Students Speak Up: The Pledge of Allegiance

— Michael Pfliger, Sports Editor

In a recent poll sent to MHS students asking whether or not they believed that the Pledge of Allegiance should be said in school or not. of the 174 students that took the poll 64.5% of the 174 students that took the poll said that they belied that it should be said in school and 35.5% said that it should not be said in school.

Grade: Junior Name: Omar Foley

Supporters of the Pledge of Allegiance being said in school think it should be said for a number of reasons, one of them being, instilling a strong sense of patriotism in students.

“Yes. I think it should be said in school because it helps instill American values into our brains,” Junior Omar Foley said.

Another reason that supporters think that it should be said in school is unity.

“I think it should be said in schools because it helps unify us and show us that we are one country and we are together and we should be working together on issues,” Foley said.

For many a controversial phrase in the Pledge of Allegiance is “under God” however supporters of the pledge are looking at a deeper meaning in the phrase.

“Even if it says something about God in there, I think that you can look past that and understand what’s behind it versus what’s being said at face value,” Foley said.

Supporters’ main reasons for saying yes is unity and some believe that in high school there are other things that unify people instead of saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

“I think in high school we have things that unify us a lot more like sports and clubs versus at the middle and elementary schools they don’t really have that so it helps unify them more,” Foley said.

Many supporters find the pledge to be something that should be said in school and is important in American values.

“I think that the Pledge of Allegiance no matter what your beliefs are is good and it helps unify us and the Pledge of Allegiance is important because it shows that we are one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all,” Foley said.

Grade: Junior Name: Stella Boehm

Naysayers of saying the Pledge of Allegiance find it unnecessary to say.

“I personally do not think that the pledge of allegiance should be said in schools, because it seems a little bit over the top to have to recite how much you care about your country,” Junior Stella Boehm.

Naysayers of the Pledge find the phrase “under God” to be improper separation of church and state.

“There should be separation of church and state. The pledge of allegiance says the phrase ‘under God’, even though not everyone believes in any god or religion. I do not think that there should be anything forced upon children like this when America is supposedly a free country,” Boehm said.

Some naysayers of the pledge think that it shows America as the best and most perfect country.

“The pledge enforces kids to believe America is perfect and always right, when this is not the case. America as a country has made mistakes in the past and I’m sure it will continue to do so,” Bohem said.

Some naysayers of the pledge think that students begin to say it too early in life without understanding what they are saying.

“I think making kids who have barely had enough brain development to form their own thoughts and opinions on the pledge of allegiance is wrong,” Boehm said.

Some naysayers think that the Pledge should not be mandatory and should not be said in the first place.

“If it was mandatory, some students will not stand for or say the pledge of allegiance because it is not something they think is right, and other students will be upset because of this and most likely make it a big deal,” Boehm said.