Since the moment students entered elementary school, they have been taught and instructed to stand up, face the American flag in their classroom, and recite The Pledge of Allegiance with their right hand over their heart at the beginning of each and every school day. It certainly did not take long before most students had the short oath memorized in their head and made it a part of their daily routines, almost becoming an automatic movement or response. Yet, it was never explained to them what exactly this patriotic oath was, what was meant by it, and most importantly – why it’s become a tradition (or even a requirement) for students to recite it through elementary to high-school.   

Students are now taking it upon themselves to look into the origins of the Pledge of Allegiance, analyze the oath, and form their own opinions and questions on the short oath and whether they feel if it’s necessary to participate in it every day before classes or not.  

The first draft of the Pledge of Allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy in 1892, in honor of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus arriving to and discovering the Americas in 1492. After many changes to the word-choices within the short oath, a final draft (which we use to this day) was signed off by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and published in 1954. The Pledge of the Allegiance has served as a promise of loyalty to the United States of America for citizens to recite and remind themselves of the sacrifices made in order to live in such a nation since that very day. It is mainly used in many public spaces including schools, government meetings at The Capitol, and citizenship ceremonies at state buildings.  

However, a heated discussion is beginning to gain traction in high schools across the country, regarding large groups of students who are choosing to opt out of the Pledge of Allegiance in their classrooms. This can especially be seen at Abington High… 

After the amount of monumental political action that has taken place over the past several years, including protests and movements about Black Lives Matter, the LGBTQ+ community, school shootings, unfair trials, elections, etc, many high-school students now have an increased political awareness than ever before and are realizing how valuable their voices truly are in chaotic times like these. Students are finally being vocal and starting conversations on whether The Pledge of Allegiance holds true to what the United States of America acts on and values in modern day 2022. The only clear explanation for this is that high-schoolers are starting to educate themselves and doing their own research about a part of their daily routine that’s become normalized by the school system or society as a whole. 

“Is there really liberty and justice for all the U.S? Or is that just an illusion?” 

“What republic does it actually stand for?” 

The emerging opinions of Abington High students have been creating a noticeable divide within classrooms. Some students can be found sitting and staying silent for the pledge during morning announcements, recognizing the corruption of the country’s current justice system and choosing to peacefully protest. On the other hand, the majority of students can be found standing and proudly reciting the pledge with their right hand over their heart, encouraging others to do the same with them and pay their respect to the American flag. Some can even be found only standing and not saying a single word. 

When asked for comment, an Abington High student had this to say regarding the pledge: 

“I mean- I sit for the pledge during announcements because one, I can’t be bothered to stand up for a few seconds when I can be on my phone instead. Two, I don’t see why being all proud and repeating the same pledge every day is even that important these days. The pledge is supposed to represent America, but the exact opposite is going on in the country right now. Are we just gonna ignore the black, Asian-American, and other minority groups who are being taken advantage every single day? Or the LGBTQ+ community? It’s all we see and hear about in the news.” 

On the other hand, another anonymous student offered a different perspective on the question. 

“I stand proudly for the pledge every day at school because it’s my job as an American citizen. It holds a place in my heart, because I have older family relatives who have served in the army and the marines for this country. I want to honor them and pay tribute to all of the other soldiers and officers who have died wars and attacks. It has taken so many sacrifices for this country to be where it’s right now, so it is very disrespectful to sit and not give the pledge your undivided attention.”  

Every student has their own personal beliefs and opinions about whether they feel the need to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance in public settings, whether it’s related to religion, politics/government systems, family values, or simply how they’re feeling at the moment. Students who stand for the pledge have found it very offensive and upsetting to sit and not recite the patriotic oath at the start of every school day, while others see it as a basic human right to not participate in something like that.  

Regardless of which side students take, it has most certainly caught the attention of the public and school officials across the country. Especially in the town of Abington. What has once been an uncomfortable discussion to hold with others, has now a turned into a heated debate that has grown rapidly. For all that we know, this may mark the start of change in the school system so that they can prioritize making students feel more comfortable when it comes to the Pledge of Allegiance. Maybe that means getting rid of it altogether in schools or letting students know that it’s completely acceptable to have different opinions than their peers, instead of completely ignoring the issue.