At American Thinker, Charlotte Cushman explains why students
should have the opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in the
classroom:
. . .
Should the Pledge be
recited? And should children be taught the Pledge of
Allegiance? Here is what I wrote to a group of teachers who were
discussing whether or not a child should learn the Pledge of Allegiance:
There are a lot of lies being told
about the United States and its history right now. The goal is to
get people to hate our country, divide us, and make our country and Western
civilization fall. (I have literally heard people say
this.) Our country was the first country on Earth that was created that
recognized individual rights — that each individual had a right to pursue
his/her own happiness as long as the rights of others were
respected. Before the creation of this country, people had to live
their lives for a king or some other authority. Slavery was common
at that time in history, and while it took time for change to happen (as it
always does), it was the idea in the Declaration of Independence that all men
are created equal that led to the Civil War and ended slavery in this country.
I understand that some people think
that teaching children the Pledge is a form of
indoctrination. Indoctrination is repeating an idea or belief to
someone until they believe it. As this idea or belief is repeated,
no proof is given for it, and no questions or discussions are
allowed. The Pledge is not indoctrination if children are taught the
accurate history of our country and understand the meaning of the pledge to our
flag. The United States flag is a symbol for freedom, and freedom is
essential to life. It stands for individual rights, and individual
rights are essential in order to pursue happiness. When I pledge to
the flag, in my mind I know that I am pledging to the original ideals put forth
by the founding fathers: life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness. Therefore, it is logical to say that you're teaching
children about the fidelity that the Pledge represents — the fidelity of the
concept of individual rights.
By reciting the Pledge of
Allegiance, Americans promise to be true to these ideals, not to take freedom
for granted, and to remember the countless men, women, and children who have
given their lives through the centuries so Americans can live peacefully
today. When children recite the Pledge, they are given the
opportunity to think about their roles as citizens, the founding principles of
their country, and may be incentivized to think more about the meaning and
significance of the Pledge. The Pledge can stir up curiosity
regarding their country and the desire to learn more about early American
history.
Only when a person understands the
significance and profound meaning of freedom that America has provided can one
feel a stab of pride and patriotism. However, patriotism cannot be
forced upon anyone. Therefore, the recitation should not be
compulsory, which means no punitive action should be taken against children who
do not recite the Pledge.
. . .
She makes good points.
Full article is here.
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