This year, during the Rebel Report (Walpole High School’s Morning News), students say the Pledge of Allegiance daily, rather than just on Mondays as done in previous years.  Since the change, disgruntled students have complained more and more each day that they do not want to pledge allegiance every single morning.  Perhaps those students could accredit one or two good reasons why we shouldn’t do it everyday; however, there are immeasurable reasons as to why we should.  Students need to realize that they are not just robotically saluting a flag each morning; they are doing something much more significant than that.

The American flag has been a symbol of what our country stands for since way back during George Washington’s presidency. Not only does it hold historic fortitude, but each star, stripe, and color holds meaning as well. The red symbolizes hardiness and valor, white symbolizes purity and innocence and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice. Each star represents one of the 50 states of America, and each stripe represents one of the 13 original colonies. The flag is more than just what the eye beholds; it possesses utmort importance about our country’s backround and morals.

Countless Americans have fought to preserve the freedoms for which the flag stands for, including many of Walpole High’s friends, family, and alumni.  Many have suffered the loss of a son or daughter, brother or sister, father or mother, wife or husband, and the list goes on. These brave sacrifices must not be forgotten, and doing the Pledge of Allegiance daily is a good reminder and tribute to those who are serving our country today and for veterans as well. Students must allow themselves to consider these things each morning when they recite the pledge, then it would not seem like such a hassle.

One of the biggest complaints is simply that people do not want to stand up
every morning for the short 15 to 20 seconds that it takes to recite The Pledge
of Allegiance.  The average high school student may be tired and running on
little sleep–everyone has got a packed schedule.  While it is early in the morning, and he or she is understandably tired, surely standing up for the short time it takes to say the Pledge is not so strenuous a task for the average high school student, as it is nothing compared to the sacrifices men and women fighting for our country have made and to the freedoms the flag represents.

Think about the amount of time high school students spend on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and other online sites, even just in homeroom with the creation of the notorious iPhone and other WiFi-supported phones.  Should these trivial activities really come before showing respect to The United States and our soldiers?

Others have valid reasons for not saying the Pledge – such as not being a citizen of our country or being genuinely offended by its mention of God. Some also feel strongly about the right to choose whether they would like to say the pledge or not every single morning. Ironically, the flag is one of the symbols that best represents the right to recite or not to recite the Pledge. However, being too tired, too lazy or too disinterested are ignorant reasons not to say the Pledge.

The American Flag has always been considered a symbol of freedom, democracy, justice and liberty.  Saying the Pledge of Allegiance can often instill a sense of pride in being an American and help to develop a sense of community as a nation. Soldiers have fought and died for these values over many centuries, and the flag is the best symbol the United States has got to show it.  The least us students at Walpole High can do is lend our support to these freedoms and ideals by standing and reciting our allegiance to the American flag daily.