This line was recited every morning in my school for years and in the Board v. Barnette Supreme Court case. In a public school, where kids are from different countries and believe in different things (not necessarily just the “Nation under God”), this allegiance should not be repeated.
In this supreme court case, there was a requirement that all teachers and students were required to honor the flag. The court decision revealed that the forced salutation was unconstitutional.
Because of the difference in faiths and beliefs, schools can not be able to force the salute. While the Board vs. Barnettte case did uphold this, in a California high school, teachers and students forced an atheist student to stand up and recite the pledge.
It is a personal preference to want to express their views through saying the famous pledge, however it violates a student’s freedom of expression, speech, and even freedom of religion.
While the pledge of allegiance was synonymous with the previous generations, as we evolve as Americans, we need to alter of practices as well.
Hi Julia, I completely agree. In a country of citizens from all different nationalities, religions, and ethnicities, citizens should not be impelled to recite the pledge of allegiance. What do you think we can do to decrease the amount of instances where students feel forced to recite it?
ReplyDeleteI do think this is an issue that I totally overlooked, it even says in the constitution that there should be a separation of church and state. Good article I also liked how you included that it is not just a religious issue but an cultural issue as well.
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