Every day at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. a simple ceremony is held in Mount Vernon, Va., at George Washington’s tomb. The service includes placement of a boxwood wreath alongside his sarcophagus and the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to honor America’s first president. Written in 1892, well after Washington’s death in 1799, the pledge was officially recognized by Congress as America’s national motto in 1942.
The Pledge of Allegiance has repeatedly come under fire in public schools across the country because it contains the controversial words, “under God.” According to the General Counsel at the U, the university holds no official position as to whether the pledge can or should be recited in classrooms. The Utah State Board of Education requires that the pledge is recited each morning in public elementary schools. To remind students of our freedoms, the U should provide for the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance at university forums and official student gatherings.
The Pledge of Allegiance has been recited by generations of Americans, but why isn’t it good enough for us today? Beyond the political issues and controversy, the pledge represents patriotism and embodies the fabric of our society: justice, equality, courage, honor8212;the tools of a free society. It reminds and inspires us to defend the freedoms we enjoy every day.
A San Francisco lawsuit from Michael Newdow attempted to ban the Pledge of Allegiance from being recited in public schools, claiming in a federal lawsuit that it is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment. Ultimately, the suit was overruled by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluding that the pledge is constitutional.
In a similar controversy earlier this month, more than 6 million people voted in an NBC online poll seeking to determine whether or not we should take the phrase “In God We Trust” off American money. Nearly 75 percent of respondents felt the motto has historical and patriotic significance and does nothing to establish a state religion. The remaining 25 percent said the words “In God We Trust” violate the principle of separation of church and state.
In June, researchers at the Pew Forum analyzed the religious practices of more than 35,000 U.S. adults and found that belief in God is something espoused by 92 percent of Americans. If all references of God were taken out of government today, it would still be in the hearts of the majority of U.S. citizens, no matter what religion they belong to. And for that reason, the references should remain, because they reflect a belief in a trustworthy God, which is held by the majority of those who live in this country. It’s something you aren’t allowed to believe in some other countries, at least not legally.
More than 225 years have passed since soldiers in Washington’s army gave their lives in the Revolutionary War. Was the battle for American independence and freedom fought in vain? It was if we neglect to defend the liberties they died for. Those early American heroes certainly didn’t give their lives so stray individual opinions could dictate the laws. The U should honor them by including the pledge more often in official forums and other gatherings.
Liz Carlston