...not stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance? Every morning, Monday through Friday, students all across America stand, face the American flag, and say the 31 words that make up the Pledge of Allegiance. We pledge towards the symbol of America because of the freedom it has granted us and for all the people who fight for our country’s freedom. However, lately there has been a controversy over many elements of the pledge- should we continue to say it in schools? What about sporting events? Should “under God” be removed or should it stay? The Pledge of Allegiance should not be required to say at schools and sporting events because it violates the basic human rights like freedom of speech and freedom of religion....
Words: 1886 - Pages: 8
...no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech.” With this saying citizens feel it is their constitutional right to practice religion or prayer in any setting including public schools. Several issues that arise in the public schools are; saying God in the Pledge of Allegiance, vaccinations of students, and student led religious activities in the public school setting. These issues have led to many debates and court cases. Religion will be an ongoing controversy in public schools since there are different interpretations of the Constitutional Amendments. It is imperative for an administrator of the school to know and understand the laws, to stay neutral, and to seek legal advice when dealing with separation of church and state One of the most controversial issues in the United States and public schools is the use of the word God in the Pledge of Allegiance. This debate dates as far back at 1892 when Francis Bellamy wrote the pledge without the words “under god” (Russo, 2004). However, the Senate and the House of Representative have continued to support the use of “under god” in the pledge (Russo, 2004). According to Russo, Smith v. Denny (1968), was the first case to challenge the use of “under god” in the pledge. The supreme court supported the use of the words in the pledge stating that it did not violate the First Amendment’s religion clauses...
Words: 1545 - Pages: 7
...The Pledge of Allegiance Essay What is the Pledge of Allegiance? The Pledge of Allegiance is kind of like a promise that we will support and stay true to our country. In the next couple paragraphs I will explain the how I feel about the Pledge of Allegiance, what I think about the phrase, “under God”, and what I think about people who choose not to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I think it is good that we say the Pledge of Allegiance everyday. One reason is it helps remind us of our country, our freedom, and our rights. In the Pledge of Allegiance it says, “…one Nation.” When we say the pledge it reminds us that we are one nation and we should think of everyone as a whole. It also says, “…indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” it is saying...
Words: 756 - Pages: 4
...corroborates that the U.S. government follows the ideals of a republic. According to the Merriam-Webster, the definition for a republic is a form of government that has a chief of state who is not a monarch and who in modern times is usually a president. Similar as to a democracy, a republic’s supreme power resides in a body of citizens legally able to vote and is exercised by elected officers or representatives responsible to them and governing according to law. A republic’s laws/decisions are made considering everyone’s interests. The Pledge of Allegiance is a prime example that confirms that the U.S. is a republic when it states, “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,” (Pledge of Allegiance). This quote provides reasoning to how the U.S. is a republic as we regard the government as a Republic when we say the pledge of allegiance. This is clearly shown when it states “and to the Republic”. Another reason as to how it suggests that America is a republic is when it states, “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”. This quote indicates that the U.S. is a republic, one that seeks the best for its...
Words: 1373 - Pages: 6
...Freedom is the number one stepping stone of this country. Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Press, Freedom of Petition, and Freedom of Assembly are all major aspects of the foundation of this country: the Constitution. Our country was founded on these freedoms, and we are different from other countries because of these freedoms. No matter whom you ask what it means to be an American, you will always get freedom as a response The significance of freedom to the citizens of this country is amazing. It is important to Americans to, for instance, have the right to the freedom of speech. The freedoms we as Americans possess are tailored to the wants and needs of human beings. With these freedoms comes great happiness and appreciation. To be an American is to be happy, comfortable, and accepting of your...
Words: 742 - Pages: 3
...Although it can be challenging and often very complicated like the pledge of allegiance being said at school. The saying of “Under God” has been a topic of dispute. The reference of religious preference is imposed and the first amendment states that it is prohibited to have any law that includes the use of religion. It gets complicated because most schools are funded by our government and they make up the rules. It is kind of a catch 22 when we say the pledge with the words “Under God and the funding from the government it can be seen as unconstitutional to some. I would put as respect for my country not any reference to religion. Another example of the use of religion in school and the complication of the first amendment is the use of prayer before sporting events and before graduation ceremonies. A lot of teams will say the say a prayer in locker room before the big game. Some may see this as a violation of the amendment but I think a player should be able to say it if they so choose and those that don’t is ok as well. It is a form of Freedom of Speech and students have that right as well. Some people view this as the schools sanctioning religion. Schools on the other hand take a similar stance here that they do with regard to prayer at sporting events. They stay out of the situation and leave prayer, or not, up to the students. When this is the case no constitutional amendments are violated. An additional example of this kind of thing is the moment of silence usually enacted in...
Words: 426 - Pages: 2
...periods. Many examples of fidelity are illustrated in the characters of Julius Caesar. Antonius appears to be blindly loyal to Caesar. He comes off as a rash supporter in the scene that depicts Antonius viewing Caesar's body. Another situation where Antonius displays fidelity to Caesar is act one, scene two, in which the young runner pledges that whatever Caesar wishes is his command. The wild soliloquy he gives illustrates his allegiance to the slain king, and he seems to sacrifice his body to Caesar's spirit. Such devote feelings spur the reader to wonder what deed Caesar did for Antonius that the younger man would harbor said emotions. Not only the men of Julius Caesar but the women also show loyalty. Although Caesar's wife, Calpurnia, portrays herself as a needy woman, she also shows that she loves her husband very much. Fear overwhelms her when Caesar announces that, though he's been warned that the day would be his deathday, he would go outside. Calpurnia's dread of losing her husband shows that she depends on him very much. However, it is questionable in which way she depends on him: emotionally or monetarily. A woman accustomed to being pampered as an important official's wife would likely wish for her wealthy husband to live, and Calpurnia does give the impression that she is high maintenance. However, it would be unfair to claim she is only loyal to Caesar's money. Portia, on the other hand, is one of the most famous examples of a pledge of faith...
Words: 570 - Pages: 3
...Bracken Ostler Business Law Paper #1 Mark Holland Freedom of Religion Freedom of religion is an essential part of the Constitution of the United States and is included in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. Freedom of religion involves two important components. The first is the prohibition on the “establishment of religion” by government- the separation of Church and State; and the second, ensures that the government allows for the practice of religion (Marroquin). Many important cases throughout history have also helped to further refine the limits of freedom of religion as laid out in the Constitution. This paper will discuss why freedom of religion was chosen as part of the Constitution. It will also provide the current law pertaining to this important part of the First Amendment. In the original Constitution, religion makes only one direct and obvious appearance that seems to point to a desire of religious freedom. That appearance is in Article 6, at the end of the third clause and states: “No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” (Mount) This is a statement that is simple and straightforward and applies to all offices in the entire United States, both state and federal. The framers of the Constitution thought that they had constructed a complete and comprehensive document. Many people disagreed. One of the big disagreements from the opposition to the framers was the lack...
Words: 1145 - Pages: 5
...believe in Ronald Reagan’s speech he established trustworthiness or credibility by professing being an impassioned man of faith. I believe he appears to establish appeal in the eyes of his audience by captivating them with the thorough presentation and speaking to the audience about his beliefs in the Lord. Reagan also strived to make it a point, that America was constructed on Christian values and that those beliefs are what has truly given us the freedom, physically, mentally, and emotionally. He correspondingly pushes into examples to show all the ways and all the different things he has attempted to stop the problems where people have gotten away from God. Which, I believe is evident in our society today. It feels like every single chance we are given to turn our backs on the Lord, it seem’s the opportunities are gleefully taken. From attempts, to keep sayings like Merry Christmas out of the media, perverting holidays such as Easter to honor a rabbit, to even attempting to take the pledge of allegiance out of schools. I can honestly say I appreciate how brave and boldly Reagan stands up for what he believes in and knows what is right. Standing up for what we believe in is something we all have the ability or right to do, but often times most of us won’t adamantly strive to take the opportunity for a variety of reasons. Whether, because we are afraid to ruffle someone’s feathers, or unsure of how others will receive what you stand for. I believe this speech was many things, positive...
Words: 528 - Pages: 3
...The excerpt from Thomas Jefferson states the enduring issue of rule by the majority, as long as it's reasonable and does not infringe on the rights of the minority . The letter to The Editor gives an example of the enduring issue by discussing Freedom of Speech, and its influence on majority rule. Amelia Parsons gives evidence of the enduring issue by stating: "...to honor a republic committed to liberty and justice for all. That commitment was reaffirmed yesterday by the Supreme Court's ruling in West Virginia State Board of Education vs Barnette. The ruling struck down as unconstitutional; West Virginia's directive that school children must daily salute the flag while reciting the pledge of allegiance or face expulsion. " This quote means:...
Words: 308 - Pages: 2
...Ms. Middleton 2,030 To Live Without Fear There are many influential documents for which the United States of America was founded on; the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the United States Constitution are three well known documents that ensure the rights of the people of the United States. The Pledge of Allegiance states that we are “One Nation” and the Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal.” The term “Hate Crime” defined by Public Law #103-322A, a 1994 federal law, defines a hate crime as: “a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim, or in the case of a property crime, the property that is the object of the crime, because of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person.” Although this is the federal definition, each state has their own legal hate crime statues, which states what constitutes and is punishable as a hate crime in that state. Some states do not recognize hate crimes at all, yet, as it clearly states in the countries founding documents the people of this country are “one nation” and “all men are created equal.” The number of hate crimes being committed is growing in numbers. What is considered a “hate crime” today is no longer restricted to the issue of black and white, but the national standard for these crimes remains unclear. ...
Words: 2281 - Pages: 10
...The majority of the courtroom also noted that freedom of speech protects actions that society may find offensive, however society’s outrage over flag burning alone is not justifiable for suppressing free speech. Another thing that the courtroom brought up is how the Texas law discriminated upon viewpoints of a “venerated” object and how the law punished actions(specifically flag burning) that may upset some people but yet doesn’t persecute actions that were respectful of venerated objects( for example actions such as burning and then burying a worn out flag). Finally most of the courtroom came to the conclusion that the government couldn’t discriminate in this case solely on viewpoint. Dissent from Justice Stevens argued that since the flag has unique symbol of national unity and that overcame the symbolic speech concerns and thus the government would lawfully prohibit flag burning.The concurrent opinions of the court stated that judicial power is often difficult in its exercise and even the court must make decisions that even they don’t like but these decisions are only right because they are right in the eyes of the law and most importantly agree with the constitution....
Words: 727 - Pages: 3
...program adjustable to the needs of individual students and groups; enrichment of the program through coordination of community and school; appraisal function to determine the extent that students had been indoctrinated with American ideals and standards.9 With these goals, the WRA decided that the camp curriculum should be focused on use of relocation problems for projects in speech, literature, history, arithmetic, art, music, geography, social problems, and home economics courses. An example of this curriculum would be that elementary students were asked to write letters concerning the war or notes to parents about rationing regulations. In the memoir, Mary says she took Typing I, English IV, Latin II, Problems of Democracy, Physical Education, Chemistry, and Senior Problems. When she got to the classroom at Tule Lake camp, she saw no supplies, just benches. Mary later explains that for typing class, they drew the keyboard on paper. Shockingly, she had a white teacher. The worst part about school was that Mary still had to say the Pledge of Allegiance. She didn’t understand why she had to pledge allegiance to a country that put her in a version of hell. Life in camps shifted once again when the internees were permitted to be relocated for outside jobs in June of 1943. They were also permitted to fight in war, a privilege not available before. More than 6,000 Nisei (second generation Japanese-Americans) served. They helped shorten the Pacific war by two years and saved an estimated...
Words: 1181 - Pages: 5
...legislation since the Marbury vs Madison case of 1803 and increasingly so since Chief Justice Warren’s court who made controversial decisions regarding segregation (Brown vs Topeka) and Abortion (Roe vs Wade). This has continued to more recent court cases such as the 2012 Windsor vs USA which recognised gay marriage striking down DOMA (the 1996 Defence of Marriage Act) which stated that only heterosexual marriage would be federally recognised. This has led to the appointment process of Supreme Justices to come under scrutiny as it invokes unelected justices making decisions that will affect the whole of America and which in many cases supersede decisions made by the elected legislators (congressmen) and the executive (the President). For example firstly in 2012 the Supreme Court voted to uphold the Affordable Healthcare Act or ‘Obamacare’ arguing that it was a tax and not a mandate...
Words: 1369 - Pages: 6
...The connection between war and patriotism-or better yet, between war and the making of patriots-is evident, maybe even self-evident. But, is a war really required? The answer is no, not as long as we remember past wars, and use those memories to meet current challenges. To help us remember, we have a Memorial Day (Decoration Day when I was young), and the Lincoln, Vietnam, Korean, and (eventually) World War II memorials. To the same end, we have national cemeteries filled with the graves of patriots, and a national anthem composed during a long-past war. This nation was born in a war, and Abraham Lincoln referred to those who fought it as "the patriots of '76." We were "one people" then-we said so. We were made one because King George III and "our British bretheren [were] deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity." What those foes did to rally patriotism in 1776, the terrorists did on Sept. 11. The signs of this upsurge are everywhere. The grass-roots response of the American people has been phenomenal, a display of bottom-up public patriotism unseen in this nation in at least half a century, slicing across boundaries of race, class, age, and gender. American flags fly from the antennas of battered pickup trucks, from stately Victorian porches, from office windows. An Indiana flag company reports it has never had this many orders, 25 times the norm, in its century-long existence. The flag is everywhere, and so is the need of the people to display their love...
Words: 1607 - Pages: 7
