The pledge was first written in 1892. It was unveiled in October at the Chicago World Fair Columbian Exposition to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America.dale blanker wrote:Lots of luck with choosing not to, especially for the kids at school. I always do the salute but frequently skip saying the words.mojo84 wrote: If you don't want to say it, don't. Just like saying a prayer, if you don't want to pray, don't. Why try to convince others to conform to you? The fact we have the choice is one of the great things about our country and what makes me want to say the Pledge.
And I certainly agree about our country's greatness (and don't feel that it needs to be made great again) - all the more reason to skip the brainwashing like some countries do.
The Pledge's author, Francis Bellamy, never intended the Pledge to be said on a daily basis. It was written for a national school celebration to commemorate Christopher Columbus' discovery of America.
The original text for the Pledge of Allegiance did not include "under God." Congress officially added that phrase in 1954.
The Pledge used to include a military-style salute. But the salute became associated with European fascists in the 1930s. Congress amended the U.S. Flag Code in 1942 to recommend the hand-over-the-heart salute.
Until 1943, school children could be expelled for not saying the Pledge in school. That issue was resolved in the 1943 Supreme Court decision West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, which ruled that the right to not speak is equally protected under the First Amendment as the right to free speech.
California schools aren't required to teach the pledge. The state education code only requires a daily patriotic exercise. The pledge is prevalent throughout the state as a means to that end, but it's up to local school boards to adopt appropriate regulations.
Teachers don't have to say the pledge or lead their students it, even if their school district calls for a daily recitation by students. The First Amendment allows them to bow out.
There were previous pledges to the flag. Civil war veteran George T. Balch wrote this one in 1885: "I give my heart and my hand to my country—one country, one language, one flag."