Should the Pledge be said in schools?

The pledge of Allegiance should not be said in schools; or at least not every day. The monotony of repetition dulls true impact of the pledge, and the words stop being anything besides a day-to-day annoyance. The Pledge is exactly that; a promise. In reciting it as a routine it loses its meaning.

To “pledge” something is to make a solemn promise. Most students I know use the time set aside for the pledge to screw off. No promises there, let alone solemnness. They don’t care as they solemnly promise their allegiance; their loyalty and devotion. They don’t care because the words are just an insincere series of syllables. Some people say that reiteration helps students feel a sense of unit and nationalism. Repetition teaches memorization not understanding. The pledge doesn’t promote patriotism for the simple reason that students don’t feel patriotic when they repeat the same intonation over and over again.

One of the main points of controversy about the pledge comes from two little words in the middle of the pledge. “Under God,” this little tidbit was added only relatively recently, in nineteen-fifty-four, as a way to separate the pious Americans from the godless Soviets. This change propagandized the pledge into a deliberate criticism of our rivals and their way of life. It is also argued that this phrase discriminates against students who don’t believe in one god or a God at all. While these claims do have merit, one key fact disrupts those arguments. Any and all parts and portions of the pledge are completely voluntary. If a student disagrees with that detail of the pledge they can remain silent without repercussions. As a firm believer in the separation of church and state myself, I do not say this phrase, and I have never experienced any consequences, positive or negative. “With liberty and justice for all;” for all meaning that the pledge is as much mine as it is yours and you should say whatever you are comfortable with.

The main point that I am trying to make is that the pledge is a special, serious, and personal promise you make; not only to the flag or the United States of America but to yourself. It is so much more than some meaningless mantra for you to repeat day-in and day-out. It should only be said in its entirety by people who believe in every word and even then only when they feel that way. Citizens should, and do edit the pledge to make it accommodating to them and their individual dogmas.