To Pledge or Not to Pledge---Is That the Question Essay

Take a moment to recall some of the patriotic symbols that help embody the spirit of our nation: the bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, or even the national anthem. Among others promoting the civic duties and democratic virtues prized by our American society, nothing has caused as much controversy as the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools. At the start of a new school day, every classroom of a government run school would be ringing with the chorus of America’s youth delivering the pledge in an almost autonomous way. The reason why this is such a big deal is due to the fact that to some, including myself, believe the words â€Å"under God† suggests a breach of the first amendment. As of late, our country has been in the†¦show more content†¦Ironically, the Pledge of Allegiance originated from the hand of a social minister and chairman of the National Education Association, Francis Bellamy. Bellamy’s goal with the initial 23 word pled ge was to impress it upon receptive, youthful minds, and convey the compassion and the patriotic duty deserving of the Republic. As a result, â€Å"more than 12 million public school children in every state in the Union† spoke the Pledge of Allegiance that day (Moss 2006). Since then, it has been a catalyst for tradition turned into mandatory law. Over the course of 62 years, Bellamy’s pledge has been revised three times, and the more specific it seemed to get, the momentum of controversy grew. The first set of phrases to be exchanged was from â€Å"my flag,† to â€Å"the flag of the United States† in June 1923 (Moss 2006). The reason was due to the massive influx of immigrants and their interpretation of the Pledge; the committee of the First National Flag Conference wanted to clarify to people who migrated to the States that it was specifically the United States flag and not their indigenous flag they were saluting to. The following year, â€Å"of America† was attached to the tail end of â€Å"United States;† forty years later, as courtesy of then President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Pledge of Allegiance was modified to accommodate the phrase â€Å"under God† in between â€Å"one Nation,† and â€Å"indivisible† in June of 1954. PresidentShow MoreRelatedThe Pledge Of Alle giance From A Very Young Age1295 Words   |  6 PagesThe Pledge of Allegiance was taught to me at a very young age. Most children in the United States learn the Pledge in Kindergarten. As a child I never questioned the phrase â€Å"Under God†. Perhaps I did not question it because I was raised as a believer of God. Fortunately, with age, I have become more of a critical thinker. I have become more cultured and knowledgeable to the people who differ from me. 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