The Pledge Of Allegiance In Schools Essay

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Alyssa Layton
Professor Dalton
English 1010
The Pledge of Allegiance in Schools
Dear Mr. Rosenthal, I understand you and your followers are really concerned with the peer pressure on the students for saying the pledge because you’ve received threats, that it is not right to make them swear an oath in front of classmates, and being called disloyal. I’m writing to tell you your concern is unwarranted. In schools there really isn’t any pressure if you don’t say the pledge I really doubt your classmates notice your lack of patriotism enough to be mean about it. I know you don’t believe that because of the threats you’ve been receiving, but you must understand your dealing with a much bigger audience with just as strong an opinion as you have. Granted it might not be the best choice in convincing you, but there’s something to be said about American tradition. The majority likes to get their way and sometimes by any means necessary. It’s a strange yet proud running tradition in our states. You said you think it’s not right to make them take an oath of loyalty in front of their classmates but first off that’s how oaths work they are preformed in front of witnesses and if even a small group is saying it at the same time it’s less pressure not more. I would also like to add that it could be their own conscious telling them to say it not their peers because that is an age when your developing your instincts and conscious understanding of what’s right and wrong, so it could be their own slim understanding of what they should be doing. Second I don’t think you can call it an oath of loyalty when they don’t even understand that, that is what they are saying. I said the pledge all throughout my schooling and I only knew it was like a song about America until middle school then I got that it was a pledge but I didn’t really take it seriously because I still didn’t fully understand it, but then in high school a history teacher finally went over it line by line to make sure we knew what it meant. You see it’s hard to have an opinion on something you don’t understand but when you understand the pledge there is no reason to be against it. Until you do understand what is the harm of saying it in class? I don’t believe most students have a real strong opinion on the pledge and if there are no opinions then why would there be something to argue about, let alone bully someone over.
In my honest opinion I think there should be pressure to say the pledge and to hold your hand over your heart. There are too many idols in the public eye who don’t respect the flag of the country that gives them the right to make a lot of money doing jobs that they can only do in this country. Our constitution and bill of rights lets us choose what to fight about and sometimes there is a lot of useless things fought over but at least we get to choose. That’s not how it is everywhere. You also mentioned that if you don’t say the pledge your automatically considered disloyal and my only response to that is: what should you be considered when you don’t say the pledge? Lazy? or Ignorant? I don’t believe there is pressure in the schools but if you’re still not convinced maybe this approach will enlighten you. Pressure is part of growing up. All throughout everyone’s lives on a daily basis we face pressure from bosses, parents, teachers, friends, family, adults, politics, salesmen, and yourself! There is no way to eliminate pressure on anyone. It’s something everyone learns to deal with in their own way and yes sometimes we give into pressure but that’s how we learn by making mistakes. You sir are talking nonsense about trying to take away children’s survival skills here. They have to learn it eventually, why not start in a low pressure scenario and let them decide if they are making mistakes. How did you develop that thick skin of yours anyway? I’m guessing the same way everyone else does by standing up for something you believe in against pressure from an opposition.
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