Elianne Candelario
Staff Reporter 

Not all students feel that it’s completely necessary to stand up during the pledge. Although I do stand up and recite the pledge, I believe if anyone does not feel comfortable doing so they should not have to.

It is called freedom of speech, if anyone in this school feels standing up and saying the pledge is wrong they should be allowed the choice to stay seated.

In sixth grade I was yelled at by a teacher for not standing up and reciting the pledge, I felt very embarrassed and scared.

My opinion today is still the same, a person who is pro-life will not work at an abortion clinic, a Christian will not pray five times a day like a Jew and a republican will not vote for Obama. I stand when reciting the pledge just to be respectful. I would never want to offend anyone but, if anyone does not feel like it they should not have to.

Sure you might get ugly stares and maybe even a few negative words but at least you are standing up for what you believe in, or in this case, sitting down for what you believe in.

Caitlin Starks
Staff Reporter 

Students who don’t stand up for the pledge of allegiance, in my eyes, are immature.

They are immature because truthfully the “Under God” part of the pledge of allegiance was not made in any direct religious sense.

It was added to the pledge of allegiance in 1954 because the politicians of the time believed they could weed out communists because communists supposedly couldn’t say the word “God”. And even if you do have some kind of religious problem with the pledge I could probably understand it on some level. However, most students that do not stand for the pledge are essentially the students that say they do not believe in government, mainly doing it to get attention.

About 99.99% of politicians have their heads where the sun does not shine. But seriously, whether you believe in it or not, the government of the United States of America has done a lot for you ungrateful kids out there.

Are you a child soldier? Are you not protected against the government through civil liberties and by the government through civil rights?

All of you do not realize how different the US is compared to the rest of the world. Even if you could care less about government and feel like you should not have to stand.

I get it be a rebel and all that jazz, The government deserves respect.

Do  not just sit there because you think it is cool and will get you attention.