Amaya, Clelia
Period 1
5/22/2017
To Pledge or Not to Pledge
Students in American public schools should not be required to recite the “Pledge of Allegiance” everyday.
First of all, repeating the “Pledge of Allegiance” on a daily basis does not signify that the values within the pledge are true or genuine. Dale Kennedy, an eighth grade teacher at Thomas Law Reed School, argues that not reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance” each day can cause “… our republic [to] not stand the pressures of time“ (4). Nonetheless, the reality is that simply declaiming the “Pledge of Allegiance” continuously does not bring the earnest desires and wishes within this patriotic passage to life. John Green, a teacher at Castro Valley High School, states that he is not quite convinced that “… these aspirational values…truly connect all Americans to one another” (4). Furthermore, Green informs readers of the unrealistic truth that the pledge holds in the following passage, “The idea of ‘one nation’ [is] … naive” (5). The values within the “Pledge of Allegiance” do not apply to all and simply address a few of the country's citizens. Restating the “Pledge of Allegiance” does not bring all people of the United States together as a society and simply leads with desired ideas.
Another clear issue within the “Pledge of Allegiance” involves how our youth and countless of adults do not comprehend the symbolic meaning behind each word that the pledge contains. Dale Kennedy claims that this specific patriotic activity of reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance” is “[a] core building block of…society” (3). However, not only are there children who would not be able to understand what the pledge is stating, but several adults may be confused as well. John Green counterattacks Kennedy’s statement with an explanation of “… God’s role…[and how it] is a question of faith” meant to be discussed between families (2). In addition, Green continues with the fact that the “Pledge of Allegiance” is not a critical point in a child’s education and instead of declaiming the patriotic saying, students should be working on more concerning matters. A multitude of people all over the nation refuse to repeat the pledge due to their different beliefs and the lack of knowledge concerning the passage. If the youth of our nation can not perceive or interpret the pledge’s meaning, then what need is there to constantly restate the patriotic message.
Therefore, there is no particular reason or need for anyone to be obligated to repeat the “Pledge of Allegiance”. The public school system in America should not preoccupy pupils with the restating of the “Pledge of Allegiance” and instead concentrate on the countless beneficial actions that could be done.
