“We give our heads and our hearts to God and our country; one country, one language, one flag.”
This statement was written by Colonel George Balch in 1885 and is generally considered to be when the idea of a "pledge of allegiance" got its start. Schools around the country adopted this pledge for about seven years when an alternative came about.
Francis Bellamy was a devout Christian minister and in 1892, was working for a magazine when he was given the duty to come up with a new flag pledge for the upcoming 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the New World. Bellamy's pledge read:
“I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
The Bellamy pledge gained popularity very quickly and replaced the Balch pledge in schools across the United States. However, as you can tell, the Bellamy pledge is a bit different from what we have today.
In 1923/1924, the National Flag Conference changed the wording of the pledge to read:
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
This pledge, as you can see, is pretty close to the one we have currently. The US Congress adopted the pledge as an official flag pledge in 1942.
The final version came in 1954. Christian religious groups pushed hard to add the words "under God" into the pledge. President Dwight D. Eisenhower agreed and with his support, Congress added those words into the version we have today. The current version reads:
"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."
Now for the controversy. First of all, there were secular groups that thought adding "under God" was not the right thing to do as not everyone in the US is Christian. These challenges have not had success over the years. Another controversial thing was how people saluted the flag when saying the pledge. It was in 1942 when Congress adopted the current practice of holding your right hand over your heart like this:
The original flag salute during the Pledge was much different but one I'm guessing many of you have seen before. Here is the original flag salute during the Pledge:
WHAT??? The Nazi Salute???!!! Are you kidding me?? No, I am not kidding. This was what people did when saying the pledge. Of course, it was changed during WWII because it was seen as being too similar to the Nazi salute(pictured below) who the US was currently fighting in WWII.
I want to end this forum post with the recent law that Iowa passed earlier this year(2021). The law requires all public schools(K-12) to recite the pledge once a day. Now it is important to remember that it is voluntary. No student can be required to stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance if they doesn't want to.
So what are your thoughts about the Pledge of Allegiance? Do you think it's a good or bad idea to have the Pledge said every day? Why? Do you think saying the Pledge makes you appreciate, respect, and love your country more than not saying it?
Please share your thoughts and opinions below.
*****Now that you know the orignal flag salute, please do not think you are being funny by doing the Nazi salute when you are saying the pledge in school. That salute is associated with the Nazis and fascists and is seen as racist today by many groups. These high school guys found that out the hard way several years back(link to story):
Replies
I do think that saying the pledge of allegiance every morning is a good idea because it shows respect to our country and its not like it is very long and takes much time out of class. Doing this may also help some people realize how important it is to our country.
I personally don't care for the Pledge of Allegiance but for others I understand the importance. I don't mind saying the pledge every morning although I know it will get very repetitive. I do believe that you shouldn't have to stand for the pledge if you don't want to. Personally I think the pledge is misleading to some. Yes it signifies people's freedom but it doesn't activily help all the issues we have today with everyone. I don't think you should be forced to stand for the pledge as not everyone agrees with what it signifies. Everyone loves the pledge because it shows respect to america but we need to show respect to the people.
I think that saying the pledge in the morning is a great idea! I personally believe that respecting america everyday by saying the pledge should be mandatory and I am happy it is! I did know that the Nazi salute was the original salute to the flag and I was a bit supprised but I understand why it was and why we changed it. I am happy that we changed it and that you have the option to say the pledge. I understand that you don't have too stand or say it which I personally don't like but everyone has their opinions and that is what is one of the amazing things about this country and why I stand.
I do not think it is a bad idea to say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning in school. But I do not think it would be a big change, if the Pledge would not be said every morning. It is a good reminder for where you come from and for what you and your country stand for. It shows respect to those ones, who died while fighting for the USA. It is a good gesture to say it. But you have to mean it like that. You have to take it serious otherwise it would not make sense to say it, when it means nothing to you. Then it is just superfluous.
The Pledge of Allegiance is a historic reminder of what our country stands on and how we gained our freedoms. I believe that it is a good idea to say the pledge every day. The Pledge reminds me of the people who have fought for our country and what we stand for. It makes me appreciate all of the freedoms we have today. I don't think about this importance very often, which is why I think saying the Pledge of Allegiance is a good idea.
I think saying the pledge of allegiance isn't that hard to do everyday so I say that I wouldn't mind if we do which we do but sometimes it will probably get repetitive but still it also does not require you to stand and say the pledge. So all and all I think it's not a bad thing to say the pledge every day.
I think saying the pledge is a good idea. There are multiple reasons why I believe this, for instance, when saying the pledge you are simply respecting your country and everyone that has ever fought to keep you safe. Saying the pledge should be mandatory in all schools and should be said everyday because it's respecting and showing love to our country. Saying the pledge isn't gonna kill you, it's just showing appreciation for the ones fighting for you.
I think that the pledge of allegiance is a good act and should be done by all, but it is still optional. This disrespectful and mostly in defiance to some laws but I still everyone should stand for the pledge. I also believe that what these students did was disrespectful and foolish and I feel like they knew what they were doing and that makes it much worse.
I think saying the pledge everyday is a great idea. Saying the pledge helps everyone respect and honor our country. Doing this will help more poeple be thankful and appreciate the soldiers fighting for our country.
I am fine with saying the pledge every morning. I do think it is important to pay respects to our country and the people who died to protect it. Besides, it only takes a few seconds so it is not a big deal if you don't like the idea. It is a good and easy way to help everyone appreciate something that has been in the works for hundreds of years.
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