Opinion: Students Should Stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

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, for liberty and justice for all. We all have been reciting these words since Kindergarten. Recently, however, schools across the nation have many students opting to sit or kneel during the Pledge and the National Anthem. Many do not even understand the purpose or origins of the Pledge. The Pledge was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy as a pledge of allegiance for any nation. This was not made into the American pledge until 1923; “Under God” wasn’t added until 1954 in response to the “godless threat of communism” following WWI. The Pledge was adopted by America as a way for the people of the nation to unite in patriotism under the liberty established and symbolized by the flag. The issue today revolves around the political unrest in the nation. Many are sitting in protest of government or social policies; an objective way to use their rights as American citizens. And while they can’t legally be forced to stand for these things, many people, myself included, think that they should out of respect for their freedoms. Our nation had a long history of fighting for the protection of our rights,  hundreds of thousands of men dying to ensure that the next generations could enjoy the liberties ensured by the US Constitution. Sitting or kneeling during the pledge or national anthem is indirectly disrespectful for the men who fought and died so we could live. By rejecting the ideals of the republic, you are rejecting the purpose of their death. They didn’t fight because someone told them to, they fought because they supported the ideals of the Republic that the flag embodies. I think that many people don’t realize this though. Oftentimes, they believe that they are protesting the government, which is not what these things stand for. The misconception is that the Pledge and Anthem represent our government’s policies or representatives, when in reality, it represents the inalienable rights enumerated by our founding fathers and endowed by God. By rejecting the “republic” you are not rejecting the people or policies of the government, you are rejecting the ideals and the concepts on which the nation is founded. If you are waiting to have a perfect government, then you are going to be waiting for something that will never exist. We did form a “perfect Union” but rather a “more perfect Union”. Which brings me to my next point. Our founding fathers risked everything to bring us the nation we have today, a fact embodied by the flag, the pledge, and the anthem. Protesting these symbols is an indirect, and most likely unintentional, way of protesting our nation’s foundation. However, it is an American right to protest. They have every right to kneel and sit for these symbols, but by doing so they are protesting their rights, as these things embody our rights and laws protecting those rights. All in all, our nation embodies freedom and liberty, and standing for the pledge is a great way to pay respect and due to this fact, even if you do not love everything about the nation.