Forcing anyone to recite the Pledge of Allegiance is something that I would never endorse and would gladly rally against. However, the fact that, as Americans, we are given the option to say the pledge, is reason enough to take that eleven second oath, thanking all of those who have fought for the past 238 years to keep that option from becoming a mandate.

That being said, I realize that the only reason most have for not saying the pledge is because the big man himself, God, pokes his head in. While President Dwight Eisenhower officially added this phrase under the notion that “we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future,” I see it in a new context.

According to a poll by the Pew Research Center, 83.9% of Americans believe in some sort of God based religion. So for the 83.9%, what is there to complain about? The idea that we are a nation under God should be reassuring and something to stand in support with.

As for the 16.1%, the atheist, agnostics and unbelievers alike, what is so concerning? This is not some exclusion of atheists, not at all. Look at it as the religious majority, rather than excluding people based on religion, is confirming that God watch over the nation as a whole, no one excluded. It should feel good that we are close enough as Americans that the religious peoples of the United States are calling for their most almighty power to protect everyone in this country?

Putting our differences aside, the pledge might be needed now more than ever. The original “Pledge of Allegiance” was created by a Christian Socialist named Francis Bellamy in 1892. Bellamy cited national feeling in America’s youth being at “low ebb” as the reason for his writing the pledge and continued, saying that “the time was ripe for a reawakening of simple Americanism.”

I think a little restored “Americanism” would help as much today as Bellamy thought it would back in the late nineteenth century. The United States has become split down the middle on every issue, and it seems that the only thing we can agree on is that America is falling to pieces. Reminding ourselves of our loyalty and love for America through the Pledge of Allegiance is something that the country needs right now, so that we might again feel a sense of ownership for it, so that we can feel led to a nurturing of the problems our dear country faces.

For those of you who don’t take the pledge of allegiance, what makes you so unwilling and unable? Is there some great cause being protested against? If so, excellent, spread the word, tell people why they shouldn’t put their hand on their chest and start a movement. If, however, it is for some vague anti-American reason, think about this, is there a good reason to not be thanking The United States right now? Before saying yes, look at what America has to offer, and take joy in that whether the pledge is taken or not, we will always have the right to make that choice.

Standing up for the pledge of allegiance is a choice, and it should stay that way. If someone doesn’t want to stand up for the pledge, they should not be ostracized for their choice. Many people believe not standing up for the Pledge is a disrespect to those who serve our country, or to our ancestors. However, not standing up is not about disrespecting anyone, it’s about being educated about what the Pledge actually is.

First off, any sort of Pledge of Allegiance is an oath stating your loyalty to any certain person or country. Frankly, there are many people that go to our school who aren’t even from the United States, so why should they be forced to state their undying loyalty to our country? We shouldn’t look down on those who just aren’t from America.

Next you have the controversial line “under god”. It was added in the 1950s during the Cold War in order to combat atheism, which at the time signaled that you might be associated with  communism. Newsflash: the Cold War is over, and the US constitution claims to not be bounded by any certain religion. Here in the US, we have people of many different religions, so forcing someone to state their allegiance under a power they may not believe in would just be cruel.

Some claim that not reciting the Pledge every Monday is an offense to those who serve our country. But think about it this way: our troops are defending our freedoms, so why not exercise them? I’m not saying that it is bad to recite the pledge, but we have troops that work hard to protect our freedoms, so we shouldn’t condemn those who exercise them.

Instead of wondering why people don’t stand up for the Pledge, I challenge you to ask yourself why you do stand for the Pledge. The moral of the story here is that to every person, the pledge has a different meaning. To some, it’s just something that you do every Monday. To others, it’s an important task that they feel compelled to do. But for others, it just doesn’t work, or it doesn’t make sense, and there is absolutely no problem with that.