11 Comments
User's avatar
usa.mom.in.germany's avatar

I always thought the pledge of allegiance meant that we’d achieved freedom and justice for ‘everyone’ and I always wondered why it didn’t include kids. Little did I know.

Expand full comment
Jennifer's avatar

I remember in kindergarten, in 1979, we were learning the Pledge and one of the girls in class was excused from saying it. I could see that it was her parents who didn't want her saying it because she seemed embarrassed to be excluded from the morning exercise. But that was the first time I remember thinking that there were people with differing opinions, religions, cultural backgrounds. I remember that moment like it was yesterday. Thank you for your effort to introduce people to propaganda, it's pirposes and its effects. It is so important for the success of a democracy for citizens to understand what truly creates a strong democratic system. Hint: it's not a mono culture.

Expand full comment
Billy's avatar

When I was in elementary school my father told me that the last major western power to require it's children to recite a daily loyalty oath was the Third Reich. I never said the pledge again. I had a teacher try to stop me from graduating high school over it.

Expand full comment
John Rios's avatar

I remember being in 7th grade when I questioned exactly what I was pledging to every morning. By 8th grade I’d stopped reciting the morning pledge. My homeroom teacher was apoplectic at my refusal, flying into a rage.

Expand full comment
Kelly Jean's avatar

When I taught 7th grade (1993-2023), I taught the idea of "perfunctory", which is a word in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. My students then had spirited conversations about the Pledge, what it meant to them, to the country, to its citizens. Many didn't realize they didn't have to say it. The last several years, kids declined to even stand, and no one said the Pledge. Was it that they felt a lack of freedom, or was it freedom taken for granted? I hope they remember to question these things and do deep dives into propaganda.

Expand full comment
Billy's avatar

When I was in elementary school my father told me that the last major western power to require it's children to recite a daily loyalty oath was the Third Reich. I never said the pledge again. I had a teacher try to stop me from graduating high school over it.

Expand full comment
Nick VanSant's avatar

Indivisible? ‘nuff said.

Expand full comment
Amber Hartman's avatar

Yes. And can we talk about the national anthem. It's so weird to be walking thru a stadium to have everyone slow to a crawl and pause . It's surreal.

Expand full comment
Darci's avatar

When I did say the pledge I always omitted under god, now I just don’t say it at all. This country is gross!

Expand full comment
Maria Brunko's avatar

The strangest thing to me is that when my kids were in school in Texas they had to learn/recite a Texas Pledge! How do you “pledge allegiance” to both flags? Absolutely ridiculous.

Expand full comment
Jonathan Webber's avatar

The Pledge of Allegiance uses the American flag as a representation of the current Constitution, and hence the allegiance just like that taken by our military, and other officers is to the constitution of the United States.

Expand full comment