Yes, it should — and students should show respect
By Sam Holifield, LPHS Hi Times writer
Writer Sam Holifield: "Respecting the flag is essentially respecting freedom."
Every school day we go to first hour and we stand up and are supposed to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Then we have a very loud moment of silence and listen to announcements. Except, we’re skipping one of the more important parts of that routine: saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
We get the opportunity to unify as a school and as a country when we all stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance. Unfortunately, many students are losing the sense of pride for the flag.
I look around in the first period and I see students sitting down and talking instead of taking the time to honor those serving our country.
The United States is having a tough time right now, and the tiniest bit of unification shows that we are a strong country.
The lack of participation is concerning. Remember in elementary school when students would all stand up and sometimes shout The Pledge of Allegiance? We need to go back to that time.
Students are beginning to lose respect. At varsity basketball games, students are mockingly singing The National Anthem. I know it’s not The Pledge, but we should still be respectful.
The moments of silence following The Pledge of Allegiance allow us to have a moment to ourselves, to reflect on what has happened and be thankful for what we have.
We’re beginning to see a trend of younger and younger students not standing up. Big acts of patriotism are not needed; we just need the little ones.
The moment of silence is a very important time of the day for everyone, even for those who don’t realize it.
Nowadays, we all know at least one person who wants to or has served in the military. People our age are fighting for us. That 30 seconds of silence is a chance for us to reflect on the ones who are willing to risk their lives for our freedom.
Respecting the flag is essentially respecting freedom.
It may seem like saying The Pledge is forced upon us, but it’s a chance to show our respect that we wouldn’t normally get.
We should come together as a school and support our country by taking the opportunity to reflect upon what is going on in America.
No, it shouldn’t — it loses its meaning if forced upon students
By Cassy Swanson, LPHS Hi Times writer
Writer Cassy Swanson: "The purpose of the pledge becomes lost."
In elementary school, you learn how to spell your name, remember your address and phone number and behave in a classroom environment. Teachers provide you with the essential building blocks you will need later in your career as a student and mold school into a routine, including saying the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of every day.
By Indiana law, schools can choose whether or not they want to recite the pledge daily, and students can participate or not, based on their own beliefs.
But in many schools, teachers force their students to stand up, put their hands on their hearts and say the pledge, regardless of the law. If a student fails to do so, the teacher will punish him or her, most often in a publicly humiliating way such as forcing the student to stand alone and recite the pledge.
This crime is most often committed in the elementary school systems — a time when children are most impressionable. Being scolded for not saying the pledge will only lessen the student’s desire to say it in the future. By being forced to say the pledge, students form a negative opinion about something that should actually give them pride and honor.
Another problem with saying the pledge daily in schools is that the emotional factor slowly starts to diminish. Students don’t say the pledge because they feel patriotic towards their country; they say it because they have to.
Students have been saying the pledge since the day they started school, so by the time they hit high school students don’t even pay attention to the words anymore. The pledge of our nation becomes a ramble with no thought behind it or understanding of its true meaning. The purpose of the pledge becomes lost.
I believe that the Pledge of Allegiance should be taken out of schools. Not because I don’t want to say it, but because the pledge is something to be held sacred and honored. By saying the pledge every day, we are degrading its integrity and allowing it to be tossed around carelessly.
The next time you hear the pledge, take a moment to stop and listen. Maybe you’ll remember what it really stands for and why you should pledge your allegiance, too.
EDITOR’S NOTE: WNLP is proud to occasionally feature the work of students in LaPorte High School teacher Angela Saoud’s Hi Times/journalism class.
