It only loses meaning if you stop caring about what it stands for, really.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I fucking hate the Pledge of Allegiance. You're never actually taught what it stands for in school. At least, I don't remember being taught it. On the first day of kindergarten/first grade, you're just taught to memorize the WORDS and to recite it every single morning. You know what I call that? Brainwashing. The words aren't even true. I won't recite that stupid shit with meaning until there actually is "liberty and justice for all." Some people might criticize me for apparently not "respecting" and "loving" the country I live in. Just because I refuse to say the same 31-word-long statement every single morning doesn't mean I don't love the United States. It shows that I'm fucking smart and that I'm starting to actually question the validity of making our kids do this shit.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

How exactly is it brainwashing? They're just asking you to say the words, not forcing you to believe what they say. It might be brainwashing if everything we did revolved around the pledge, but honestly, it takes less than a minute to say and then you go on with your day. While I'm not criticizing you for not loving the country, you at least have to respect it. There's a lot of things this country has that others don't, and it hasn't been easy to get those things either.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

My not respecting the PLEDGE doesn't mean I don't respect the COUNTRY. If I can recall, no other country has a pledge that they make their kids recite each and every day like we do. We're not a third-world country. Our government isn't a dictatorship. We don't have any real political unrest, where civilians' lives are in danger. You'd expect this kind of thing to happen in countries where my previous statements DO apply. Also, regarding your first paragraph, if it doesn't mean much, why do we even need our kids to say it? If no kid in this whole country actually takes the words to heart, why do we require it in every school? If we never revolve any part of our life around the damn pledge, why do we DO it? If some people don't even really believe in it, why must we tell those very kids that they have to recite it anyway?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Well you edited your comment and put the quotes around 'respecting' and 'loving', so that completely changes your statement, which makes the point of my second paragraph null. Also, you said nothing about not respecting the pledge, you were talking about respect for the country. Why do we do it? Tradition. That's pretty much it. No one's forcing you to do anything. Once you reach an age where you can decide for yourself, you don't have to say it anymore. If it were really brainwashing, you wouldn't be able to think for yourself, but it seems to me you can, so therefore it's not. Like I said before, it only takes 30 seconds to say anyway, and you've lost nothing at all by saying it.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Very, very well said. I never learned the meaning behind it either. "I won't recite that stupid shit with meaning until there actually is "liberty and justice for all."" That was the best thing I've read all year.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

omg i love u boo like i rly do lol srsly

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I bet you sleep WELL at night knowing that you have the "liberty, and justice" to be able to speak your mind about this, because in other countries, you would have been beheaded for saying shit like that.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

That was a very naive comment. She wasn't specifically talking about herself. Here's a prime example: http://nirak.tumblr.com/photo/1280/6834018768/1/tumblr_ln9aa10UAg1qzqlvr

by Anonymous 12 years ago

WTF.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I'm not freaking saying that I don't respect the rights I get when I'm a citizen of the United States. Jesus. I'm saying that I shouldn't have to recite a pledge every damn day just to prove that I'm thankful for said rights. Also, "shit like that"? Really? Speaking my mind is comparable to fecal matter? LOL, okay. I'm not trying to discredit the fact that I get to speak my mind in this country. And honestly? It's a human right. You're acting like the fact that I can do so is a privilege. No, it's just that the United States is actually smart and gives its citizens what they deserve. Some other countries just need to get their shit together.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

As someone on the outside (Canadian), it seems pretty ridiculous. Kinda like forcing your students to be nationalists :/ In Canada we have to stand for the Canadian anthem, but it's optional if you want to sing along. Maybe it's because I grew up with it, but our method seems good to me.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

My school doesn't even do it, only at assemblies do we, and then we face this gigantic flag. Last year was my first year in high school and I didn't even notice we didn't do the pledge until I saw this post...weird.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Recite for 8 years of school before high school, forgot all words by end of senior year. Yup I'd say its pretty useless.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I just don't bother to say it anymore. I don't think anyone in my class this year did, really.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

When I was in kindergarten I thought it was a song. I'd sing it as I walked home from school. I didn't figure out what it was until first grade, and even then I didn't know why we had to say it. None of us did, so we talked it over at recess and decided that we probably had to prove we loved our country before they would continue to educate us.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

You gotta admit though, its pretty fucking sad that some ADULTS out there dont even know a few words of the pledge of allegiance.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

The point isn't to pointlessly and mindlessly recite it. Think about what you're actually saying. It's supposed to be a reminder of patriotism and what your country stands for. It shouldn't lose meaning because you have to say it every day, it's a daily reminder to respect and show loyalty to your country. To some people those words mean a lot.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I recited it every day for over 12 years and did not really stop to think about the meaning of it. Once you study it and the real meaning you will proud to say it every day and thankful you live in country that backs it up.

by Anonymous 8 years ago