Opinion: The Freedom NOT To Recite The Pledge Of Allegiance

Forgive me, dear reader, if I implore you to refrain from engaging in overly demonstrative platitudes about love of God or country when discussing the Pledge of Allegiance. The school district, which claimed to respect everyone’s religious beliefs or lack thereof, supported the punishment because, it explained, it was part of an assignment to lead the Pledge of Allegiance, and, as district spokesperson Sam Strube put it, “If you’re going to lead the school in the pledge, you better say it in the traditional way.” “A public forum where you’re going to represent the school is not a place where you can voice a controversial issue and force that on other people,” Strube said. The teacher grabbed her, shoved her against the wall to admonish her and sent her to the principal, who asked her, “Don’t you love your country?” Like Texas, South Carolina law requires public schools to conduct the pledge each day, but they cannot punish a student or staffer who refuses to recite the pledge as long as they’re not disruptive and don’t infringe on the rights of others. Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, was commissioned to write the pledge, which first appeared in The Youth’s Companion on Sept. 8, 1892: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” “The United States of America” was added in 1923, then the words “under God” in 1954 – which Bellamy’s family descendants strongly protested. He does not say “god” but rather: “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” In another twist, I once found this cartoon in full on a website called “GodTube,” which uses videos to preach Christian values.