To Pledge or No
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of Am indivisible, wi ledging allegiance to the United States flag has become more of a force of habit than an act of patriotism. Generation after generation, we are taught to stand and recite these words at an age where we can’t even comprehend what we are repeating. This issue of repeating rather than respecting was brought into a very bright spotlight with the protests by ex-NFL free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick almost 8 years ago. Kaepernick used his position to advocate for social justice and racial equity. One of his ways of protesting was kneeling during the national anthem at the start of football games. This sparked conversations by many people about the meaning of standing and pledging to the flag and what Kaepernick’s actions meant. “I remember being baffled that people couldn’t understand why he was doing it,” Jaime Alvarez, a U.S. Army veteran and history teacher at Martin High, said. “His act itself really didn’t bother me. I think it was more how people reacted that bothered me.” Kaepernick’s kneeling was intentional and had meaning behind it. He used to sit during the national anthem but changed to kneeling after talking to a veteran to ensure his protests against police brutality and social injustice wouldn’t be disrespectful to those who served in the armed forces. Everyone has different morals, opinions, and meanings of respect and disrespect. Many people accused Kaepernick of being ungrateful and insulting to the service and loss of so many people in arms because of their meaning for standing. “When it comes to disrespecting the flag, people disrespect the flag everyday, but not in the way that we think,” Alvarez said. “What most people consider disrespectful to the flag, like burning the flag, stepping on the flag, that is someone’s right to protest.” The U.S. Flag Code is a set of rules for how to correctly and respectfully handle and display the United States flag. Subsection 8D of the code states, “The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery.” Many other parts of the code talk about how the flag should never be used in advertising of any kind, should be burned if it is no longer fitting for display, should never be used as a covering for a ceiling, and so many other almost common day things. There is no mention of someone having to stand for the pledge of allegiance. How many people wear clothes with the flag displayed on it for the Fourth of July to show pride for their country? Yet they’re never called disrespectful or ungrateful to veterans. This is not to say that everyone shouldn’t stand or stop wearing clothes with the flag on it, but it’s to show that we’ve socially made things acceptable in the name of respect while allowing things that are written as disrespectful to be a show of patriotism. “I strongly feel that the pledge should be recited,” Gregorio Garza, an army vet and retired Spanish teacher, said. “It is a reminder of the loyalty that we should have to our country and the rest of the commitments that we need to do as individuals, as part of a community, as part of a nation that has particular values.” The pledge has come to mean many things to many people, whether it’s to pledge loyalty to the government, to honor those who serve in the name of our country, or as a cult-like chant. No matter what side you’re on, you should never be abrasive to someone who has a different stance than you. “People usually don’t stop to think, they just act,” Alvarez said. “A lot of people hear things that they don’t agree with and instantly shut it down instead of listening.” The pledge was made as a rallying cry to bring together the people of the United States. There are so many people who care very deeply about standing during the pledge or the national anthem. There is no shame in being proud of the country you live in or of being upset at the way it’s run. We live in a country that fights for freedom and justice, so we all have our right of speech and opinion. That’s the beauty of America. “You can be a patriot, love your country, but not agree with your government,” Alvarez said. “As a patriot, you not only love the country that you’re in but you love the people that make up that country and you want to protect what’s best.
P
Medallion 7
