"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 exact words of the Pledge of Allegiance.
In class we discussed the words, and meanings of the pledge. Some people voiced their opinion, and believe it to be an offensive, forceful statement. As students at a public school in the United States we are required to at least sit through the pledge every day. It has been this way for the entirety of our school careers. As seniors in high school, we are all entitled to our opinions, so obviously someone is going to have a problem with "being forced to say it." I personally don't have a problem with the pledge, in my homeroom most of us do not stand and say it at the beginning of the day when we are given the opportunity to do so. Someone in my class mentioned that they think we should have a minute of complete silence in which we would be allowed to say the pledge if we so pleased. That's fine, but if no one is saying it when it's on the TV, what is the difference? It isn't hurting anyone. Nothing in the pledge is controversial (except the "under god" part).
It is my belief that people should not protest, or disagree with something simply because it's there. There are arbitrary rules all around us, and if we stood up to every single one of them the wold would be a far less peaceful place. Like these rules, the pledge is not hurting anyone. It is not infringing on any one's right. It is simply a few words that were used to unify the country in times of need. Patriotism in the United States is becoming less and less prevalent, so for those who want to say the pledge, I say: GO FOR IT!
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