“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.”

The words that echo on the morning announcements every weekday at Cresskill High School.  Words that radiate freedom, patriotism, and… well… liberty.  Words that should be respected by students of this country who are, at the very least, standing up during its reading.  Right?  Yeah; that’s what I’m here to prove, folks.   

Let’s start off by just breaking down what these words mean.  To pledge allegiance means to devote yourself to the nation, the first clause stating you promise to devote yourself to the flag of America, and the Republic for which it stands, of course being the nation itself.  This nation is promised to be indivisible, with liberty and justice for all who enter it, read as it is stated.  

Of course, I skipped over “under God,” a seemingly incredibly important part of the pledge.  To address it, let’s put it into context.  The reason this was added really goes back to the Cold War era of the United States in the second half of the 20th century, an era characterized by heated tension between America and the Soviet Union, its biggest competitor (and one that, after becoming Russia, has kept this rivalry), as the two powers raced to spread their respective influences, government systems, and ways of life across the globe.  

What does this have to do with the pledge?  I’m glad you asked!  President Eisenhower decided to sign a bill introducing the two words to it as a way to set the States apart from the Soviets.  The Soviets were an atheist society that emphasized secular ideology, right alongside its favorite economic system: communism.  For those who don’t know, this proposes the promise of a classless society where everyone gets only what they need due to wealth distribution, a promise that would end up being skewed due to government employees often having considerably more prominent benefits.  This system completely contradicted the American system of capitalism, promising competition and a free market economy where the government doesn’t control everything, the driving force behind the tension.  

This said, it’s obvious why the words were added: not as a declaration of Christian belief, but as a strong and clear stand against the Soviet Union and the beliefs it harbors.  By taking up God as the overarching figure of the nation, citizens took up American values with it, this understood purpose of this statement, and refuted the communist beliefs of Soviet Russia.  Along with this, the idea of having the nation be “under God” really only served to guarantee that there would be no tyranny in the nation, as the ultimate power would be with the creator, and more importantly–even if you don’t believe in a creator–NOT in the power of one human individual or group.  This was a promise to reassure citizens that they’d have freedom.   

 Some would say that by having these words, people who do not identify with monotheistic religions have more than enough reason to not stand for the flag.  At face value, this is a solid point.  American soldiers did indeed give their lives to protect our rights to stand, sit, or even burn the flag.  However, let me then ask you this: let’s say your parents work all day and night to provide for you and your household, doing the dirty work FOR you.  By this logic, you don’t have to thank them for what they do and you don’t have to tell them you love them.  But, as most can agree on, the right thing is to voice your gratitude for what they’ve done to give you the opportunity to be where you are today.  Standing for the pledge and thanking those who have come before us with it achieves the same purpose.  The United States of America is built on exactly that: a United nation where we put our differences aside to band together as a one body.  We may all have different cultures; we may have different customs; and, of course, we may have different religions.  But at the end of the day, the one thing we can all agree on is being American.  On top of this, we cannot forget that our nation was founded upon monotheistic ideals, but does not restrict anyone whatsoever into only adopting that belief system.  By standing for the pledge, you honor others’ sacrifices, the history of the country, and the unity we all have as citizens of the nation.  To reject all of this simply due to not agreeing with two words feels unfair, considering they aren’t the point of the pledge, and especially when American soldiers literally sacrificed their lives for it.  

And as one last little qualm with the subject, yes, you absolutely have the right to choose to stand.  It is a fundamental part of our nation.  However, if you do take it personally (which I absolutely would not blame you for), why can you therefore not just choose to not say under God?  Why must you sit for the entire pledge?  If the beauty of our country is this inherent ability all enjoy, why do you have to reject the beauty of the pledge, (as I said before,) the entire actual point of it with it?

The issues of implied religion out of the way, let’s return to why students should respect the pledge.  For many families, like mine, this country, and its promise at a new life, meant everything.  This country gave them everything.  Be it protection from persecution, a more fair economy, a strong system of rights, and more, the U.S always stood as a beacon of hope, a finish line, even, for those trying to find a better life.  Many people did absolutely everything they could, had sleepless nights, and just dreamed, to make it here.  Keep this point in mind.  

When I’d ask those who don’t stand for the pledge about their motives, I’d often hear something along the lines of “I don’t like what this country’s done in the past” or “I can’t get over how it became what it is today”.  I’d then ask these people about what injustices they’re referring to.  Of course, you can expect the answers.  It’s no secret whatsoever that our country has had dark periods and shameful points in the past.  From slavery, to mistreatment of natives, to injustice, we are NOT, and have not BEEN perfect.  That is not my point.  However, we have done a lot to try and make up for these mistakes, and continue to do so today.  The Civil Rights Act promised protection from racial discrimination in employment; Japanese internment victims got reparations; our legal and law enforcement system is always critiqued not out of hate, but to improve it.  America has had its evils, yes, but it has done so much to try and right them.  I’m not here to claim if enough has or hasn’t been done.  I just feel that it’s unfair to judge our nation solely on what happened and completely ignore what’s been done to make up for it.   

These same people, when asked about if they should really live here if they don’t respect the nation, almost always didn’t express any interest in leaving the country.  That’s the magic of our nation.  Those within it can (theoretically, not that any students at Cresskill do) hate everything about it, curse it to its roots, and abhor its founding principles, but live in the country anyway, a testament to the sheer freedom that resides in American society.  

I beg of you: ask yourself what this nation has given you.  A refuge?  A place to grow up and learn in peace?  If our forefathers worked so hard to come here and enjoy these principles of freedom, is it really fair for you to disassociate yourself from the nation when millions of people across the globe would give their lives to give their families what you enjoy today?  Surely standing for 12 seconds every morning in thanks isn’t the worst thing ever.

Before you guys start panicking and sobbing into your stars and stripes, hear me out. I am not here to argue that people should spit on the flag or curse at the Capitol building, please don’t cancel me. Just keep reading, I promise I have some good points that aren’t “I hate my country.”

June 25, 1962, the Supreme Court announced their decision on Engel v. Vitale. This case decided once and for all whether it was constitutional for schools to use an official, state-composed prayer, even if it is voluntary. In the end, the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional for any public schools to hold school-sponsored prayer, as it violated the First Amendment which states that citizens have the right to freedom of religion and no official religion can be established by the government. I’ll get to why that is relevant in a minute, I promise.

Did you know the Pledge of Allegiance has been changed since it was first written in 1892? Francis Bellamy wrote, “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”. Now, I know you probably barely pay attention to the morning announcements, but try to see if you can find the differences between that one, and the one you hear every day, period two. In the 1920s, the phrase “my flag” was changed to “the flag of the United States of America”. This one’s pretty harmless, it really just adds to the total word count, something we’re all guilty of during an english essay. The real problem is what was added in 1954. Two little words, “under God”, that’s when it gets tricky. That’s when Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, Atheist students whose beliefs do not include God or define him differently are pressured to participate in something that violates their religion.

As my opponent has stated, this move was done to separate America from the communist Russian government during the Cold War, who were “godless people.” I would argue that this does the exact opposite. Communism has throughout history turned into a totalitarian government, one that controls all aspects of life, including religion. By adding these words and effectively supporting certain religions over others, the government increases their control over us as American citizens, closer to the totalitarian regime we loathe. The phrase was added to distance communism by emphasizing America’s “moral foundation,” implying that other religions lack a moral foundation.

To those who say America was built on a monotheistic religion and therefore it is only natural for this to be added, the country was also originally built on slavery, racism, and sexism. While these horrors in no way compare to a religious belief, the idea that just because something was present in history it should be taken into consideration for issues in the modern day is problematic. Many of the original settlers, way back in the 1600s, came to America to escape religious persecution, like the Quakers or the French Huguenots, because America was seen as a place of religious freedom and opportunity.

If the decision in Engel v. Vitale was enforced in this scenario, the pledge might not be allowed to even be recited over the announcements, since it could be seen as the government sponsoring a specific religion. Compared to that, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to allow students to remain seated if they choose to do so.

Additionally, there are practical reasons to not stand. Many students have classes with pop quizzes, essays, or tests during period two. While we’re frantically calculating, the last thing on our minds is standing for the pledge. Many teachers explain this: while we are welcome to stand, we can choose not to. Also, there aren’t announcements on AP exam days, allowing test-takers to focus.

On top of that glaring issue, America has already passed judgement on this matter. Supreme Court case West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette ruled that schools cannot force students to stand during or recite the pledge of allegiance. Why, you might ask? The First Amendment protects the right to personal choice. The right to freedom of press, the right to protest, and the right to freedom of speech, which includes the right to not speak. America was built off of the idea of independence, individual freedom, government limitations of power. Rather than disrespect, the choice could be viewed as honoring your ancestors by exercising the rights they gave us. In fact, this article itself is a testament to the freedom America provides, two people can express differing opinions without censorship or fear of persecution.

In the end, there are better ways to show your patriotism. America was built on principles, liberty, equality, fraternity, and standing up while someone mumbles through a poem doesn’t reinforce those. We shouldn’t put so much emphasis on the recitation of the pledge, but the execution of the ideas behind it, “liberty and justice for all”. Show your loyalty and dedication to the country through your actions, practice the ideals our ancestors fought wars to gain and protect. To some, the only reason to stand for the pledge is to confirm that you are patriotic, but why do we feel compelled to prove ourselves, why are we so suspicious of each other that morals could be questioned over a harmless personal choice? As it was so eloquently put in the Barnette majority opinion, “Any spark of love for country which may be generated in a child or his associates by forcing him to make what is to him an empty gesture and recite words wrung from him contrary to his religious beliefs is overshadowed by the desirability of preserving freedom of conscience to the full. It is in that freedom and the example of persuasion, not in force and compulsion, that the real unity of America lies.”
I’m not saying I wouldn’t stand for the pledge, or trying to convince you that you shouldn’t stand for it, I really really don’t care what you do. I do think, however, that we should have the right to make our own decisions in everyday life. Besides, why is someone else’s actions your concern? As long as they don’t prevent others from standing, let them exercise their power to choose.