledge?"

Every school that I’ve taught at has had the students recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Most of the time there is someone over the intercom that starts it and each class stands and repeats it.

I have no problem encouraging my students to stand up and say the Pledge. I’m disheartened that we don’t teach pride in our nation anymore and maybe that is why the young people of today do not have a lot of respect for our country. I encourage my students to feel this pride and express allegiance to our country.

Along with having to learn the Pledge of Allegiance, I also had to learn the Star Spangled Banner. I remember growing up and having to memorize what was on the Statue of Liberty:

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free;
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,

Send these, the homeless,
Tempest-tossed to me
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

We were also encouraged to have pride in our country and the things that it stands for such as freedom and tolerance. Hearing my father’s first hand knowledge about what it was like to escape communism, it made me even more grateful to live in our country.

So, I have no problem for those with religions other than Christianity, I don’t see why the words “under God” are a problem. It does not designate that the God is a Christian God or a Buddhist God or any other God. For those that don’t believe in God can just not say those two words but continue with the other words.

For those that don’t want to say the Pledge, I call the parents and as long as the parents agree that their child doesn’t have to say it, I just ask that they respect the fact that others will say it. Many parents have served in the military and fought for our country and would be horrified to know that their children refuse to say the pledge or are disrespectful during the saying of it. By calling the parents, I am giving them the opportunity to discuss this at home as a family.

I don’t force my students to say the Pledge but I do enforce that they show respect. They can stand quietly and respectfully and remove their hats while it is being said and the same goes for the national anthem.