Remember in elementary school and middle school when everybody actually said the Pledge of Allegiance? When we said the words but didn’t know their true, patriotic meaning. Now that we’re old enough to understand what the words actually mean, a lot of people don’t say the Pledge.

Since freshman year, I’ve noticed less and less people in my classes saying the Pledge. It has declined from the entire class saying the Pledge lackluster in unison, to maybe 3 at most people per class saying it under their breath. Not even the obnoxious kids who said it loudly just to cause a scene even bother saying it anymore.  Even some teachers have adopted the silence. Now, one of the only people actually saying the Pledge loud and proud is senior class president, Sarah MacClellan, who has to say it for announcements.

Personally I think it’s very important to say the Pledge. Thousands of men and women died to protect this indivisible nation that offers “liberty and justice for all”. The Pledge is everything that we value and love about our nation, and saying it makes us more unified. However, it’s not surprising that it has become monotonous after saying it every single school day since kindergarten. It has lost its effect, and a lot of people just don’t care to say it anymore.

But I think there are still some people, like me, who think it’s important to say it. So why don’t we? What it all comes down to is not being afraid to stand up for your beliefs, even though they may be different. I’ll admit, I don’t want to be the only person in my class who says the Pledge out loud. Having almost completed high school, we should know by now that it’s okay to be different, and that standing up for your beliefs is one of the most important lessons we can learn as people.

In order to restore meaning back into the words of the Pledge of Allegiance, I think it would be best to only say it once a week, and definitely not in the morning when students are too tired to even think. All of the teachers and students who believe saying the Pledge should lead by example and say it loudly, even though it might not be the most popular thing to do.