ok, i know that this sounds a little un patriotic, but i need help for a debate that i have to do for English class and thought that y'all might help me.

so here goes. The Pledge of allegiance should not be manditory.
i am the affirmative... but any of your opinions or facts would b great! thank you SO much!

Yea the pledge should be mandatory...you're in America so you should have to say it...if you dont like it then (not to be mean)...get out...lolz

if the pledge of allegiance was mandatory they would need to take out the under god part. this is america but not every one believes that we are under god.

I don't think it should be mandatory. Think about it, how many times outside of elementary school and maybe highschool do we ever say the pledge of allegiance? Very rarely. To most school age kids, the pledge means nothing, a 5 or 6 year old doesn't know what "the republic for which it stands" is or what "liberty and justice for all" really means. I think it should be taught as part of a history or American culture class because it is something that people should know, for special ceremonies and such, but reciting it every day is pointless. What do we really learn from it except where the flag is in our classroom? And once we graduate school, we stop doing it. How many adults do you know who wake up every morning and recite the pledge before work? How many kids do you know who recite it on weekends even? To me it just doesn't seem to serve any purpose. We could learn much more about the pledge and our country by discussing its meaning and significance as a chapter in history than by reciting it like robots each morning in school, only to pretty much forget about it when we leave.

Well, I think it kind of should be manditory since we ARE America, but if it wasn't then they better not change that line. Some 5th graders or something wanted to change the word "parilous" (sp?) to "dangerous" in the Star Spangled Banner, and the schoolboard actually lets them. This isn't at my skool tho. NEwayz, I think ppl are getting away with too much. They're better off just SAYING it rather then starting these big fights

I don't really care either way. If u like saying it fine, if not, fine. I think it's a respectful thing to say though & I don't like hearing people dissing it.

I think it should be mandatory that the Pledge be said everyday over the intercom. If you dont want to say it though, then dont, but dont fuss about it. I dont have a problem with the *Under God* part, its a part of history and it should stay in tact. If people have a problem with that line, then they should just keep silent when they get to that point.

i think whoever has the nerve to be in america and then say they don't wanna say the pledge of alliegence should be killed, wrapped in the american flag, and hung by their toes from the pentagon. JMO.

Originally posted by Jinny Girl
i think whoever has the nerve to be in america and then say they don't wanna say the pledge of alliegence should be killed, wrapped in the american flag, and hung by their toes from the pentagon. JMO.

Christ! That's a bit extreme, don't you think?!

There's always been rivalry between the English and the Scots but I don't think that any English people living here should be killed just they don't know the words to 'Flower of Scotland'!!

Originally posted by Mossopp


Christ! That's a bit extreme, don't you think?!

LOL! I think she was joking Mossopp. ;)

But I do agree that if you live in America you should at least have the decency to say the pledge at least once a week. America has a lot of freedoms that a lot of other countried don't. So what's the big hastle with pledging allegiance to your country?

I don't care, people shouldn't be forced to say it, if they don't believe in God then why should someone be forced to say that? I'm not even any religion I just find all of it phony, no offense but thats just my beliefs on ALL religions. I don't say the pledge...

Sorry, double post.

Originally posted by jlpmghrs1
if the pledge of allegiance was mandatory they would need to take out the under god part. this is america but not every one believes that we are under god. Our teacher had a discussion about this just today. Everday, third period, everyone in our school is to raise and pledge to the flag..

However, my Global teacher says that he doesnt do it 'cause he feels that religion and the gov't should not interfer with one another, especially since the country is democratic.

Originally posted by Jo's the bomb
Our teacher had a discussion about this just today. Everday, third period, everyone in our school is to raise and pledge to the flag..

However, my Global teacher says that he doesnt do it 'cause he feels that religion and the gov't should not interfer with one another, especially since the country is democratic.

You could say that I can't really comment on this cos I'm not American but - and this is only my opinion so don't all jump on me - I think the whole thing is ridiculous.
The "under God" part is definately redundant cos I'm quite sure that many Americans do not believe in God.
The pledge should not be mandatory, as some people have suggested. You Americans always rave on about how you live in the land of the free. Do you think that 'freedom' is forcing someone to say some pledge that they don't even believe in?
I know that people are of the opinion that kids should be saying the Pledge in infant school but, believe me, forcing a person to believe in something at an early age only leads to disillusion and resentment later in life.
In my primary school we were made to say the Lords Prayer before we ate dinner and we had to sing Christian hymns during Assembly. We were also forced to go to church or chapel (they took it in turns, would you believe?!) every Easter/Christmas/whatever for some stupid service and it made me extremely resentful of organised religeon.
My parents never Chirstened me cos they were of the opinion that it is my choice what religeon, if any, I choose to adopt. People shouldn't be forced into anything.
I can't stand organised religeon of any kind now and I'm quite sure that my experiences of it in Primary School didn't help any!
That's not to say that I am unpatriotic. If some English b#stard starts slagging Scotland then I'm gonna stand up to him. But you will never get me to sallute some flag. A flag is nothing more than a shred of material. I'm not gonna lay down my life for it.

I don't think the pledge should be mandatory, I mean if someone doesn't say it are you going to arrest them? If you don't want to say it then don't say it, I don't really consider it treason or anything like that. When they announce the pledge over the PA system I don't say it I just stand up with my right had over my heart, by being a citizen you are already pledging allegiance to the US and the flag.

Thank you all SO much forall your wonderful replies...
i will update you and tell you whether or not i won...
Thanx again!!!!!!!!!!!:)

Btw, I heard some interesting news about the child that was allegedly "harmed" by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance is actually a Christian, as well as her mother. The father who filed the suit to drop the "under God" part was separated/divorced from his wife seemed to be doing it more for his own benefit. Maybe there was some custody battle going on? Maybe he didn't want
Christian influence on his daughter.
I think people are splitting too many hairs over the inclusion of the "under God" clause. It's not specifying any certain God, it's
most likely included not to be "religious", but a simple reminder that our freedoms come from a Higher Source and that we should not take them for granted. I'm thinking that when President Eisenhower authorized that part to be put into the Pledge, it made sense to people at the time because we had just ended a war to preserve freedom and we needed to acknowledge God as the source of our freedoms, unlike previous dictatorships who worshipped the god of Power and brutality. It is an especially fitting message today in this post-9/11 world.

Originally posted by .:MilKnPepSi:.
I think it should be mandatory that the Pledge be said everyday over the intercom. If you dont want to say it though, then dont, but dont fuss about it. I dont have a problem with the *Under God* part, its a part of history and it should stay in tact. If people have a problem with that line, then they should just keep silent when they get to that point. That's exactly how I feel too.

i havent said the pledge since i was in 6th grade.... im indifferent about it. its not like i ever really thought about what i was saying when i said it back then.

Originally posted by .:MilKnPepSi:.
I think it should be mandatory that the Pledge be said everyday over the intercom. If you dont want to say it though, then dont, but dont fuss about it. I dont have a problem with the *Under God* part, its a part of history and it should stay in tact. If people have a problem with that line, then they should just keep silent when they get to that point.

AGRRRRRRRRRRRRREED!

Lets be honest. What is all the fuss about. Some guy made a big stink about the pledge. Well... how does that pledge go? I know y'all have recited it 2,000 times, but, is there more than four or five words that you absorbed into your world and said to yourself "Gee, this is sure important me?"

I pledge a legunce, to the flag, of the unititstates of america
and to the reepublic
for witch it stands
one nation
undergod, indivisabull
furliberdy and justis ferall!

Isn't that about how well you say it everday? :cheers:

Originally posted by Mossopp
The pledge should not be mandatory, as some people have suggested. You Americans always rave on about how you live in the land of the free. Do you think that 'freedom' is forcing someone to say some pledge that they don't even believe in?


That's exactly what I was thinking as I read through this thread.

I'm sure glad some of you don't have any power other than to shout your beliefs to the Internet.

Freedom, indeed.

Many of you don't even know the meaning of the word. Oh sure you may know the dictionary defintion, but you don't understand or appreciate freedom in practice or action.

"If you don't do what I say or believe what I believe, get the hell out" would be something many of you would say (and have said in past threads...for those of you thinking I am coming out of left field here). Sounds like the Nazi deportations of Jews.

*I'm so very proud of all Americans who have the "get the hell out" mentality. I think that outdated symbol of American freedom and openness, the Statue of Liberty, should be updated for these post 9/11 times. No more of this "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door" bullcrap.

I think now it should say "Give me your mindless, your bored, your huddled masses willing to comply, the misguided refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the weakwilled, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my iron fist beside the jail cell door."*

(Note: everything between *'s should be read with extreme dripping sarcasm)

Well, I've been gone the past several days, so here is what I have to say on this subject.

No!

Plain and simple. As much as I would love everybody in the U.S. to say the pledge, it would go against everything my father, uncle's and cousins fought and died for.

Freedom of expression and freedom of speech.

I have every right to express my patriotism just like other people have the right NOT to show any and that includes the pledge. If we force it to be done, how are we different from dictatorships that demand you follow only them.

Freedom is a double edged sword. Embrace it as much as you can, but it can cut you on the other side.

D

I don't believe that saying the Pledge should be mandatory, but it should be mandatory that when in school, programs, etc. everyone should be required to stand in respect for the Pledge, country, and flag.