Pledge of Allegiance

The Pledge of Allegiance is a promise or oath of allegiance to the United States, and to its national flag. It is commonly recited in unison at public events, and especially in public school classrooms, where the Pledge is often a morning ritual. In its present form, the words of the Pledge are:

Opposition and criticism

The Pledge of Allegiance has drawn criticism over the years on several bases. Its use in government-run schools has been the most controversial. One frequent criticism is that it is pointless and may even be morally wrong to incite young children to say a pledge that they largely don't even understand. The fact that many children do not fully comprehend what it means to make such a pledge can be easily seen from the many misunderstandings such as "one nation invisible" that are common during the recitation in lower grades. Currently the United States is the only western country where the majority of schoolchildren take a pledge of allegiance daily.

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Objections on the grounds of religion

Even before the addition of the words under God, legal challenges were frequently founded on the basis of freedom of religion.

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Central to early challenges were Jehovah's Witnesses, a Christian denomination whose beliefs preclude swearing loyalty to any power lesser than God. In the 1940 Supreme Court case Minersville School District vs. Gobitis, an 8-1 majority in the Court held that a school district's interest in promoting national unity permitted it to require Witness students to recite the Pledge along with their classmates. Gobitis was an unpopular decision, and three years later in West Virginia State Board of Education vs. Barnette, the Court reversed itself, voting 6-3 to forbid a school from requiring the Pledge.

Related Topics:
Jehovah's Witnesses - Christian - God - Supreme Court - Minersville School District vs. Gobitis - West Virginia State Board of Education vs. Barnette

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As a result, since 1943 the public (government-run) schools have been disallowed from punishing students for not reciting the Pledge. Nonetheless, it remains taught to and expected of schoolchildren in many schools, as the Court leaves many details in such matters up to respective states governments.

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More specific objections have been raised since the addition of the phrase under God to the Pledge. 1954, the year of its addition, also held the height of the Cold War anti-communist movement in the United States. Anti-communist ideology in the U.S. frequently identified the Soviet states with atheism; the House Un-American Activities Committee and Senator Joseph McCarthy were still on the lookout for "godless Communist" infiltrators.

Related Topics:
Cold War - Anti-communist - Atheism - House Un-American Activities Committee - Joseph McCarthy

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To many observers, the addition of under God to the Pledge at this time suggests an identification of the U.S. as an officially religious nation. To many critics, this is an unconstitutional endorsement of religion on the part of a government. Some polytheists have objected the words "under God" because they view it as an endorsement of monotheism over polytheism.http://jford.kence.org/religion/general/Pledge.php

Related Topics:
Religious nation - Endorsement of religion

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Some critics have stated that the under God clause seriously weakens the Pledge of Allegiance. The religious can view it as an out-clause, qualifying their pledge, so that it is only binding when according to their conscience the nation is in concord with their perception of God's will. Atheists can argue that since God does not exist, the "nation, under God" does not exist, and thus for them the Pledge of Allegiance is null and void.

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Other objections

While some reciters of the pledge view the "with liberty and justice for all" clause as aspirational, others view it as another out-clause; they claim that it is technically false and therefore nullifies any obligation under the pledge.

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The "indivisible" clause is objected to by those who support the right of states to secede from the union. Some view it as hypocritical for the United States to have supported the right to self-determination during the break-up of the U.S.S.R., and yet to deny that right to its own component states.

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Although both New York and Virginia affirmed the right of revolution, by which the people could alter the Federal Government by rebellion, the Virginia ratifying convention had determined, and its secretary informed New York, that The Constitution requires an adoption in toto, and for ever. It has been so adopted by the other States. Any lesser acceptance would be "worse than a rejection".

Related Topics:
Right of revolution - Its secretary

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Libertarians generally oppose pledges led by government employees in public schools on principle, as a conflict in interest by the government and as exploitation of children. Some also believe that the "liberty" clause binds all to vote for libertarians and against any candidate that supports conscription, drug regulation and other coercive measures.

Related Topics:
Libertarians - Conscription

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Many object to the exploitation of children by leading them in a pledge that even adults have difficulty agreeing upon. They feel that having children recite the pledge trivializes the serious commitments it requires, and the constant repetition insults the honor and wastes the time of those children who view their first recitation as binding. Many parents object to this trivialization of the pledge and emphasize the pledge's seriousness by insisting that their children wait until their maturity, until adulthood, before making any such pledge.

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