“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 Pledge of Allegiance, we all know it, something Americans say at sporting events, in our schools, and in many other social gatherings all across the United States. However, there is one part of it that I am here to challenge and that is the statement of “under God”. I believe that this statement is unnecessary and somewhat hypocritical when it comes to the United States, especially when our country is composed of such a diverse population of people, some of whom do not believe or have any affiliation with God. In a time where equality issues are so important one …show more content…
can question that the only way the United States can truly show equality is to remove the section of “under God” from our pledge of allegiance, it is unnecessary, and not needed especially since the United States claims no national religion. By understanding the history of the pledge and changes the document has placed along with how it is used in society readers will understand that we can still take pride in our country. The pledge is a document that dates back to the August of 1892, and was written by a socialist minister named Francis Bellamy (ushistory). At the time, Columbus Day was in the process of becoming a national holiday, and to commemorate it was a salute to the flag which was to be written by Mr. Bellamy. The civil war having taken place approximately thirty years prior, Mr. Bellamy wanted to write a salute that highlighted allegiance and united the country. However, the original is much different from the one we know today and was read as, “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” (ushistory). Mr. Bellamy intended for the pledge to be used by citizens in any country not just the United States, although in 1923 the pledge was altered and the words “the flag of the United States of America” were added (Smithsonian). Not until 1954 was the section “under God” added to the pledge by president Eisenhower during the Cold War to distinguish the United States from the communist Soviet Union (Lipka). It is times like this, when tension is high and people are worried, that people easily accept new change that will emphasize the United States and provided them with faith that we are the superior force. In changing the pledge, Eisenhower did just that, he gave the people hope and peace just by adding the words “under God”. Even if people did not believe in god, it was the thought that the United States was stronger and that a higher power was on our side which lead many people to not question the necessity or relevancy of the new addition. In society today, the pledge is said in a multitude of places including sporting events, schools, and other social gatherings especially political ones.
But is it truly necessary to stand with our hand over our heart and pledge our allegiance to our country. Interestingly enough during WWII the pledge received a change due to a section where people would attend their arm outward palm facing down, which, ironically resembled the Nazi salute very closely. Which forces people to question the true intention of us citizens reciting the pledge. Personally I feel as though the pledge is quite unnecessary as the citizens of the United States need not recite a pledge of allegiance to understand just how great the country they live in is. However, the pledge does acknowledge those who have made sacrifices for our country and is a sign of respect but is the line “under God” truly …show more content…
necessary. The question of “under God” has been a hot topic issue and has even received attention from the supreme court over the last twenty years with many cases arguing it infringes on people's constitutional rights.
Now some might ask, what rights could the pledge of allegiance possibly be violating well, those who have taken their case to the supreme court believe that it violates the first amendment. The case of West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, took place in 1943 after the school district forced its students to stand and recite the pledge of allegiance. This supreme court case ruled in favor of Barnette in the fact that to force a person to stand and recite the pledge goes against the first amendment and their right to freedom of speech. Now “under God” will not be added until 1954 but it to is met with a supreme court case titled Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow. This case argues that it also violates the first amendment of one man's daughter, however the judge was not able to rule because the man did not poses custody of the child. Besides the case of Barnette there has not been much luck removing the phrase “under God” even at the state level where some judges ruled that the at the time it was established the pledge is meant to encourage patriotism. (National Constitution
Center). Another main argument comes from the first amendment which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances” (Law Cornell). It clearly states that the United State shall have no establishment of religion yet we stand by and support our pledge of allegiance which contains the phrase “under God”. To me this is hypocritical and quite disappointing as the united states prides itself as being a melting pot of culture and being a land where one can express their own individuality. Yet when it comes to taking pride in our country how can we respect and expect someone to recite the pledge if they do not believe in a god. Now the courts have ruled against others upon grounds that it encourages patriotism but does it really capture the fundamental aspect of our country? I think not. According to Gallup approximately eighty-nine percent of Americans reported that they believe in God, However this means that eleven percent or roughly 35,827,000 people do not believe in God. Certainly it does not make sense for this amount of people to recite the pledge of allegiance that contains “under God” as it is meaningless to them. This chart shows the decrease of Americans who believe in God over the last sixty years. By removing the phrase “under God” we do not become communists however we do become a nation that supports the beliefs of others and helps to move us toward a more acceptable place of equality.
After the Revolution, the country was left in an economic crisis and struggling for a cohesive path moving forward. The remaining financial obligations left some Founding Fathers searching for ways to create a stronger more centralized government to address concerns on a national level. The thought was that with a more centralized, concentrated governing body, the more efficient tensions and fiscal responsibilities could be addressed. With a central government manning these responsibilities, instead of the individual colonies, they would obtain consistent governing policies. However, as with many things in life, it was a difficult path with a lot of conflicting ideas and opponents. Much of the population was divided choosing either the
The United States Constitution is a national government that consist of citizen’s basic rights and fundamental laws. This document was signed on September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia by the majority of representatives. Today, the United States Constitution’s purpose is to supply a strong central government. However, before the United States Constitution was developed, many citizens did not support the constitution due to the fact that they found it contradicting and detached from the original goals of the Declaration of Independence. These citizens were known as anti-federalists. Fortunately, George Washington was a supporter of the constitution and had an enormous impact in the public support of the constitution. With a few adjustments, some
that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
The Supreme Court case in Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow result in a unanimous ruling that the phrase “under God” may remain in the Pledge of Allegiance as narrated in public school classrooms. The court made the decision because the atheist father did not have grounds to sue the school district on behalf of his daughter. While the ruling was made on the Flag Day, it did not meet the clear endorsement of the constitutionality of the pledge as sought by President Bush and leaders of Republican and Democratic Parties in Congress. Notably, the eight judges who participated in the case had voted to turn over a federal appeals court decision in 2003 that would have prohibited the use of the phrase in public schools as an infringement of the constitutional outlaw on state-sponsored religion. A majority of these justices i.e. five made that ruling on procedural grounds in which Michael A. Newdow, the atheist, did not have legal reasons to sue the school district (Lane, 2004).
The first Amendment of the United States Constitution says; “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”[1] Our fore fathers felt that this statement was plain enough for all to understand, however quite often the United States government deems it necessary to make laws to better define those rights that are stated in the Constitution. Today the framers would be both encouraged and discouraged by our modern interpretation the First Amendment the United States Constitution.
In the 2008 the United States Census Bureau, Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population, The Christian faith proved to be the more dominating religion out of all religions. So it would seem the words “Under God” would be beneficial for the majority, the Pledge of Allegiance allures and supports the loyalty of the majority of citizens. The nonbelievers of religion have had the right to not recite the pledge since 1943 but have been asked to quietly stand while the believers recite the pledge in its entirety. Even though leaving out “Under God” is not a difficult task we can clearly see a division has now developed, opposite of bringing the people together. Another example that shows the pledge allures and supports a loyalty to the majority of citizens, the acceptance and encouragement to keep ...
Why was the Declaration of Independence written? The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776. We all know that day as Independence Day. It was accepted on July 4, 1776. On that day, the United States had freedom. There was a long, hard process to get the Declaration of Independence where it needed to be. It took several people, and several reviews to get it just right.
Gwen Wilde wrote an essay on “Why the Pledge of Allegiance Should be Revised.” In this essay, Gwen believes that the words “under God” should be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. Gwen informs us that the original Pledge did not include “under God” and the words were not added until 1942, therefore, the words can easily be removed. Although some changes have been made to make it clear that the Pledge of Allegiance is for the United States Gwen believes that the words “under God” do not show any support for our country and only make those who do not believe in God feel uncomfortable. Therefore, Gwen believes that “under God” is not appropriate for the Pledge and does not show that we are a Nation that is “indivisible.”
The Pledge of Allegiance has become a major issue for students, teachers, parents and lawmakers. The original intention of the pledge was not to stir up trouble, but for a celebration of Christopher Columbus discovery of the new world. The pledge is no longer thought of as a celebration, but an infringement on children's religious beliefs. Do you believe that children's rights are being infringed on? Some people believe that the pledge is a great honor for our country. It has shown, and provided us with great pride just like our American flag. The Pledge of Allegiance being recited in the public school system does not infringe on the students religious beliefs, but is a way for us to honor our country and everything that we have done to get to this point in history.
The pledge of allegiance violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. I believe that the pledge is mismatched with democracy and freedom which suggest that pledges of allegiance are features of dictatorial states like Nazi Germany.
Many students all across America stand and salute to the flag every morning and repeat these words, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, To the republic for which it stands, one nation, Under God, Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” There are controversy behind these words of historical allegiance, and that is why many people are refusing to stand for the pledge. This nation was founded upon freedom and liberties, and with those liberties comes with the freedom to choose your religion. The words “Under God”
Before analyzing the above described controversy, we must first examine the history of the Pledge itself. Written by Francis Bellamy, it was originally titled the “Pledge to the Flag” and was created in the late 1800’s to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America. It originally read: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the republic for which it stands, one Nation, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all” (McCarthy, 2005). Changes were later made to include the words “of the United States” and “of America” to indicate which flag was being referenced. The final changes to the Pledge came in 1954 when it officially became titled the “Pledge of Allegiance” and the words “under God” were added after “one nation.” This addition to the Pledge was meant to support the United States as a religious nation. While signing the law to put this change into effect, President Eisenhower said, “In this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war” (McCarthy, 2005).
First, I would like to talk about the history of the Pledge of Allegiance. Many people today recite the Pledge of Allegiance but do not know the history that took place behind it. The Pledge of Allegiance was originally written more than a century ago. The original pledge was: I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic, for which it stands, one Nation, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all . The flag serves as a symbol of our country and its proud traditions of freedom and equal opportunity. In the 1920s, the National Flag Conferences replaced the phrase “my Flag” with “the Flag of the United States of America.” In 1954, Communist threats occurred causing Congress to add the words under God to the pledge. Then 12 years later, Congress reviewed the Pledge of Allegiance and added the words “Under God .” While reciting the Pledge of Allegiance it should be recited by standing placing your
An American’s right to religious worship is valued tremendously, thus making the first Amendment ve...
For this reason, I believe that the Pledge of Allegiance should continue to be recited in American Public Schools, I do however believe that for those with contrasting religious views should be allowed to omit “under God”. They should also be given the choice whether to say the pledge or not. We have amendments in the constitution granted citing freedom of speech to include freedom of religion. I believe that not allowing those with differences of opinion of the pledge would devalue those amendments and would be very contradictory. I grew up in an abusive home as a child and I was unsure of what my purpose and self worth was. I wasn’t an especially patriotic person, but I believe that my time in the Air Force was where I found those things. I was proud to protect others and it gave me a sense of pride to do for others what I could not have done for me in my