Pledge Of Allegiance Analysis

Echoes of Inequality: Liberty and Justice in American History
I do not stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. This is a right, shown by the West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette decision that students have the right to refuse to stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance ("West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette"). This 1943 case remains relevant to students today, who do not stand for one reason: they will not pledge themselves to a flag and a country that claims liberty and justice for all but fails to come through. It is clear that America has not achieved and does not achieve its promises of freedom for all, as demonstrated by numerous historical continuities.
Due to the countless laws and role changes throughout America's

history, many believe justice has been present for some time. They reference examples of how hard work led to great reward with a “rags to riches” view. Andrew Carnegie, for instance, exemplifies this as an immigrant turned millionaire through the steel industry (“Andrew Carnegie”). While rare examples such as Carnegie do exist, they are more common in fiction than in reality. “Rags to riches” stories are increasingly rare in the present - the wealthy population is born into privilege, with figures such as Donald Trump receiving a "small loan" of a million dollars (Diamond). Others highlight the Fourteenth Amendment, adopted in 1868, addressing citizenship and equal protection under the law (“14th Amendment”). However, the amendment did not manage to shoot down the "separate but equal" decision in Plessy v. Ferguson used to justify segregation (“Plessy v. Ferguson”). The amendment has failed in modern day cases as well. In State of Missouri v. Darren Wilson, Robert McCulloch summoned a grand jury to make a hasty decision off of little information concerning the controversial death of Michael Brown. This prevented a fair trial for the Brown family and protestors who perceived the killing as racially charged (Reyes). Examples such as these show the words "all men are created equal" ring hollow under scrutiny.
Racial issues have brought up the hypocrisy of “liberty and justice” in the United States for decades and continue to do so to this day. In Beloved, a 1987 novel by Toni Morrison, former slaves Sethe and Paul D reveal heavy psychological and physical damage. The horrific narrative of a woman killing her own child rather than letting them return to slavery is based off a slave named Margaret Garner’s actions, reminding everyone that the mere existence of slavery shows faults in America’s history (Nichols). But discrimination against African-Americans has lingered long after the abolishment of slavery. Today, there is a resurgence of unrest against racial discrimination in the form of the Black Lives Matter movement, provoked by police attacks on unarmed black Americans. Black Lives Matter has named itself as a movement focused around revitalization of black liberation (“About Black Lives Matter”). Whether from the institution of slavery or the institution of discrimination, African-Americans have been forced to fight for their liberty.
Additionally, throughout history, power has rested in the hands of men while women are subjected to substandard roles and expectations.

For instance, women were not afforded the right to vote until 1920 with the 19th Amendment – over 150 years since the creation of the United States ("19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution"). The women’s rights movement began with the country’s inception, but suppressive gender roles confined women in the home as wives and mothers. In spite of numerous developments over time, as a woman today, I have a fear of rape that hangs over me as I anticipate entering college. I am not alone in this fear, knowing that one in five women will be sexually assaulted while in college (The Hunting Ground). The problems caused by sexual assault are violations of Title IX, as the lack of safety inhibits a woman’s participation in her education (“Title IX and Sex Discrimination”). When over half of America feels – and has always felt – that they have less freedom due to their gender, there cannot be

justice.
Xenophobia, like racism and sexism, manifests itself in mobs proclaiming “pro-American” sentiment and threatens the livelihood of Americans who do not fit into this narrow view. Nativist groups fought immigration and integration throughout history, but the Ku Klux Klan was the most infamous and destructive. The burning cross was a display of terror, warning anyone who was not white, Protestant, and otherwise “American” that they do not belong. Today this sentiment lurks in the depths of the Internet. While watching a video on YouTube, I often find myself scrolling down into the comments section. What I have discovered ranges from pesky to sickening, with comments claiming African-Americans should still be slaves, Jewish citizens should be eradicated, and more discriminatory slurs than I can count. A country containing such high concentrations of hatred cannot be one presenting the ideal of freedom.
When I first refused to stand for the flag, I shocked myself – why would I do something that could only lead to uncomfortable questioning from confused teachers?

What good could come from refusing to say a pledge? But looking back on these examples of America’s cycles of injustice, I feel validated in my decision. All acts and bills attempting to remedy these issues have failed. America is not a place of freedom for many of its citizens. If other students realize their rights and recognize there is not liberty and justice for all in this country, there will be a revolution. There will be a revolution of youth refusing to stand for such

inequality.