Jeffrey Owen Jones

The Pledge of Allegiance has been a hallmark for over 100 years. It was written by Francis Bellamy in 1842 when he worked for Youth’s Companion, a well-known magazine at the time. It was written as part of a campaign in America’s public schools to celebrate Columbus Day and to increase sales of the American flag.

The first change to the Pledge was in 1923 when the words “my flag” was changed to “the flag of the United States of America.” At this time of great numbers of immigrants moving to the United States, the National Flag Conference wanted it to be clear that the Pledge was to only one country. In the heyday of the Cold War, another change was made in 1954 to add the phrase “under God.”

It is ironic that a symbol designed to unite has the dual role of causing so many divisions. That a symbol of liberty and freedom could be mandated and forced upon people was not lost on many, including the Supreme Court. While the Court ruled in 1940 that students could be compelled to say the Pledge, they later overturned this decision in 1943. Eloquently stated in the dissenting opinion, Justice Robert Jackson stated:

“To believe that patriotism will not flourish if patriotic ceremonies are voluntary and spontaneous instead of a compulsory routine is to make an unflattering estimate of the appeal of our institutions to free minds" (p. 187).

The Pledge of Allegiance remains controversial, particularly regarding mandatory recitation and what that says about patriotism. “For it is in that quarrel and uncensored debate that we find the essence of our democracy and the health of our republic” (p. 188).… (altro)