Why Do Students Stand or Not Stand for The Pledge of Allegiance?

In Pasco High School during the morning throughout the school year, the pledge of allegiance is announced on the announcements during enhancement intervention. But why do we do it? Is there a reason behind it? The Pledge of Allegiance was first written in August 1892 by a socialist minister named Francis Bellamy. By 1954 the pledge has adapted over time to the one we know today, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Which is used as a promise of loyalty to the United States of America according to bensguide.gpo.gov.  But why did students stop standing for the pledge? What’s their opinion towards the flag when they are standing up?

The answer is that students discontinue believing in the United States of America. They don’t believe in the government. Or others just simply just state that they are on their phone most of the time until they realize that the pledge is being announced through the announcements.

I asked a History teacher at Pasco High, Mr. Erickson, how he feels about students not standing up for the pledge of allegiance. He stated that he feels like “It’s the student’s choice if they feel like they want to stand up for the pledge of allegiance or not. It is a free will. ” He also stated that he doesn’t see anything wrong with whether a student decides to stand up for the flag or not. It doesn’t give a bad view of it if the student decides not to stand. He also believes that standing up has to have a meaning to an individual when they stand up like he does when he stands up for the Pledge of Allegiance in the mornings of the school announcements.

I have also asked some students at Pasco High School why they don’t stand up for the flag. Some of the students said the same thing others had but some of their responses were: “I don’t stand up because I’m just watching my phone,” “it’s a cult,” “the ‘under god’ part is annoying” and “doesn’t like it.”

I asked my sister, a Junior of Pasco High why she no longer stands up for the flag and she stated that, “I don’t want to, and I don’t really believe in the reason why we should stand up for it.”

Based on these responses, it seems that students have lost the meaning of the flag and why they used to stand up for the flag. A few years back almost every student would stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, compared to nowadays hardly any one stands up except teachers, who are usually the ones standing up for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Should Pasco School districts teach students what the meaning of standing up for the flag and saying the Pledge of Allegiance?