By MAREN HENDERSHOT
maren@newsroom.byu.edu
The pledge of allegiance holds its ground in public schools, but parents are still concerned about the lack of patriotism in today's youth.
'It makes me really disgusted when I see kids sitting down during the pledge or national anthem,' said Kaylene Simpson, mother of six children from Thayne, Wyo. 'They don't have much reverence for the flag anymore and our nation and flag deserve the respect.'
Some young adults, though, still hold a deep respect for patriotism.
'I loved saying the pledge when I was little,' said Maria Griggs, a sophomore from Richland, Wash., with an open major. 'You don't learn the pledge of allegiance at home, so school is a good place to show and learn patriotism.'
Nancy Evensen, a BYU faculty member in the teacher education department who coordinates placement for student teachers in the Nebo School District, agreed that school is the place to teach the pledge of allegiance.
'Somebody needs to teach the kids about what it means, so that it isn't just a bunch of words but actually sinks in,' she said.
However, few actually know the origin of the pledge.
Francis Bellamy authored the original pledge of allegiance for the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America by Columbus. Bellamy visited President Benjamin Harrison to ask him to advocate the idea of a flag over every schoolhouse in order to help teach patriotism.
On June 21, 1892 President Harrison signed the proclamation which said, 'Let the national flag float over every school house in the country and the exercises be such as shall impress upon our youth the patriotic duties of American citizenship.'
The pledge of allegiance was first printed in The Youth's Companion magazine on September 8, 1892. The original allegiance read: 'I pledge allegiance to my flag of the United States and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.'
At the second national flag conference in Washington, D.C. on Flag Day in 1924, the pledge was amended by adding the words, 'of America'.
It 1940, the first major controversy arose. A Jehovah's Witness family who believed that such a gesture of respect to the flag was forbidden by command of the scriptures refused to allow their children to recite the pledge of allegiance at school.
In the Supreme Court case the Gobitis family argument includes this statement: 'Even if we believe that such compulsions will contribute to national unity, there are other ways to teach loyalty and patriotism which are the sources of national unity, then by compelling the pupil to affirm that which he does not believe and by commanding a form of affirmance which violates his religious convictions.'
Despite the argument, the Supreme Court ruled in the Minersville v. Gobitis case that 'a public school may require students to salute the flag and pledge of allegiance even if it violates their religious scruples.'
However, only three years later in 1943 in the West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette case, the Supreme Court decided that no one can be forced to salute the flag or say the pledge of allegiance if it violates the individual conscience.
Despite the controversies in previous years, on June 14, 1954 President Eisenhower and Congress amended the pledge by adding 'under God'.
Eisenhower issued this statement for the reason of the addition: 'In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war.'
Besides Nevada and Arizona, most schools in the West do not have a specific law that requires reciting the pledge of allegiance in public schools on a daily basis. Nevada's governor Kenny Guinn signed a bill last year requiring public schools to begin each day with the pledge of allegiance to the flag.
Arizona has a law that states the nation's flag be displayed on or near the school building and also directs public schools to set aside a specific time each day for those students who wish to recite the pledge.
However, schools in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado do the pledge based on tradition.
Sharon Emero, facilitator at Maeser Elementary School in Provo, said it is a tradition at Maeser to recite the pledge of allegiance.
'School is a place to learn respect for the flag and country; many of the teachers also take the time to explain the meaning of the pledge. We have been saying the pledge of allegiance for all of the 21 years that I've worked here,' she said.
Although there is no specific state law or Provo School District policy that forces schools to recite the practice, all 13 elementary schools in the district do recite the pledge, according to Michael Jacobsen, Superintendent of the Provo School District.
'Because of religious beliefs if someone didn't want to do the pledge, then we would honor that,' Jacobsen said.
'I think it's important to say the pledge in public schools because the schools are sponsored by the government,' Evensen said. 'In addition, the students learn a love for the country and learn to feel good about the flag.'