Argument roughdraft revised

Running Head: ARGUMENT PAPER 1

ARGUMENT PAPER 2

The Pledge of Allegiance No Longer Being Said In School

Celestino Alvarado Jr

University of Phoenix

ENG/200

Professor L. Smith

The Pledge of Allegiance No Longer Being Said In School

Introduction

The United States Pledge of Allegiance is a profound expression of allegiance which the citizens recite to show their devotion to the national flag and the government created under the laws outlined in the constitution of the Republic of the United States of America. This piece of document is very important in reminding the citizens of their belonging to the country of America and has remained so since its adoption by the Congress in 1942 as a revision of the original composition by Captain George Thatcher Balch, of the Union Army Officer at the time of the Civil War (Martin et.al. 2017). In this paper, we look at the various perspectives of the Pledge of Allegiance and the various arguments against the recital of the piece in schools which intertwine with the ethical implications of reciting this pledge in schools.

Use of the Pledge

The Pledge of Allegiance remains a critical piece in many government functions for instance in the Congress where the pledge has to be recited before the commencement of sessions. In the US, this pledge has been a key cornerstone in every educational day. The learners at school for a long time have been reciting this pledge as a reminder of their origin and a form of education to the young generation of the existence of a national structure of organization that needs to be respected (Nelson, 2017).

Having existed for over 100 years the pledge has a lot of history both for the American society and beyond. And it could be because of this reason that the pledge is believed to be very important in the development of patriotism among students. Based on the central role the pledge has held in the educational arena, it is, therefore, beyond imagination to some people and un-traditionalistic for the pledge to be abandoned in its entirety (Bennett, 2016).

Controversies That Hinder Recitation of the Pledge Of Allegiance

In spite of the pledge being an integral part of the daily activities in school over the years, controversies have risen about the relevance of reciting this pledge in schools. One such reason being given by critics of the pledge is that students do not understand the purpose of the pledge. They add that the wording of the pledge might be teaching students to pledge allegiance to the flag which is the wrong way of viewing it (Montgomery, 2015).

The most recent controversy is that of the wording of the pledge where some concerned parties want the pledge to be rewritten to fit what they believe is the true America. Some want the addition of the phrase 'under God' is made. This is mainly the argument made by the Christian community which believes God is the true protector and provider of America. However, this argument has been disapproved for some time.

The key reason for the dispute is that the addition goes against the provisions of the Constitution and the First Amendment which provides for free speech when it comes to religion. For this reason, the pledge has been put on hold from being recited in schools with the basis that if students are forced by their own country to say the words 'under God', then it will be unethical and against the foundations of the pledge itself (Duncan, 2019).

The general perspective being pushed by the recitation of the pledge of allegiance is the creation of the sense of patriotism especially among students in school. Some critics argue that the recitation of the Pledge of allegiance should not be turned into a controversial issue at all as it is only a process that is described as a pledge. Meaning that the pledge is not a binding oath for the students but rather a soft process (Nelson, 2017).

The cessation of the recital of the pledge in school comes due to the filing of key court cases which involve the boycotting of some students from reciting the pledge, a practice that is supposed to be done on a daily basis in schools. The supporters of the recitation of the pledge in school believed that by refusing to recite the pledge is disobedience not only to the teachers and the school but also to the entire nation apart from being disruptive to learning activities of the rest of the school (Bennett, 2016).

Conclusion

The Pledge of Allegiance is part of the American culture and its abandonment should not be put up for discussion. All students should continue to recite the pledge as it does not change their beliefs in any way. However, the government should regulate and discourage frequent modification of and inclusions into the pledge which makes a section of the population affiliated to a particular religious group feel being left out. This way everyone will be more comfortable to allow their children to recite the pledge in school. As a result, patriotism will continue to be emphasized and practised from an early age.

References

Bennett, L. J. (2016). Classroom Recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and its Educational Value: Analysis, Review, and Proposal. Journal of Curriculum & Supervision, 20(1).

Duncan, R. F. (2019). A Piece of Cake or Religious Expression: Masterpiece Cakeshop and the First Amendment.

Martin, L. A., Lauzon, G. P., Benus, M. J., & Livas Jr, P. (2017). The United States Pledge of Allegiance Ceremony: Do Youth Recite the Pledge?. SAGE Open, 7(1), 2158244017701528.

Montgomery, J. J. (2015). Controversies over the Pledge of Allegiance in Public Schools: Case Studies Involving State Law, 9/11, and the Culture Wars (Doctoral dissertation).

Nelson-Pallmeyer, J. (2017). Brave new world order: must we pledge allegiance?. Wipf and Stock Publishers.