Look at an average school in America on a weekday morning. What is it that you? All across the nation the Pledge of Allegiance is being recited. Take a closer look now. What is it that you’re actually looking at? Is it a classroom full of respect or a group of people who could really care less?

More and more lately it seems to be the latter option. Today’s youth especially teenagers are losing respect for the pledge. It used to be held in such high regard. Not it seems like people don’t care. Honestly is it that hard to take what a minute out of you’re day to say it? A minute out of the 1240 minutes that there are in a day. I don’t think that’s asking to much. There’s still 1239 minutes left to waste.

Think about all the time the armed forces take out of their lives for you. I can assure you its much more then a minute. They could be doing something else but instead they put their lives on the line for this country. The country that we are living in. They care enough to do that for us. So we should take time to show them some respect. Besides how many of us know someone in the armed forces or someone going into them?

Yet teachers have to fight with students just to stand for the Pledge. How hard is it to stand up? I can understand if you’re handicapped but otherwise you don’t have an excuse. Further more students sit and talk during the Pledge. Talk about disrespectful. You’ve got lots of other time to talk during the day. So I don’t think it’s that hard to be quiet. Besides you could occupy your mouth by saying the Pledge, there’s a brilliant idea.

Have you ever thought how it would be if American hadn’t fought for Independence? I’d hate to be a third-world country. The US has their problems but its nothing close to what other nations have. Can you imagine not having running water or indoor plumbing? Personally that’s something I’d rather not think about.

Not to mention the fact that Americans are usually the ones who are helping out the other countries not the other way around. If it had been the other way around I don’t think we’d have the way of life we do now. Think about if America had gone through a communist or even fascist phase? Then we’d be people who had to flee their homeland.

Instead we’re a privileged country. Yet we sit and take it for granted. It seems like a big joke to us a lot of the time. It isn’t such a big joke though when its out family and friends that are on the front lines. It wasn’t funny during the many battles that our country has fought. Our nation is made up of people who have given their lives for it. We’re so lucky.

Last time I checked we weren’t being persecuted for not believing the same as out government leaders. Last I knew there wasn’t mass genocide in America. We are a nation who has privileges. We are free to be who we want to be. We’ve got freedom of religion, press, speech. How many other nations don’t get to enjoy that? We don’t get thrown into jail or murdered for expressing our opinions.

I’m not telling you all of this to give you a lecture or tell you you’ve got to say it. I’m saying this because it’s important. Its important to show some respect for the country we live in especially when we are in the middle of a war. We could be like the people the army is defending. Instead we are citizens of the United States of America. So if this has shown you anything I ask you to stand as I say the Pledge of Allegiance.

“I Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under God. Indivisible with liberty and justice for all”