America is currently divided over practically everything. Put there’s one topic that hits every single child attending school. They’ve done it every morning before school starts, often without hesitation, because they’ve been told it’s “tradition”: the Pledge of Allegiance. But what tradition are we upholding exactly?
The Pledge of Allegiance was originally written in 1892 during a very nativist and divisive country that considered any African, Polish, Irish, German or Jewish immigrant was considered barely human. It was used as a tribute to Christopher Columbus. Despite what second grade Columbus Day projects may have led you to believe, Columbus was a ruthless man. He raped countless native women and murdered colonies. On the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of America, Francis Bellamy wrote the pledge as part of the celebration.
The celebration of a man who conducted genocide on hundreds of natives and sold young native girls into slave trades. A wonderful thing to celebrate indeed.
It wasn’t until 1942 that the pledge was even recognized by the U.S. government. With the pledge being recited in schools, it was bound to be fought against. In 1943, a Jehovah’s Witness student stood up for their religious beliefs and refused to say the pledge. This case was taken to the Supreme Court where it was ruled that no person is required by the law to recite the pledge.
Then, in 1954 the words “under God” were added under the instruction of President Eisenhower. There have been several court cases since that argue the validity of adding this phrase. On June 26, 2002 the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals deemed the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional to be recited in schools, however, the Supreme Court did not agree with the decision. Many recent court decisions have all arrived at the same consensus: that the phrase “under God” is a patriotic tradition and not religious. However, individuals are still not forced to say the pledge.
Schools are required to lead students in the recital of the pledge and although every student has the right not to participate, it’s strongly discouraged. Many teachers actually command students to stand up for the pledge and threaten them if they refuse. Is this what America stands for?
The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” This means freedom to control what comes, or does not come, out of your own mouth. Whether or not you stand to recite the pledge is your choice, and yours alone. It is not your duty to stand for something you don’t believe in, nor is it your job to persuade someone else.
In a country that prides itself on its freedom, why must we pledge our allegiance to anything?
The pledge is not a good tradition. The same people who insist we recite it are also the ones who want us to forget that it was written to honor a man who is eligible for 80 years in prison. There are other ways to honor America and there are more symbolic pieces of our history. Dueling was a tradition. Binding an asian woman’s feet so she couldn’t run was a tradition. Spanking children was a tradition. Stay-at-home moms were a tradition. Burning a cross on someone’s lawn was a tradition. Not all traditions are worth continuing.
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