The Pledge of Allegiance: I won’t stand for it

Alexa Orlowski | Conant Crier

At the beginning of second period, everyone in Conant High School hears the same thing: a featured student or faculty member asking us to “please stand and join [them] in saying the Pledge of Allegiance.” Ever since we first committed it to memory in elementary school, the Pledge has been ingrained in our minds as something we just do every morning without question. Although it has been a part of our daily routine for our entire academic lives, we should take some more time to think about what we’re saying.

In the wake of the recent 2024 Presidential Election, many people have begun to question what patriotism means to them in modern society within the context of how policies and views have shifted over time. Even though the Pledge traditionally instills a sense of unity among American students, it can actually cause disunity among students of different religious and political backgrounds and fails to properly educate students on what it means to be a “patriot.”

The first draft of the Pledge of Allegiance was published in 1892 in a newspaper called The Youth’s Companion. It was written by American socialist Francis Bellamy, who was an editor for the newspaper and hoped to use the Pledge as a marketing tool meant to promote the paper. This first draft was written as follows:

“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands–one nation, indivisible–with liberty and justice for all.”

It quickly gained popularity in public schools for its patriotic themes, especially during a time in which the country was so heavily divided following the Civil War. Over the course of history, it became the Pledge that we know today, which is recited as follows:

 “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.”

By far, the most controversial part of the Pledge is the reference to God, as it makes the assumption that anyone reciting it believes in the existence of a God, a reference most commonly associated with Catholicism. Because the United States has become such a religious and ethnic melting pot since its creation, it does not make sense to instill the belief that America is united “under God” among children whose families might not even believe in a God.

Those who believe that the phrase “under God” should be removed from the Pledge often cite the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution, which states that the government must remain neutral in religious matters. By constantly drilling the idea of a “God” into the mind of young children, it is possible that some children whose families do not discuss any type or religion or teach their children to think differently are becoming more confused or uncomfortable.

As someone whose family identifies as agnostic, meaning we do not adhere to any one specific religion or cultural belief, I was completely unaware of what “God” even meant when I was first expected to learn the Pledge of Allegiance. “One nation under God” just sort of blended together as a random phrase that I blurted out every morning to get it over with. As I got older, around sixth grade, I began to realize the meaning of that line. What started out as mild surprise and confusion slowly became deep discomfort until I stopped reciting the Pledge altogether, not necessarily out of protest, but because of my discomfort.

If the phrase “under God” was the only issue with the Pledge of Allegiance, it would be an easy fix, as the original verse clearly does not contain any religious references. But some students also find discontent at the blatant forced patriotism of it all, as for whatever personal reason, they disagree with certain ideologies and philosophies that have been expressed by the United States government. In a popular award-winning, women-centric blog named her culture, Badiallo Diawara, a Black American student, explains her past hesitancy with reciting the Pledge: “Ultimately, it does not feel good to be forced to say the pledge of allegiance. It especially does not feel good as a child to be forced to say the pledge when you feel uncomfortable knowing the history of this nation.” With the knowledge she had learned in school about United States history, she did not feel comfortable expressing blind patriotism on a daily basis, and according to the Student Bill of Rights, it is well within her rights to decline.

It wasn’t until this year, my senior year of high school, that I decided I would no longer participate in reciting the Pledge. Personally, I have been unhappy with the direction that the country has taken in terms of policies and agendas that have been popularized with this year’s election. The discomfort I had initially felt surrounding the religious aspect of the Pledge increased tenfold when I began to reflect on my own morals and realized that it felt wrong to pledge my allegiance to a country whose actions I was so fundamentally opposed to.

The Pledge was initially created to instill unity among the American people. However, in a modern American society, full of differing perspectives, backgrounds, and opinions, its message has become outdated and can even cause confusion and disunity throughout society. When I was a child, I wasn’t able to understand what the words of the Pledge meant, let alone the implications of devout patriotism that came with saying them every day. Now that I have received the formal and informal education necessary in order to understand the Pledge, I make the decision not to say it every day.

I encourage all Conant students to reflect on their own beliefs in relation to the Pledge, as it is likely that most students have fallen into the same trap as I have when it comes to blindly repeating its messaging just because “we’re supposed to.” Whether you make the decision to recite the Pledge daily or not, take a moment to ask yourself: What does patriotism mean to me? If through your reflection you decide that you disagree with standing for the Pledge, then take advantage of your right not to. Your decision doesn’t have to be a demonstration of disrespect, but rather an expression of your personal beliefs that don’t necessarily align with those that have been instilled in you.

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