The Pledge of Allegiances

Kaitlyn DeShon

Article #1

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The Pledge of Allegiance


The Pledge of Allegiance was originally called the Pledge to the Flag. It was first created in 1892 through the magazine "The Youth's Companion" in order to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the day Columbus discovered America. Children in public schools all over the country recited the very first version of the Pledge of Allegiance that they had been memorizing. After Columbus Day, the Pledge to the Flag was continually recited in public schools daily and became a popular routine. Over the course of many years, the Pledge was continually altered to fit the times, until 62 years later, the final version of the Pledge of Allegiance was created. It now states "the American ideal" as well as the devotion to the Flag and the US. It went from being, "I pledge allegiance to my Flag, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all" to "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." Although people do not usually think about the actual words now, they still reign true.

This connects with what we are studying in class because it connects with the Constitution in being flexible but still with the same basic framework, and the Bill of Rights in being a way to honor people's freedom and citizenship. We can tell this because the Pledge of Allegiance was continually altered and changed to fit with the times, adding little bits and pieces that were required to make it sound more suiting to whatever the need was. For example, "Under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance after President Eisenhower decided that it should be added in order to strengthen our spiritual strength. This is like the Constitution because a change was made because the government decided it to be in the country's best interest. The Pledge of Allegiance is like the Bill of Rights because it honors people's freedoms and what it means to belong to the US. We can tell this when the Pledge says, "With liberty and justice for all" because it means that freedom will reign and everyone gets the same treatment when it comes to government and legal things. The Bill of Rights also states the exact same thing, only more specifically. As you can see, the Pledge of Allegiance is very much so like the Constitution and Bill of Rights, which is what we have been learning in class.

This connects with me as a citizen because it was made after a very harsh time for our country and for history, a sort of rising-from-the-ashes celebration. I can connect with this because of the fact that I do not let my past control my future. I make sure that because of the past I learn and grow. That I forgive and forget. I do not let a mistake make me scared and helpless, but stronger and more powerful now because of it, just like this celebration after the Civil War. I believe this because once I cracked my head open at a waterpark. Most people would be scared out of their wits to go back to this waterpark and ride the very same ride they once almost died on, but I do not let that phase me. I know to be careful and that I need to be safe, but I stride once more into that park and forget a horrible day that was once in a lifetime. This is the very same with the Columbus Day celebration because they strode once more into the future and were ready to take it on with a newfound knowledge and strength. Now, as you can see, this does in fact connect with me as a citizen.

I actually do not believe the people should have chosen children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, as if they were going to truly understand what they were saying and think deeper. I believe they should have chosen adults, who chose the exact wording and understand what it means and when the children were old enough they could recite it too. Because knowing those words at such a tender young age does not sink in and when eventually these children are old enough to understand what it means it has been drilled into their head so much it is brainless and they are not curious about what it means because it has been said so many times. I also do not believe that the recitation of a statement would exactly be celebratory, and does not commemorate what it truly was for. While I do strongly believe that its meaning is very patriotic and pure, I do not believe it should have been portrayed as something brainless to do or something that is a pain to perform. It should have been commemorated in a more celebratory way, such as a feast with speeches made by important government officials. And now you see that although I do strongly approve the meaning behind the words of the Pledge of Allegiance, it is lost to most because of the way it is portrayed.