Less Than 13 Seconds

Is it really going to hurt your child to stand for 12.93 seconds every morning to pledge to a country where your freedom was built on? That is exactly how long it took to reciting this controversial pledge. Although our 1st amendment rights do not force children to recite the pledge of allegiance in schools, our youth should pledge to respectfully honor those who sacrificed for our free way of life on political views. Just last year there was a major controversy in the NFL industry in regards to Mr.

Colin Kaepernick not standing for the national anthem, protesting his political views on police brutality and equal freedoms between different races. Now, because of our 1st Amendment, Mr. Kaepernick was able to not participate and stand for what he believed in.

After his actions, even our President Trump had the freedom to speak on the issue and advised that all football players to be fired or banned for not standing for the anthem.

“I think that’s good,’ Trump said about the policy during a Thursday appearance on Fox News. ‘I don’t think people should be staying in locker rooms but still I think it’s good, you have to stand proudly for the national anthem. Or you shouldn’t be playing, you shouldn’t be there. Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country. You have to stand proudly for the national anthem and the NFL owners did the right thing if that’s what they’ve done,’ (Donald Trump).

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Since the incident occurred, Mr. Kaepernick has had difficulties being drafted by another team.

Our rights were founded in 1789, the 25th day of September, where originally 12 proposed amendments were brought to legislatures, and only 10 became what’s known as the bill of rights. Our 1st amendment right state Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, which is our rights to express any opinions without censorship or restraint. Alone, that makes me feel pretty proud of the country we live in, because we all have a voice. We enjoy our freedom, and our rights as individuals. Under the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, their national anthem is the March of the Volunteers, and they intensively encourage patriotism, along with respect. Disrespecting the flag or anthem, even it being played in certain places, can lead to serious consequences and punishments, even jail time. In The New York Times, China officials voted that disrespecting the national anthem is a criminal offense with a penalty of up to three years in prison. “Offenders could face imprisonment for deliberately distorting the lyrics or music of the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China, singing the national anthem in a distorted or derogatory fashion, or insulting the national anthem in other ways,” (Chris Buckley and Keith Bradsher, 澎湃新闻记者 邢丙银). These laws were put into effect after the incident in the NFL when Mr. Kaepernick disrespected, The Star-Spangled Banner.

Our pledge of allegiance was made in honor of Christopher Columbus’s 400th anniversary of his discovery of America, we pledge to celebrate the founding our nation. It was written by Francis Bellamy, who felt children should be familiar with patriotism, and public schools would be a great way to start a patriotic education. Disrespecting the flag in any way, I do not believe was in Mr. Bellamy’s plan. A couple weeks ago we read an article about students who attend Harvard University, a private college campus, and the student’s limitations on expressing their freedom of speech rights, compared to public college students. Two students hung confederate flags in public view, which some students thought it signified slavery, and provoked much disagreement. “We are faced with a clear example of the conflict between our commitment to free speech and our desire to foster a community founded on mutual respect,” (Derek Bok). Whether you chose to stand for the pledge or not, as an adult, it represents an enormous amount of disrespect to our country because of its tradition.

Over the years, our pledge to the American Flag has become our symbol representing the United States of America, our proud country we live in. Many governments and congressional meetings open with the pledge of allegiance. There also has been major controversy about the added phrase, ‘under God,” which President Eisenhower and Congress put into the Pledge in 1954. Later, it was determined the phrase “under God,” used in the pledge, was indeed patriotic not religious. In 1943, the U.S. Supreme Court, West Virginia State Board of Education v. Burnett, violated First Amendment rights to free speech, where young Jehovah’s Witnesses children refused to perform the salute and were sent home. “Compelling schoolchildren to salute the flag violates freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment,” which was the outcome of a 6-3 decision on Barnette. Children are not forced to stand, nor recite the pledge, if they chose not to and they cannot be punished for doing so. Do children have much right though? Most, do what is told by the parent, or follow as they see. Children are so young and innocent, many of them don’t comprehend why they even pledge to a flag in the first place. We are dealing with school children, whom are still learning. They look up to those who are older for assurance, we are their role models.

In 2006, in the Florida case Frazier v. Alexandre, In Florida, federal district court ruled the 1942 state law requiring students to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The outcome was, all students recite the Pledge of Allegiance, unless they obtain written parental consent to exercise their First Amendment rights. After the ruling, The Florida school district was then ordered to pay $32,500 to a student who chose not to say the pledge.

Our military takes great honor for what they fight for, our country. The American flag is important in representing our nation in the military. We salute to our flag for those who have fought to protect our rights. A soldier stands for loyalty and commitment to our country based on positive morals and values. Pledging the allegiance honor’s those who sacrifice for our freedom. Our nation needs to stand for the flag to set an example for the next generation. Even Astronaut David R. Scott, gave a military salute to the U.S. flag during his 1971 Apollo 15 moonwalk. Our flag stands for everything patriotic about this country. I feel it was our soldiers who first inspired our anthem. Many lives have been lost in war, and a pledge a little less than 13 seconds is not going to hurt to honor our fallen.

We as individuals have the freedom to express oneself. Respectfully, pledge to a country where we have more freedom and opportunity to be successful, rather than other countries who are less fortunate. Honor our country’s beginning, our foundation, our fallen. Our youth need to participate in our pledge because our flag resembles more than freedom, honor, and opportunity. We value our independence. Once a student really understands the concept of why we recite the pledge, the will build respect, and appreciation for the country. Everything starts in our schools, life is built on education. Thinking back when I was a child, I felt as if I was a sponge who absorb all the information I was taught. Most children act on what they’ve learned. By setting a prime example stand for our pledge, because the flag represents every freedom we have. Our 1st amendment rights do not force children to recite the pledge of allegiance in schools, but we need our youth should pledge respectfully because they are our leads for tomorrow.