“Everything the light touches is our kingdom,” says Mufasa to the young Simba in the famous Disney movie, The Lion King. The Pledge of Allegiance states that our kingdom, or nation, under God is indivisible, much like how the light touches almost everything in The Lion King. After a court case about the Pledge in 2014, many people have been wondering whether or not it is worth it to say the Pledge every morning at school. Due to the use of “under God”, freedom of speech, and the forced patriotism onto citizens, the pledge is unethical. Schools should not be able to force students to say the Pledge of Allegiance.
Schools are making students say the Pledge of Allegiance before class starts even with the use of the words “under God” in the recitement. …show more content…
Freedom of speech is practiced in school in many different classes, may it be history or journalism. When someone knows America’s rights of what he or she can and cannot say, he or she also knows saying nothing at all has just as big of an impact as a spontaneous speech about the topic. Teachers have punished students for not participating in the pledge during several occasions. A senior at Lakewood High School reports to Hemant Mehta that she did not participate in the pledge one day, “The student respectfully told the teacher that she did not believe in pledging and was exercising her right not to do so. Nevertheless, the teacher told the student that her decision was ‘disrespectful’ and told her that she must stand in the future,” (Mehta). Even through her deferential explanation, the teacher called the students action disrespectful because of his or her own beliefs without considering the students beliefs at all. If students are allowed to say what they want at schools as long as it does not disrupt class, as supported in the Tinker vs Des Moines and Hazelwood court cases, students should also be able to respectfully say nothing at all. Class will not be disrupted by an event that happens before the class officially starts, saying nothing takes just as much time as reciting the whole Pledge does. Another teacher from Delaware’s Delcastle Technical School required a student to stand and say the pledge. “After class, Ms. Dunn admonished the student, telling him that he is required to stand up during the Pledge and that it is ‘disrespectful’ to remain seated,” (Mehta). Again, another school with another teacher telling students who are not participating in the Pledge are disrespectful. Even though the law states that it is legal to sit down during the Pledge, teachers are still chastising students when they choose
Schools are making students say the Pledge of Allegiance before class starts even with the use of the words “under God” in the recitement. …show more content…
Freedom of speech is practiced in school in many different classes, may it be history or journalism. When someone knows America’s rights of what he or she can and cannot say, he or she also knows saying nothing at all has just as big of an impact as a spontaneous speech about the topic. Teachers have punished students for not participating in the pledge during several occasions. A senior at Lakewood High School reports to Hemant Mehta that she did not participate in the pledge one day, “The student respectfully told the teacher that she did not believe in pledging and was exercising her right not to do so. Nevertheless, the teacher told the student that her decision was ‘disrespectful’ and told her that she must stand in the future,” (Mehta). Even through her deferential explanation, the teacher called the students action disrespectful because of his or her own beliefs without considering the students beliefs at all. If students are allowed to say what they want at schools as long as it does not disrupt class, as supported in the Tinker vs Des Moines and Hazelwood court cases, students should also be able to respectfully say nothing at all. Class will not be disrupted by an event that happens before the class officially starts, saying nothing takes just as much time as reciting the whole Pledge does. Another teacher from Delaware’s Delcastle Technical School required a student to stand and say the pledge. “After class, Ms. Dunn admonished the student, telling him that he is required to stand up during the Pledge and that it is ‘disrespectful’ to remain seated,” (Mehta). Again, another school with another teacher telling students who are not participating in the Pledge are disrespectful. Even though the law states that it is legal to sit down during the Pledge, teachers are still chastising students when they choose