First Amendment and the Pledge of Allegiance

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For my first few years of schooling, I distinctly remember how important it was to stand for the pledge of allegiance. It was ingrained in my mind that if you didn't stand and you didn't recite the words that you were being disrespectful to your nation. On top of that, if you didn't stand and you didn't recite the words you would get in trouble and be reprimanded in front of the whole class.

Somewhere along the line, I ended up in high school where it was normal to stand, but we all simultaneously decided to stand in silence, with our hands by our sides instead of on our chests. It was met with defiance at first until it wasn't anymore because one of my good friends claimed: "I'll stand to please you. But I will not recite those words because I don't believe them, and that is my right."

It was one of the first times I ever realized that I had every right to decide if I didn't want to go with the norm or the majority.

In elementary school, I didn't think twice about it. I didn't even realize what the words I was reciting really meant. It wasn't until I got older that I looked into the words. I've never been a religious person, and I haven't quite figured out what it is I truly believe in, but I wasn't a fan of the fact that I felt like in a way I was being forced to believe in something I didn't really believe in. On top of that, I didn't think putting religion into our nation's pledge of allegiance made much sense.

To this day, I am grateful for my friend speaking up because ever since then I have felt comfortable enough to do the same.

Often, people think this issue is new. They think millennials are to blame, and that we are disrespectful. We've seen it with kneeling at sporting events and simply refusing to stand in school.

But the truth of the matter is, this issue has always been around.

In the case of West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette (1943), Justice Robert Jackson was famously quoted for saying, "If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein."

Some of the major issues that the Supreme Court have had to look at include two things:

1. Whether students can be compelled to recite the pledge without infringing on their First Amendment rights and...
2. Whether the inclusion of the phrase "under God" - added in 1954 - violates the establishment clause

I think both of these questions are very important to uncover, and it continues to be uncovered.

Where I stand on the issue? I don't think anybody should be forced to recite something they don't believe in, and I do think it goes against the establishment clause.

I truly look forward to the day that we come to a solid decision on the issue.